Monthly Archives: September 2016

S04E18 – The Sex Tape

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Leon and Brett produce a bit of a carry-on in the Tune Me What studio as they bring another hour of great South African music. This week, it’s all about sex, with a dozen songs or so to get your mojo working.

In this episode we feature:

  • Pressure Cookies
  • MarcAlex
  • Koos Kombuis
  • Spoek Mathambo
  • Brenda Fassie
  • Mig21
  • King Ink
  • Naked
  • Troye Sivan
  • Nakhane Toure
  • Yvonne Chaka Chaka

Fun fact: Did you know that archetypal Cockney funnyman Sid James (featured above in this week’s show graphic) was actually South African? Yup! The late Sid James  was born Solomon Joel Cohen in Hillbrow on 8 May 1913.

We really appreciate your feedback. We’re always open to suggestions and even requests! If you’re a South African musician living or touring internationally, do let us know about your concerts, album releases or tours – we’d love to give you a punt on the show.

Our email address is yesno@tunemewhat.com But most importantly, if you enjoy the show, tell your friends about Tune Me What?! You can find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TuneMeWhat

If you’d like to advertise on the show, drop us a line at adverts@tunemewhat.com

S04E17 – The Flip-Flop Show

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What if the world hadn’t bothered with Radiohead’s tired and dull new album and had discovered the brilliant Nakhane Toure’s “Brave Confusion” instead? It could still happen of course! And it should! In this boundary-breaking episode, Leon and Brett nod in the direction of famous international bands and then flip them for a South African band or artist you’ll love if you like that. South Africa is a vast reserve of new music waiting to be discovered. We’re sinking a shaft right here so get prospecting!

In this episode we feature:

  • Matthew Mole
  • Locnville
  • Black Coffee
  • Shortstraw
  • Lithium
  • Petite Cheval
  • John Wizards
  • The Anti Retro Vinyls
  • Dan Patlansky
  • Kongos
  • Lucky Dube
  • Nakhane Toure

We really appreciate your feedback. We’re always open to suggestions and even requests! If you’re a South African musician living or touring internationally, do let us know about your concerts, album releases or tours – we’d love to give you a punt on the show.

Our email address is yesno@tunemewhat.com But most importantly, if you enjoy the show, tell your friends about Tune Me What?! You can find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TuneMeWhat

If you’d like to advertise on the show, drop us a line at adverts@tunemewhat.com

South African podcast stirs Rodriguez controversy

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Shocking distortions in award-winning documentary “Searching For Sugar Man” exposed

Searching For Sugar Man, the Oscar-winning documentary directed by Malik Bendjelloul “distorts facts and fabricates events” according to the well-known podcast series about South African music, “Tune Me What?”

In a controversial episode of the show, hosts Brett Lock and Leon Lazarus welcomed guest Professor Michael Drewett of Rhodes University in Grahamstown for a discussion about how the scripted narrative of the movie has distorted South African musical history at the expense of South African artists.

Professor Drewett is an international expert on censorship in music and a keen historian of South African alternative and protest music during the anti-apartheid struggle.

While making a point of stressing that Rodriguez – famous for such songs as ‘Sugar Man’ and ‘I Wonder’ – never made the claim himself, Prof Drewett noted that contrary to the films claims, Rodriguez was never banned in South Africa and certainly was not a leading anti-apartheid voice in music. In fact, some scenes in the movie were faked.

“The decision to discuss the fictional narrative in the movie was taken because we felt many aspects of it were creeping into historical records as fact,” said co-presenter Brett Lock. “For example, the wikipedia entry for the film claims that Rodriguez was a banned artist and that ‘harsh censorship’ made it impossible for South Africans to find out about him, while his own wikipedia entry claims that some of his songs served as anti-Apartheid anthems. None of this is true, and yet through repetition it is increasingly regarded as fact!”

Leon Lazarus noted that one of the effects of these myths is to “rob those South African musicians who made a real commitment to democratic change and opposition to apartheid of their rightful place.. and hand the mantle, undeservedly, to Rodriguez.”

Opinion on the show’s Facebook page was passionately divided between fans of Rodriguez and those who shared the view that Searching For Sugar Man did a disservice to the truth about the real musical heroes of the alternative scene in the 1970s and 80s such as Juluka, Roger Lucey, David Kramer, National Wake, the Asylum Kids, Mzwakhe Mbuli, Jennifer Ferguson, Kalahari Surfers, and others, all of whom are featured in the 90 minute show.

Ironically, the podcast was started 4 years ago after the presenters noticed people entranced by ‘unique’ story of a singer who was “huge in South Africa” but virtually unknown anywhere else. “We knew that this seemingly remarkable story was far from unique: It was the story of thousands of South African musicians – legends in their own country, but unknown to the world,” they said.

Their efforts in spreading the word about South African music to an international audience were rewarded when Esquire Magazine listed “Tune Me What?” as an “essential podcast”.

The show is available online at: http://www.tunemewhat.com

Further discussion is encouraged at: https://www.facebook.com/TuneMeWhat/

S04E16 – Getting Over Sugarman

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Did the Oscar-winning documentary “Searching For Sugarman” make things up and distort facts to the point where international audiences got a false impressing of the South African music scene? Did they make Rodriguez an undeserving hero at the cost of local South African musicians? With their special guest, music sociologist Michael Drewett, Brett & Leon reveal the scandalous truth about Malik Bendjelloul’s ‘fake-umentary’.

In this episode we feature:

  • Roger Lucey
  • National Wake
  • David Kramer
  • Edi Niederlander
  • Kalahari Surfers
  • Juluka
  • James Phillips
  • Mzwakhe Mbuli
  • Jennifer Ferguson
  • Bright Blue
  • Just Jinger

Check out Michael Drewett’s other project about censorship and South African music, Cutting Grooves.

We really appreciate your feedback. We’re always open to suggestions and even requests! If you’re a South African musician living or touring internationally, do let us know about your concerts, album releases or tours – we’d love to give you a punt on the show.

Our email address is yesno@tunemewhat.com But most importantly, if you enjoy the show, tell your friends about Tune Me What?! You can find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TuneMeWhat

If you’d like to advertise on the show, drop us a line at adverts@tunemewhat.com

In this episode we used some free sound effects from http://www.freesfx.co.uk

S04E15 – Postcards From Hermanus

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During the mid-season break, Brett visited Hermanus in the Western Cape so he and Leon exchanged the ‘musical postcards’ which make up this week’s show. Brett never spotted any whales – even though it was in the middle of “Kalfiefees” – but he did find one of the best independent record shops in South Africa in the middle of Hermanus while searching for the new Matthew van der Want album… and other rarities!

So enjoy the zany exchanges as your two hosts celebrate more South African music!

In this episode, we feature:

  • Robin Auld
  • Abdullah Ibrahim
  • Koos Kombuis
  • Valiant Swart
  • David Kramer
  • Toya Delazy
  • Refentse
  • Sipho Gumede
  • Namaqa
  • Fetish
  • Matthew van der Want

Also, be sure to check out Funky Vibes CD shop if you’re even in Hermanus – they are one of the best stockists of South African music Tune Me What? has ever found – and the staff are super friendly and helpful.

We really appreciate your feedback. We’re always open to suggestions and even requests! If you’re a South African musician living or touring internationally, do let us know about your concerts, album releases or tours – we’d love to give you a punt on the show.

Our email address is yesno@tunemewhat.com But most importantly, if you enjoy the show, tell your friends about Tune Me What?! You can find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TuneMeWhat

If you’d like to advertise on the show, drop us a line at adverts@tunemewhat.com

In this episode we used some free sound effects from http://www.freesfx.co.uk