Jozi Nights - The Party Never Stops

Much like Benni McCarthy has had no shortage of pies, Jo’burg never has a shortage of events. I’ve now mastered the art of knowing that it’s okay to decline some invitations. Quite frankly, I can’t hold down a full time job and go to all these functions and preserve my sanity. Jo’burg has become a maze of events and trying to get out of some of them is damn near impossible.

Last Thursday the boyfriend (who is a rapper – I know, I know, I’ve been warned) was going to be performing so I couldn’t get out of making an appearance despite being exhausted, bloated and forgetting where I’d put my makeup bag. Zubz was hosting his Golden Mic Nights, which have become quite popular among those who love live music and hip-hop. On this particular night, he was featuring Tumi of Tumi and the Volume fame. The crowd was a balanced mix of arty types gone corporate and hardcore hip-hop-loving types. The scene was set by Pops Mohammed who performed alongside Zubz and Ntsiki Mazwai with a combo of the Kora, hip-hop and poetry. Tumi then jumped on stage, telling stories with a hypnotising flow. He featured the beautiful and talented Zakii Ibrahim, Pebbles, MXO, Brickz and HHP. Over drinks and good music, I discovered the maze that threatens my sanity is sometimes necessary. This particular event always seems to leave most of us feeling good about hip-hop, specifically hip-hop in Africa. If you’re in Jo’burg and like the genre (or hope to pick up a rapper - I kid, I kid), this is the only place to be every first Thursday of the month.

The Friday night trap caught up with me before I’d even gotten over Thursday’s ‘festivities’. Puma was hosting a party in celebration of the World Cup and their headlining act was Die Antwoord. Exhaustion was looming and the realisation that I’m no longer the party machine I was at 19 set in. During the night I found wondering if my I’d switched my electric blanket on or not. But back to the party...

As soon as the Newtown venue filled up, my excitement levels shot through the roof. Roger Goode got the crowd warmed up and by the time Die Antwoord took to the stage, the masses were literally buck wild. Pushing to the front of the stage was the bravest thing I’ve done in years. Rugby-player sized men (and women) were jumping up and down and trying to squeeze my Smurf-sized self between them seemed like a suicide mission. Eventually I gave up and did what any self-respecting vertically-challenged girl would do, I jumped onto the ottomans to catch a glimpse of Die Antwoord. Sadly, the rugby players were still blocking my view. Now I’m checking to see when their next show is so I can arrive early, on stilts.

The combo of exhaustion and disappointment at not being able to see the stage didn’t take away from the fact that Puma hosted a great gig. As I was about to head home, I received two more invitations to events that were happening the next night. ‘Parties or sanity?’, I asked myself.

Luckily I manage to manoeuvre out of that maze. Then I headed home for a weekend of sleep.

Author: Zama Nkosi