The next morning our protagonist wakes up in her hotel room with a red rose and a letter outside her door. It’s from her husband, apologizing for his affair and begging for her forgiveness. He confesses everything, along with the fact that he secretly flew in from his business trip in Vermont just to watch her show. In the letter he tells her how magnificent her performance was and how much he loves her and how sorry he is. He asks, with one single red rose, if she will accept his apology and forgive him. He writes about the dreams and plans for their lives together which they once had. He wants to re-ignite those dreams, as well as the flame between them. Our protagonist reads the letter and is taken back to a time when they were indeed very much in love and shared many dreams. She thinks about their memories and the passionate times they’ve shared together as she decides what she will do.
1. The Rose.Roses are ancient symbols of love and beauty. The red rose was also adopted as a symbol of the blood of the Christian martyrs. Obviously the rose is the perfect symbol of the love between our protagonist and her husband, as well as the beauty of their relationship. The red is associated with blood which is also poignant as blood is connected to life. It is responsible for transporting oxygen and nutrients around our body, as well as playing a role in removing waste from our system. In a way, this symbol represents that he wishes to remove the ‘waste’ that has accumulated in their relationship – culminating in the toxic affair. As blood also plays a role in repair in our bodies, so this symbol serves furthermore to represent his wish to take the first steps toward repairing the life they have together that has been wounded. Again, the red of the rose playing a role as a motif throughout our story. See it’s symbolism HERE.
2. Perfume.While she is relieved, she is unsure what to do. She wonders about whether or not she will forgive him as she gets ready. On her dressing table is everything beautiful, delicate, feminine and luxurious. It represents her inner self and the side of herself she is confident in, unlike their relationship which she is unsure of. We have her seated at her dressing table as she remembers all their loving times together. She sprays on her favourite perfume. It’s the same scent she was wearing when they first met, on a romantic rainy evening years ago, and this moment takes her back to that time. The definition of perfume is “A pleasing, agreeable scent or odor”, made up of the word “fuming” - To fill or permeate with fragrance; impart a pleasant odor to. This is symbolic as these memories are like a pleasing fragrance to a troubled mind. She thinks back to their gentle and sensual first kiss.
3. Music.Finally she makes her decision. She decides to forgive him and give their love another try. Her exuberance in spirit is matched only by her cheeky smile as she realizes that “she’s still got it!“. Her husband has chosen to stay with her over his mistress. There is a sense of triumph mixed with lighthearted relief. Their love is indeed the same beautiful song she’s remembered all along. We have her sitting next to a piano, with her smile at the outcome of her tragedy as the symbolic Crescendo in the musical score that was this story.
Move over Bruno Mars, Port Elizabeth’s very own Gino Lee is about to take centre stage!
Winner of M-net’s acclaimed Young Stars televised competition in 2010, BAMA award winner, Bay FM award winner, sought-after corporate and festival performer in the Eastern Cape, and still only a Matric student, this talented young rock star has the world at his feet.
I say ‘rock star’ with a sort of giggle, as that is precisely not what Gino wants to be..
I performed in Port Elizabeth last night at Pool City, and I was a bit nervous as the crowd there is very rock-oriented and I’m not like that at all! My vibe when I perform my original music is very relaxed, very laid back. I was worried how they would feel about my music.
As could be expected, they received him well – as is the case in every other instance in which he finds himself in front of the mic.
Having started at the young age of thirteen, Gino’s been performing his music across the province ever since.
He performs cover songs of famous tunes, as well as some of his own stuff – a lot of which he co-writes with his talented brother.
Pop is my genre. I love it! I’m starting to introduce the element of dance into my routines, as the crowd really likes that.
Well, he might not want to be a rock star, but he certainly moves like one and has the crowds of followers to attest to it!
With nearly 2, 000 subscribers on his personal Facebook page alone – not to mention his 1, 000 + fans on his public Facebook page – Gino’s a hit at the tender age of seventeen.
-Especially with the ladies
Meeting him at Friendly Stranger in Port Elizabeth, I was honoured to meet his dynamic mother along with him.
My parents are my managers. I am so blessed to have them. They truly have my best interests at heart.
