It has been a hell of a week (or two, but who is keeping time) in the Afrikaans music industry.
This industry that I work in has been turned upside down due to politics and old wounds.
All hell broke loose around an award ceremony where sponsors pulled out on account of the inclusion of an artist that has been ruffling feathers all over S.A.
He is accused of racism and causing havoc with his comments on social media.
As he has a great following so he has great influence and that in itself says a lot about “our” people, whether we want it too or not.
With his exclusion many artists decided not to go either and the Afrikaans community has been up in arms since.
We are a culture divided, well-known for our conservative side, it is not so well-known outside our community that we tear each other apart at the seams to repent from the racism within.
Or something like that.
All I know we are a culture divided and there is a deep gulf between us.
In a world run by leaders that all mostly seem insane to me – apologies, it is not as if I know how to run a country – our global values still belong to greed.
The same topic, I know, yet, that is exactly what happened recently in our little hemisphere.
We listen to what sells – easily.
We eat – what sells easily.
We think – what comes easily.
We love – when it is easily.
People in South Africa are mostly suffering from PTSD. At least, we should, so who am I to judge?
It is one hell of a ride.
I heard today, 37% of all the food in the world goes to waste.
Can we get a moment of silence?
37% is almost 40% is almost half of all the food in the world.
We live in a time when folks can buy a car of half a million bucks, but cannot pay their gardener more than a hundred or two.
Artists walked out when this artist and his one song was pulled from the awards.
Maybe he had it coming, who will know. SA is tired of racism and bad politics.
We are hungry for justice just like we are hungry for the right song.
Live Life Art we say here with Mocca in Mosselbay.
Live and let live they say all over the world.
Take heed – your actions catches up with you and it is great to dance, but choose the right shoes, my grandma said.
And the muso’s say?
When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.
Phew.
It has been one hell of a week.
