Begin Again - Movie Review

This movie is so up my street in every way. A love triangle involving three troubled souls who through their love of making music somehow find a way to muddle through - and end up touching a lout of souls. 

The movie was formerly called "Can a Song Save Your Life?" and to me, yes, I think it can. Precisely what this blog is about - that through their work, artists, musicians, actors, writers, can touch the golden thread of humanity which runs through races, generations, nations - and make a difference. 

The movie stars Keira Knightley as Gretta, Mark Ruffalo as Dan Mulligan, Adam Levine as Dave Kohl, Gretta's ex-boyfriend, Hailee Steinfeld as Violet Mulligan, Dan and Miriam's daughter, James Corden as Steve, Gretta's best friend, CeeLo Green as Trouble Gum, Mos Def as Saul, Dan's long-time business partner and Catherine Keener as Miriam, Dan's divorced spouse. 

Dan Mulligan (Mark Ruffalo) is a struggling record label executive living in New York City. One night, while drinking at a bar in the East Village, he encounters Gretta (Keira Knightley), a young and fiercely independent British songwriter whose music captivates him. Dan offers to sign her to his company's label. But Gretta wants to do art for the sake of art and turns him down. He leaves, but when she exits the bar, Dan is waiting for her and convinces her to join him for a drink. The stories of both protagonists are revealed through flashbacks. Dan has recently broken up with his wife and has a troubled teenage daughter. Gretta has just found out her boyfriend - on his way up to becoming a rock star - has cheated on her. 

Set to a backdrop of great music and captivating scenery shot around New York City, the story progresses. My friend Bev accompanied me and had this to say, which I agree with: At certain times during the film, it felt like the music was another actor, a member of the cast, a sentient being within the realm of the movie...

I am particularly impressed with Mark Ruffalo and I have been so ever since I saw him in The Normal Heart which recently won an Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie. He is of course best known for his role as the Hulk but he is proving again and again that he is an actor who is capable of playing roles that are demanding and meaningful. I think he is someone to watch closely. He carries this role well. Dan Mulligan has not been the greatest father, but he has his own pain and has had to deal with quite a few things, not the least of which is the preconception that as the ex-husband the break up of the marriage was entirely his fault. The arrival of Gretta on the scene reignites his passion for life and Mark Ruffalo manages to gain our sympathy as well as reserve a certain something. 

His career is on the rise and it's exciting to be a spectator. 

Keira Knightley is excellent as Gretta. In the movie she is compared to Nora Jones, and in the movie her character rejects this comparison. The similarities are there, but Gretta is perhaps just a little more out the box than the sometimes formulaic Nora. I don't know whether I'm just infatuated with the British accent but I found that her accent coupled with the exquisite footage around New York made me feel almost like I was a tourist in New York too. I related to her.  I enjoyed the performance of Adam Levine as Dave Kohl and had a number of good chuckles at James Corden as Steve, Gretta's best friend. He is the type of loving brotherly best friend that every girl should have and I wish I had. 

For girls, this is a nice movie to see. For musicians, it's a GREAT movie to see. For those like me who probably will never get to see New York in person, see this. For lovers of the movies and music and life, see it. And for boys who want to impress their girls - take her to this one. 

We saw this at Ster Kinekor at The Zone in Rosebank 

Elvis Blue is one of South Africa's best

In South Africa, Elvis Blue needs no introduction. But for the benefit of everyone from other countries, Elvis Blue is a legendary South African singer. He's the winner of Idols 2010, but he's much more than that.   Elvis Blue shared his prize money with the other finalist Lloyd Cele, and in that moment he cemented himself a place in the hearts of South Africans - and did more to unite a country with a very divided past in one moment than some politicians have done in 20 years. 

Subsequently he did it once again with his stunning production of the Afrikaans translation of Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika together with another South African great Coenie de Villiers - Seengebed. He is in my mind one of South Africa's greatest sons and in keeping with this it makes me incredibly proud to bring this interview to you. 

I want to say a big thank you to both Elvis and his assistant Kona for assisting and conducting and preparing this interview for me to publish. It would not have been possible without you. You guys rule! 

I've loved Elvis since this beautiful moment. Just a guy standing there with his guitar making the most peaceful music you ever heard: 

Talk me through your range of emotions singing that song to that group of judges? (I've watched it over and over and it just gets better and better!) 

I’d sung that song thousands of times up to then. I remember being a street musician and playing that song over and over again because I loved it so much. I never had THAT reaction though, and that is the thing that made this day special. Something happened….it’s almost like there was something in the air that had changed. I felt as much a spectator as the judges did.