I personally can’t wait to get to work on the interview!
Tamika: Where are you from originally?
Gino: Port Elizabeth.
Tamika: Where do you attend school?
Gino: Theodor Herzl.
Tamika: What kind of training did you do for singing?
Gino: None. When I was in grade seven (thirteen) I was in a band called River Road. I played keyboard. We didn’t have a singer, and so one day I stepped up to the plate. Soon after that I went solo and in 2010, I won M-net’s Young Stars. I started taking my singing more seriously and I pushed myself forward into performing at all kinds of things. There were festivals, corporates, schools, competitions, you name it! I needed experience and I needed to get my name out there.
Tamika: What are some of the biggest performances you’ve ever done?
Gino:The Splash Festivals in 2010 and 2011. They were held at Hobie Beach in PE. They were big ones for me. Then an event for Volkswagen always ranks among the top ones. I remember all the big cheeses of VW were there, and I was terrified! But it went so well…
Tamika: Ever got stage fright?
Gino: Haha! No. For me, the most stressful part of the performance is always the waiting to go on. But once I’m on stage I’m fine.
Tamika: So what’s in the pipeline for you right now?
Gino: Well there’s some pretty exciting stuff! I’m off to America in a few months.
Tamika: America?!
Gino: Yip! I was very lucky to be scouted last year at a gig I was doing at Montecasino, Johannesburg. A talent scout called Kim Myers selected me to perform at a talent showcase going on this year in Orlando. It’s called The Applause Rising Talent Showcase.
The Applause Rising Talent Showcase, or ARTS, is a family owned and operated international organization. With hand selected mother agencies, dance centers, performing arts organizations, theater companies, and more… coming together to offer a unique week long experience, like no other. ARTS is recognized by top industry leaders as the simply the best and safest place in the world to pursue the entertainment industry, without spending a life savings, and education dollars.
Aspiring actors, singers, dancers and fashion/commercial models with have their time on stage performing in various capacities. ARTS offers a state of the art experience on a Hollywood set and Broadway style stage! Live performance in front of hundreds of agents worldwide and a live audience! On-camera auditions for Television, Cold-Read, Comedy, and Improvisation… like no other! We unite agencies looking for the brightest and best new talent to the very best quality talent of all ages worldwide.
So everything right now is about preparing for that. There’s a group of us that were selected here in the Eastern Cape. Together we’ve started a project to raise funds for the trip. We’ve called it “Persuing Arts” and we intend to put on a showcase of our own in April this year in Port Elizabeth as a fundraising event.
Tamika: And school? What do you intend to do after school?
Gino: Well that’s a tricky one. A lot depends on what happens in America. But I do know that no matter what, I want to be educated and I’d like to study medicine.
Tamika: Wow! Brains and beauty! Have you won any awards?
Gino: Haha! Umm… yes I have, I’ve won three BAMA Awards (Bay Area Music Awards) and two Bay FM Awards.
Tamika: What instruments do you play?
Gino: Keyboard / Piano.
Tamika: What is the most recent job you’ve done?
Gino: I performed at Pool City with a band called “Shut Up It’s Sunday”.
Tamika: Do you act as well?
Gino: Look I’m open to everything. In fact, at the moment I’m the lead in my school play! It’s called Aida and it starts on March 4th. It runs until March 10th. I also love dancing. Right now I’m working with an amazing choreographer, Bennie Gerber, who has his own dance studio called Vertical Expression. I get all my cool moves and back-up dancers from him
Tamika: Do you also model?
Gino: Not professionally.
Tamika: Which singers do you look up to?
Gino: Pop music artists!
Tamika: Where do you party?
Gino: Gosh, I don’t hey! I’m not really a party person. There’s too much to do! I would far rather be at home creating, producing, brainstorming and planning – let’s put it this way, I’d rather have my music playing in the club.
Tamika: What’s in the boot of your car right now?
Gino: Sound equipment!
Tamika: Do you have siblings?
Gino: Yes, two brothers.
Tamika: What does your family do?
Gino: My dad’s a doctor and my mom is a retired teacher.
Tamika: What is your health routine like?
