AFRIKAN CHILD + Aura Msimang ‘Afrikan Child’ the 3rd album from Aura Msimang Berton is a proudly South African project. The first album “Full Experience” was done in Kingston Jamaica in 1977 at Lee ‘ Scratch’ Perry’s Black Ark Studios. It was inspired by a dream of three women, from Africa and its Diaspora, coming together in song to share their experiences, 12 brilliantly started tracks, were later sabotaged. Leaving only a 5 track collectors album released 12 years later by Blue Moon records in Paris, France . ‘Itshe’ the second take, was a product done in Bruxelles, Belgium in 2000, with Jean Paul Dispaux of Idest Communications as executive producer. Using the cream of musicians in the area, some of whom Aura had worked with over the years, she produced this one herself. This one was more like a farewell to exile and the return home, ( though she had already returned to SA since 1998). The title track was a from a Zulu folk tale, memory of her late mother (calling on her ancestors), this one had been her strength through the years, in desperate times. The tracks line up was chosen from many songs done over many years and shows, which her friends had liked, and though the recording time was limited she was satisfied with the choices. So in another way, this was also a farewell album to friends and loved ones. After 9 years of being back home in South Africa, Aura finally decided to go back to her love of music, after taking part in many community and cultural activities in her neighbourhood and city. It took that long because there was a lot to catch up with, to experience, to learn and understand. ‘Afrikan Child’ the title track, was written a few years ago and updated as time went on. The whole product was recorded at Base2Base Recording studios (B2B) in Yeoville, Johannesburg. Aura worked in administration and artist consultant in exchange for studio time and a video. All her recording experience to date had been with live musicians etc. and this was her first exposure to a urban street music programation studio…a challenge. She could hear all the music being done in the studio from her office, and slowly got to like some of what she heard. Two examples being the tracks done by Joah Jonelley, for a song called ‘Missing You’ and one by Milandro Mapengo for the song ‘Sly / do you feel me?’. The environment of B2B is the Times Square complex on Raleigh Street, which is a bustling hive of activity, a real little African renaissance area in the village of Yeoville. It is both a residential and commercial spot, that has residential tenants from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa; plus businesses e.g. 3 Ethiopian, 2 Nigerian, I Malawian, 1 Zimbabwen, and 1 South African restaurants and pizza parlour. A Congo DRC and Zim bar, 2 congo DRC hair and nails Salons, a Rwandan bed &breakfast, 2 Congo DRC import / export co.’s, a telecommunications/ internet centre and of course B2B. From this fertile ground for inspiration, came the story by a young Ethiopian refugee who grew up in Tanzania, that was the inspiration for ‘Missing You’. A friend from myspace.com, who knew me from the ‘Full Exp.’ mini album days send me 2 tracks from London. The first was used for a song that was inspired by the young men I work with in the studio, who were talking about how they had never known their fathers, conversation came about because one of them had just become a father, and was saying he’ll be a father for life, inspiring ‘Father Figure’. Second track was once used for BM’s ‘Turn your lights down low’ and we wrote ‘Magic in your eyes’ to it. ‘Kick, Punch, Pain’ is dedicated to women that refuse the victim mode, we all know at least one, who take the reigns and take care of their children and everything else, doing a great job all alone. ‘Sly / do you feel me?’ is a song full of metaphors that we leave to the listeners to figure out. ‘You’re not alone’ spiritually motivated song for a friend who lost 2 children to suicide. ‘Afrikan Child’ is my anthem to all children of African descent, it speaks for itself. ‘Jamming / One Love’ a song dedicated to the genre and the artists that made reggae music so inspirational and fun. Now having said earlier that the studio was more for programmed sessions and she was going to take the plunge, she couldn’t hang and s.o.s’d her musician friends for help. She would love to send some big-ups to the famous brothers from ‘Tidal Waves’; • Zakes for coming in and revving up the sound with some beautiful guitar, • Charlie whose bass added just what was needed to make it truly rock and • Tebogo for his serious drum vibes and changes. • Eli Amor for his soulful guitar sounds. • Olufemi who came in and without a word, whipped out one sax after another and blew us away with his beautiful melodies. • Mpho who came in and shared with us the breathy sounds of the ‘lesiba’ (a Sotho traditional instrument), and last but not least • Tunde who grounded our title track with the age old sounds of the Gan-Gan (talking drum). Thus instruments came in to round of the sound. In the last few years Aura was very involved in cultural activism in her area, and as part of this she had open-mic sessions in the Yeoville recreational park. She decided to invite some of the youth that used to feature in these events, and they are here rapping their own lyrics to the theme of the song. I would like to introduce them here :- • ‘You’re not alone’ features – Benny Witboi in Damara Nama (Namibia), Ziggy Balunda in French (DRC Congo),Teddy Tadessa in Swahili(Ethiopia) • ‘Jamming /One Love’ features – Coolio Ngqondela (SA) • ‘Kick Punch Pain’ features – Safeiya Feni (SA) • ‘Father Figure’- Vambos Sephula, John Pop and Angola Bond (SA) The engineers who started the tracks with their brilliant programming skills are:- • Sakele ‘Doc’ Maputi – Jamming/One Love, You’re not alone • Julius Dlamini, Milandro Mapengo – Kick Punch Pain • Joah Jonelley – Missing You • Paul ‘Preacher’ Brown – Father Figure • Carlton McCloud (Composer) – Magic in your Eyes • Milandro Mapengo – Afrikan Child, Sly/do you feel me? This is a Qwa Productions (an Independent Co.) product, produced by Aura Msimang Berton in collaboration with Ivo dos Ramos of Base2Base recording studios and its staff. (Article) Mam Aura Msimang, A Legend In Our Midst Why do the peoples heroes remain unsung? When are dues finally paid? As quiet as it is kept, Aura Msimang is a legend in our midst. To the Yeoville community where she lives, to the artistic fraternity, the Rastas and the local street kids, she is known endearingly as M'Aura. Her latest album Itshe, which was recorded in Brussels and mixed at Jet Star Cave Studios in London runs