When you were announced the winner, it  seemed like an interminable moment before they called your name .What's it like to stand for so long and then be announced the winner? And you split the prize, which cemented an already established fandom for me :-) are you still in touch with Lloyd, possibly a chance of a collaboration between the two of you? 

Elvis Blue and Lloyd Cele 2010 South African Idols finalists
Source: http://teeveetee.blogspot.com/

I had done 5 albums before I did Idols, and none of them sold particularly well. Standing there made me feel as if all those disappointments were worthwhile. Lloyd and I shared the money because we had made a deal. We collaborated on my first album and we are still in touch today. Who knows what the future holds.

Tell me more about little Elvis who inspired your name? (Elvis's real name is Jan Hoogendyk. He took the name Elvis Blue as a tribute to an 11-year-old friend with the same name who passed away from HIV/Aids complications in 2009). Is there a trust or anything like that that people can donate to in his name? or maybe some way that we can remember him? 

Source: http://bethesda-home.org/

There are so many places that you can get involved with to make a difference to someone like Elvis. He was in a children’s home here in George called Bethesda. But wherever you are in South Africa, I can assure you, you don’t have to search very far to find some sort of hospice or childrens' home, or a place where you can make a difference.

Idols 2010 was four years ago. Not all the Idols winners manage to sustain their popularity but you I think are going from strength to strength and deservedly so!  What have been some of the highlights (and lowlights I guess) in the time since Idols?

Let me mention the highlights: Album sales, the 3 Sama awards, touring and supporting with James Blunt, Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen. Without sounding completely cheesy, the biggest highlight is simply being able to do what I love every day.

It's also not everyone who can appeal to both the English and the Afrikaans market. I certainly think you do (and I love that you post your social media in both languages) (sorry that this is in English!) Do you have any preferences as to which language you prefer to sing in and also do you have influences you can name from both English and Afrikaans? (probably safe to say I'm hearing some Bob Dylan in there?) 

I would probably sing in Zulu if I could speak it. We are very lucky as South Africans to have so many flavours in our country. I make a point of listening to a large variety of music in both English and Afrikaans…..and Zulu.

I love all your songs and I SUPERLOVE Seengebed!! I think you did more to unite the country with that one song than many people did in 20 years. Please walk me through the inspiration and reasons for doing an Afrikaans Nkosi Sikelela? 

 
Thank you so much. I did that song with an Afrikaans icon – Coenie de Villiers, the first time. So many people don’t actually know the meanings of the words when they sing it. Growing up I also heard many people complain about the song, and I must say I got kind of sick of it. I realised it was because people didn’t know how beautiful the words where. That is why I recorded it in Afrikaans, so that people would know the meaning of the words. Our song is beautiful and I wanted people to know that.

The premise of my blog is the fact that all artists, musicians, authors, etc have the power to tweak the golden thread of humanity. By your music you have the ability to touch the consciousness of humanity - it goes over generations, countries, races.  Is this something that you think about? You really seem to sing from the heart! 

Why do people listen to music? There are probably many different reasons. I listen because it makes me feel and think. Sometimes it can be something jovial or joyous. Other times it can be more intense. I am sure all artists who make music think about those things, but more often than not we are kind of scraping the bottom of the barrel and you are just trying to make something sound beautiful. Sometimes just writing one song is difficult, and all I am trying to do is finish the song.

I love the way that you work with social media. You've embraced it in such an awesome way, and you currently have a campaign with #toeonsjonkwas (When We Were Young) by which you're creating a lekker feeling of nostalgia among all your followers! Are you planning something with the photos people have sent or something big with Toe Ons Jonk Was? 

Elvis Blue - Toe Ons Jonk Was
Source - Elvis Blue Facebook page

Ja. I think the biggest thing with the campaign is just that social media platforms are for everyone using it, not necessarily for me to use it. The idea with the campaign is for people to share their pictures with other people.

Check the album out here:

What lies in the future for Elvis Blue? 

To keep doing what I am doing right now. There are big dreams and plans that I still have. But making music and doing what I’m doing now is the biggest one. We will have to see what happens in the future

Is there anything you'd like to add to this? 

Just thank you.





Actually, I think I need to say thank YOU - posts like this reiterate to me again the strength of the internet in being able to connect with and spread the message of people who make the world a better place. 

Elvis Blue will be performing at the Alberton Civic Centre on 23 September 2014. Get your tickets here.

Follow Elvis on Facebook  here and on Twitter here and check his website here

Branden James - Voice of an American Angel In Our Town!

