There is something quite beautiful about youthful storytelling. A raw unruly account of history, without the wrinkles of inclination and tendencies of time. For this reason, ‘Umama’ breathes authenticity to the collective record of all South Africans. Written and directed by Johannesburg born Talia Smith, ‘Umama’ is an intimate short film inspired by the resilience of real people. It is a tribute to the unsung heroes of our childhood home: the gogos, the nannies, the aunties, the second mommies and for Talia, a visceral tribute to Susan.
Ignorance hides in confidence but knowledge comes from observing and empathising. Talia gives us the opportunity to delve into the ground to listen, to grow deeper with ‘Umama‘ and replace the surface dweller lifestyle.

Click here to watch ‘Umama‘.

Cut the men, we want the femme. Of course, we want to play on equal terms one day, but let us first ruminate on our independence and explore the femininity of our artistry. The Femmroom creates a playground for just that, it is not only a politically active participant of female empowerment via individual exhibitions but rather, it combines this with multifaceted layers of beautifully told stories, of which the author‘esses’ are the movers and shakers of South Africa’s matriarchal artistry. Created and co-ordinated by Kirsty Stunes (@kirstystunes) and Mikhalia Smith (@mikhailiasmithcomposer), Femmroom creates a space for important conversations to be held. A place where Femmestories can be told and breathtaking art can be transferred. As a platform that focuses on female artists, the idea is to learn how to harness the “power of femme expression within the creative industry.”

I think we’ve got it wrong, we’ve been thinking of indie as a subculture that stands for ‘independent’. In the South African reality, indie rather stands for indigenous; where individuals exist only as a whole to a greater collective. Blackroots Marimbas is a neo-traditional indie band founded by African indigenous instrumentalist, Sky Dladla. Sky is a collector of conscious melodies and a teacher of unity who has chosen to preserve and promote indigenous instruments and culture and pass this knowledge along to children, giving them a life to look at beyond the streets.

I begin my daily scroll through pages of self-perpetuating irrelevance. I stumble upon an extremely significant and alarming article that all South Africans should have access to. Oh, it’s for subscribers only. Then perhaps I put on a channel 401 scoop. After only just a moment and it already has me seeing stars and stripes, or was it stallions and snipers? Maybe I’ll turn to channel 402’s Royal Parliamentary sitting, although this may possibly also be Jerry Springer… I’m sure our 403 must be the right… wait nevermind, it’s showing so-and-so’s weight loss journey again. There must be a news and media platform that gives accessible, easily understandable, and unbiased accounts of the important happenings of the world.

And here it is. A duo of journalists who bring the “Daily Dose of stories that matter”. The Daily Dose SA is a journalism platform on Instagram, bringing us what we need to know in an eloquent, succinct and understandable way.

Adekunle Adeleke is a Nigeria based visual artist. He has been perfecting his skills in black portraiture over the past several years. He blends elements of traditional African Ankara patterns with surrealist compositions to create stunning images. His work often depicts black women and men in dignified and beautiful poses. Adekunle Adeleke creates digital surrealist paintings that highlight African beauty at its best and brightest. Apart from his love for art, he is also a medical doctor in his spare time.