as a soundtrack of all her personal and musical experiences. It is unforgettable. She describes Itshe as "a culmination of all the type of music done while away from home." Aura left the country in the early 60s when she was fifteen, only to return some thirty something years later. Before leaving Africa's shores her family moved around the continent; the then Cecil Rhodes' Rhodesia, Botswana, the Congo, Nigeria in the mid 60s during the Biafra oil war and then finally Sierra Leone where she finished high school. Used to moving and ready for more, in 1968 she went abroad for the first time. "The US and Europe presented something new and exciting although there was also the anxiety of leaving my parents for an indefinite period of time". Harlem USA in the late 60s and 70s was abuzz with the vibe of Black Nationalism. Everybody was trying to find their roots and it was all about the Motherland. Martin Luther King was on the scene along with Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Toure), Amiri Baraka, Angela Davis, Malcom X and his ideological children; the Soul Dad Brothers; the Black Panther Party. Aura recalls these as "the best moments in African American history". South Africans were also on the scene; Miriam, Jonas, Keifus and Bra Hugh. This was also the time when Hugh Masekela's song "Grazing in the Grass" put South African music on the map. Paving the way for the big Nigeria personality was Baba Olatunji and the drums of passion. The Senegalese in all their beauty and informal business sense were there along with the Ghananians and their signature Kente cloth to complement the African aesthetic. A husband and son Alpha later, along with the equally profound and devastating death of her mother, Aura decided to broaden her artistic abilities and further her studies. The Jamaican School of Arts (JSA) in Kingston granted her a two year tuition scholarship. "I took advantage of this period to also check out the reggae music scene, doing back-up vocals in several local productions to help with living expenses". Alongside friend Pamela Reed she did backing vocals on Reggae classic "Curly Locks". Being an "African dawtah" (a sister from Africa) she soon met the JAs' musical big wigs; Jah Youth, Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs and Bunny Wailer. She worked on two musical tours with Jimmy Cliff and also recorded an album with her brain-child group Full Experience which was produced by the wizard himself, Lee "Scratch" Perry at the mythical Black Ark Studios. The recording of the Full Experience album was riddled with obstacles and it wasn't until some twelve years later that it was able to see the light of day. In 1989 in France while contracted to French star Maxime Le Forestier, that she was able to license 5 tracks out of the 13 recorded, and subsequently released them as a collector's item under Blue Moon Records. Responding to critics who've said that because she is African she must therefore do African music, in an article entitled "Aura Meets Lee Perry" which appeared in Im' Medai '98 she pointed out that "African music is all over the world now. Reggae music is a part of African music, R&B is a part of African music, jazz is a part of African music and my life experience is all those musics". She remembers the Black Ark songs to be the first African language songs done to a Reggae beat. It was also at Black Ark that she realised her dream of working with her idol, and later good friend, Bob Marley. After her "nightmarish first experience in the real world of recorded music", she left Jamaica for Miami, in part also to be closer to Alpha. In Miami she was an Arts and Culture teacher at the Coconut Groove crime prevention centre for two days out of the week and with the rest of her time she hustled and juggled organic honey from Jamaica, natural juices and her home made ginger beer at the farmers' market. It was at the farmers' market that Jimmy Cliffs' manager found her and proposed a three continent tour in 1980. The tour was topped off with a performance appearance in the film Bongo Man, available on video circuit. While doing rehearsal with Bob's mom Cedella Booker for an album to be recorded at Tuff Gong, Bob collapsed in New York while on tour. It wasn't until a year later that Bob passed away on route to Jamaica, via Miami from treatment in Germany. The tears that well up in her eyes betray her guard. Outside professional studio work with Bob, Aura won't speak more about Bob. "Too many people claim him now, Bob this and Bob that. I don't want to be a part of that." In a bid farewell to a friend and fellow musician Aura shared the stage with Bob's mother at Bobs' memorial service in Montigo Bay in 1981. Reaching into her trunk of memories she pulls out an album with Cedella on the cover. "We recorded the album about five months after Bob passed and Ma Booker has that Mahalia Jackson influence, and so the album has a sort of Reggae-Gospel sound to it which is really nice." The album "Awake Zion" was backed by the Wailers band and produced by Bob's wife Rita Marley. Although it's been four years since she made the decision to come home, she has only spent one full year in the country. "I've really just been shuttling back and forth between Bruxelles and here recording my album Itshe". "Even though Itshe represents more of a closing off of a musical period, she still wants to do another full reggae album. Just last year she was one of three African artists invited to perform four songs each from their new releases in an RTBF/ Derive Film Production, shot in Belgium and the Congo. The films working title is "L'agent de Liaison", scheduled for release this February. In the film Aura is shown in a live show sequence. Like the many prophets who are never honoured in their own lands; she, like they, continues her quiet revolution. Working with other reggae musicians as stake-holders to motivate and create long term employment for themselves through their chosen music, Aura has embarked on a concept which she calls "Reggae Vision". "Everybody's motivation is different in the collective even though reggae's vision is really one, but as for me, I am carrying on the rich legacy that has been extended by my life and musical experiences. There's a dire need in the local industry and Reggae Vision is simply a platform for me and others to play our part." Much like the tittle of her album, Itshe, Aura Msimang is every inch, a rock solid woman warrior. Nhlanhla Hlongwane [(BA) Political Science & Communications, (MA) Media Studies] is a Freelance Filmmaker (Director, Camera person) and Writer. He is www.kush.co.za editor and a founding member of Kush Kollective.