Gino: In the past I didn’t focus as much on my body as I’m starting to now. I work out now – mainly to build strength and stamina so I can be my best on stage.
Tamika: Where do you see yourself in ten years from now?
Gino: Winning a Grammy.
Tamika: Name a place you love.
Gino: Anywhere with my parents.
Tamika: Do you do any charity work?
Gino: Yes, absolutely! I do a lot for the HMA Charity (Heaven’s Missing Angels), for the Eastern Cape Children’s Home, for the Mfundu Children’s Home and for the POPS Foundation (People Opposing Poverty in Society).
Tamika: What do you tell yourself when you walk away from a performance?
Gino: No matter what, I’m kind to myself. I always make sure that even if I mess up, I turn it into a good thing. So I would say to myself; “Great performance!”
Last week I went to two fantastic events in one night (adrenalin junkie much!?)
The first was the launch of a new recording label in Atlantis, Cape Town.
Laurenzo Davids – brother of our Idols Season 5 co-winner Sasha-Lee – launched Vision Music Records or “VMR” for short.
Most of You know us as LOWAFFY PRODUCTIONS! We are an Independent Record Label, signing new upcoming artists and producing music. Music lessons are now available too! Contact us for further info!
There was champagne (my fav!) and soft drinks for everyone, as well as snacks going around during what must have been one of the most moving speeches I’ve heard in a while.
Laurenzo Davids has such a charm about him and speaks totally from the heart.
He highlighted his journey to this point; where his passion for singing has been met with his passion for people in this new venture.
Respect!
He thanked his family and, of course, certain friends who have been very much involved in the “vision” that is “Vision Music Records”.
Atlantis can certainly be proud of this beacon of hope and his talented family, who obviously have a gift for helping others and creating beautiful opportunities for their community in Atlantis.
With a few artists already signed to the label, I’m sure the new business will be extremely successful, rewarding and not to mention exciting for this group of entrepreneurs!
with Sasha
with Gio Davids
having my shmodel moment (we’re all allowed them!)
If you would like to get updates on the label’s ongoings in the music industry, or simply to support, join their facebook page HERE.
Held at the Cape Town stadium, it was absolutely incredible!
What an adrenalin rush!
I also have their new CD which I literally cannot stop listening to.
Go buy it now!
The concert, in my opinion, was fantastic.
Although that being said from someone who wasn’t standing in the crowd below, which I rate must be a huge turn-off.
I did it once before at Kings of Leon and it was awful.
Everyone’s pushing you, trying to see ……… you can’t see …….. you can’t move ……. it’s hot ……….. it’s loud ……… you can’t hear the music properly……. and getting out when it’s over is the biggest mission ever!
Being in general standing kind of spoils the experience.
Unless you have Golden Circle or are seated, I don’t think you could have a good experience.
I was in the Red Block and I was so pleased.
Nothing beats actually seeing the artist you love and being able to actually hear what they’re saying.
That’s my advice if you’re keen to go to the concerts coming through to Cape Town in the months ahead, which include:
Lady Gaga
The Parlotones
Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Chris Brown
and Justin Bieber!
Here is the music video for one of Linkin Parks’s latest songs, “Castle of Glass” :
Algoa FM is the the biggest commercial radio station from the Garden Route to the Wild Coast on 94 to 97fm.
What a delight it was to film its video profile for Skybok!
We arrived at 11am to their studios here in Port Elizabeth at The Boardwalk – I was excited!
I love the place.
It’s chic & fresh and it felt rejuvenating to walk through the station filming.
We got to meet one of their most popular DJs, Lance Du Plessis, and what a fantastic guy!
Easy-going and professional, he does a great job on air and has a successful reputation and a big following here in the Bay.
Another person I was very pleased to meet was studio manager Jason Perry.
With his good wit and charming smile, I am thankful to him for making shooting so easy and fun!
I took some fun snaps with these guys – to see them click HERE!
Everything went very smoothly on the day…. we got Lance doing his show and also some really nice shots around the station.
We didn’t get to shoot their boardroom as there was a meeting there on the day, but you can check out my blog post HERE for some snaps of it as well as some snaps I took around the station while we shot.
In my opinion everyone working there is fun-loving and hard-working.
I love the position of the station….The Boardwalk here in PE….it’a a very beautiful complex right on the beachfront.
It must be a fantastic place to go to work every day!
They also have a very cool website – check it out by clicking HERE.
Me and my brother Dane
For more photographs Skybok took of Algoa FM, click HERE.
I bought their flagship wine for myself – The Boet Erasmus 2009.
We shot their video profile for Skybok recently as a result!
I made a new friend in The Pillsbury man while we walked around -
and I entered a competition to win this car -
Oh yeah!
The wine tasting was way too much fun..
I laughed as I overheard the organizer tell one of the wine stalls to stop giving out such large portions in the ‘tastings’ because people were getting frisky..
Haha!
I went with my good friend Candice and we had a fabulous time sampling this new champagne vodka that’s out.
Oh yes, and some shots of I can’t remember what.
and some cocktails..
and some new Bubblegum flavoured liqueur by a company called Smooch Beverages
- Ok ok, I honestly can’t remember much, but I know I got this green scarf and a photo on a wall as a prize.
What a pleasure it was to have my family down recently from Los Angeles, USA.
My uncle is a singer (see my write-up on him by clicking HERE) and the last time I saw him and the rest of my family living there was a staggering 8 years ago!
It was an absolute thrill to have them all down for a reunion as well as for performances he gave in both Johannesburg and in Port Elizabeth.
In Joburg he performed at Tanz Cafe and in P.E. he performed at The Vodacom Ampitheatre at The Boardwalk.
There was a good crowd who came out to support him at The Boardwalk on both nights, despite the rainy weather.
It was so exciting to see David & Sherri (my cousin) get up on stage after the interval for a duet!
After the shows everyone stayed behind to buy CDs and get autographs!
It was all very exciting:)
Below is a photo I took with my uncle and his producer in South Africa, Benjy Mudie.
Benjy initially became famous for being the Marketing Director of Tusk Music and subsequently for being the producer of a very popular South African singing group Mango Groove.
He is most recently well-known from being a guest judge on Idols, South Africa, and for being the Founder and Managing Director of Fresh Music since 1998.
Below is a photo of Sherri also signing her autograph on the CD.
It was a really special weekend… he performed two nights in a row.
While in Johannesburg he was interviewed on various radio stations and also on television.
He was interviewed one morning on Morning Live on SABC3 -
He and my cousin had a lovely write-up in The Herald’s Weekend Post while they were here, which was great to see!
Sherri cracked the front page, so naturally we took this snap while waiting at the traffic light:)
Hehe!
Something else I was invited to attend over the past week was The King & Queen of Port Elizabeth competition.
It was held at the The Grand Hotel here in P.E. and was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon!
I attended it with my good friend Brandon Lorenzo, of MTV Base fame.
It was very cute seeing the babies modelling… I managed to steal a snap with two of them after the show!
I attended another super event recently…. it was a talk given by Colin Cowie – events planner & lifestyle guru to the stars!
He spoke here in Port Elizabeth at The Granary and a huge crowd came out to listen to him.
This guy has planned some of the most talked-about parties in the world… his clients include Kim Kardashian & Kris Humphries, Oprah Winfrey, John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Jennifer Lopez, Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise, Hugh Hefner and many more…. So it was only fitting that I wore my highest pair of heels in honour of the occasion!
Click HERE to view his website – it’s very interesting!
He was telling me how he’s missed biltong, smoked snoek, oxtail, tomato sauce and all the other South African products that aren’t available in the U.S.!
Finding out that he is from Selborne College in East London, here in S.A., was so amazing.
He said that he left South Africa at the age of 23 with nothing but a well-cut suit, a good tan and $400!
His first client was Bruce Willis, when he was still young and had just got his first job on the series Moonlighting.
Bruce asked him to do a barbeque on the beach.
It was very inspiring!
It shows you that anything is possible.
Here is a snap of him and I:
This past Saturday saw me giving a talk to a class of grade 10 students at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University who are part of Engen’s Saturday School Programme.
I spoke to them about valuing yourself and using your God-given talents to achieve great things in life.
They loved it when I did my range of accents for them!
-British especially
Afterwards we handed out dictionaries to the learners, which were sponsored by Rotary Algoa Bay.
My mother is the President of Rotary Algoa Bay, so she was there to present the students with this generous donation!
So the big event right now on everyone’s lips is the up-coming FCM Fashion Party.
In case you didn’t know, ‘FCM’ stands for “Ferial’s Closet Makeover” – a Couture designer label, hot on the South African scene.
All clothes are designed by the talented and sassy Ferial Dawood.
I wrote a blog article about the label not so long ago (see the article HERE).
Taking over the glamorous night life with sexy designs in Cape Town & Johannesburg, it’s been featured in local and international Fashion Shoots, Fashion Shows and Celeb styling.
The show takes place on the 3rd of March at 21:30 at Club 169 on Long Street and other fashion designers who will be featured are ‘Phi Casa’ and ‘RedBow’.
What is it this month with South Africa and world-famous musicians?
First there was Coldplay, then David Guetta…. Later this year it’s Janet Jackson and Lil’ Wayne….and at the moment it’s Kings of Leon!
It’s every blogger’s dream
The American rock band, formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999, has hit South Africa and is performing tonight at the Cape Town Stadium in Greenpoint, and at the F N B Stadium in Johannesburg this weekend.
They achieved initial success in the UK, with 9 Top 40 singles, 2 BRIT Awards and each one of their early albums making it into the top five of the UK Albums Chart. Their album Because of the Times (2006-2007), reached the No.1 spot.
Their album Only By the Night, which was released in September 2008, saw the band achieve momentous popularity in the US. The singles “Sex on Fire”, “Use Somebody” and “Notion” all peaked at No. 1 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart.
As if that wasn’t enough, the album itself became their first ever Platinum-selling album in the US, and was the best-selling album of 2008 in Australia, being certified Platinum 9 times.
Premier of Talihina Sky at the Tribeca Film Festival April 2011
The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 21 this year and received huge praise.
It was acquired by Showtime, premiering on the network on August 21.
The tag line?
“When three teenaged brothers and their cousin rebelled against their strict, religious Southern upbringing to form Kings of Leon, their humble backstory garnered almost as much attention as their music.”
It features concert footage, home movies and archival material and how the rock band got their fame. It was directed byStephen C. Mitchell.
Their latest album is called Come Around Sundown and was released in October 2010 in the UK and the U.S.
They received a Grammy nomination for best rock song in 2011 for the song “Radioactive.”
When I stood at the entrance of St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City, Rome, last year, one song kept playing over and over again in my head. That song was “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay.
I guess it’s just because there are lyrics in the song that reminded me of where I was at that moment.
“Hear Jerusalem bells are ringings Roman Cavalry choirs are singing Be my mirror my sword and shield My missionaries in a foreign field For some reason I can not explain I know Saint Peter will call my name Never an honest word But that was when I ruled the world”
Ever since their last album “Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends”, I have been a huge fan.
And now, for the first time ever, they are coming to perform live in South Africa!
Their followers all over the country are gearing up for one of the best rock concerts of the year!
It’s amazing to think about their humble beginnings as an English alternative rock band which was formed at the University College London.
Here we are, fifteen years later, and they’ve sold over 50 Million records worldwide! They have an album “A Rush of Blood to the Head” (2002) which won them ‘Record of the Year’ at the 2004 Grammys, another album “X&Y” which was the bestselling album of 2005 with world-wide sales of 11 million and a latest one (my favourite) “Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends”, which has become the band’s first number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and their first UK number one based on download sales alone!
Needless to say, they’ve won so many awards – including 7 Grammy Awards, 4 MTV Video Music Awards, 6 Brit Awards – and they’ve also headlined some huge festivals.
They perform tomorrow (5 October) at the Cape Town Stadium. This weekend it’s the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. Tickets were selling from between R270 to R635.
I guess we should be thanking ‘Big Concerts’, 94.5 KFM and 94.7 Highveld Stereo, as well as M-Net, for bringing them to us!