Branden James is a young man with a lot of soul in his eyes and the distinguished classical voice of an angel.  He’s one of the Twelve Tenors and was a finalist in America’s Got Talent Season 8. It’s said that he has a voice for all seasons, but I think he has a voice for all time.

I normally post a lot of pics but with Branden James, his music talks better than pictures, so please listen to the clips I've shared.

Listen to this and then read on.

You can witness this for yourself at 3pm on Sunday 14 September when he performs in Branden James – Up Close and Personal at the Auto and General Theatre on theSquare in Sandton. 

He is described as a highly acclaimed international classical/crossover tenor and he  will take you on a heart-warming personal musical journey encompassing his love for all music styles, most especially classic, theatre, jazz interspersed with well known pop numbers. He’ll perform together with Cito from WONDERboom and British Diva vocalist Alison Ward. The audience will be treated to instantly recognisable hits like You Raise Me Up, Nessun Dorma, I've got you under my skin, New York New York, Desperado, Rocket Man, Your Song, This is a Man's World, Ave Maria and The Prayer to name but a few.

I met with Branden and Collett Dawson from TheCoLab Network in Rosebank on a gorgeous spring morning where the scene was set for me by a busker playing his guitar in the parking lot at The Zone.

I’m told that in Branden James - Up Close and Personal, we can look forward to a heart-warming personal musical journey encompassing your love for all music styles, most especially classic, theatre, jazz interspersed with well known pop numbers. What’s your favourite style and what drew you to classical?

I would say classical pop. I was probably one of the most frustrating students for my piano teachers, because I didn’t always want to play what was on the sheet, I would play my own and then they would say I wasn’t practising.  But I soldiered on and I learned some of the popular songs and other pieces.  I think my voice is geared towards classical. It took me a while to get into singing, but I would do it by myself in the school gym and in the car, and then I almost fell into it by accident. A friend overheard me and convinced me to audition for the school choir so I did and it went on from there.  I do songs like “You Raise Me Up”, I would almost say I’ve become quite synonymous with that.

And with good reason:

What are you looking forward to about doing Up Close and Personal?

I’m happy that there will be something for everyone.  I’ve been to check out the Auto and GeneralTheatre on the Square and it’s so intimate so I’m looking forward to sharing all different styles of music.  And I will have the honour of performing with Cito from WONDERboom. Not everybody will be able to go back to the States and say they’ve been able to do that.  I’ll also do some originals – I usually like to just sit down at the piano and see what it feels right to play on the day.  Also I made a lot of friends and connections here and I’m looking forward to seeing some familiar faces in the audience.

I’ve heard that you might be doing Desperado – that’s one of my favourite songs of all time. I heard it in a documentary in like the late 90s and we didn’t have the internet then and it took me about a decade to find out that it was the Eagles. Is there any particular reason for that song?

Yes. I’ve always had the influence of country music. My grandfather was the country singer Jimmy Smith and I grew up with him. My father was and still is a huge Elvis Presley fan and so I had quite a large honky tonk influence.

You’re doing a lot of TV and radio appearances while you’re here.

Yes. In fact I’m going to a TV show tonight which will be on SABC – so everyone can see it. It’s called Tongue In Cheek and I’ll be doing an original song on there as a guest artist. It will go out on air on September 16^th.

You were a finalist in America’s Got Talent last year.  Obviously your career had started before that so this wasn’t a career launching entry.  Why did you want to enter it and how did it assist you?

I’d always had an obsession with these types of shows. I actually was interested in American Idol and The Voice and they said I was good but maybe my voice didn’t quite suit the format of the show. That’s also what prompted me to explore other styles. And then a friend of mine suggested that I try America’s Got Talent, because it wasn’t only about pop it was about all different styles and different forms of entertainment. And it took me three years to get the nerve up to try and when I did it was so worth it. It just increases your audience and the benefits of doing well on it are incredible. I mean the audience is up to about 14 million.

What advice would you give to people looking to enter a show like America’s Got Talent?

Just be your most authentic self. TV audiences are no dummies. You have to be on top of your performance.  And social media has changed the way we view TV – even to the point of how people vote in shows like AGT. You don’t only SMS in now. You can vote on Twitter or other ways online.

What were highlights for you of your Twelve Tenors tour to SA in 2010?

I loved it. It was the final stop on a world tour we were doing.   I just loved the spirit of the place. It’ unparalleled. And Collett organised so many great things. She took us to so many places including a place called Glen Afric that was just so amazing. The South African audiences are so appreciative.  People were actually screaming for us and they really showed how much they liked us. Also the guys were so great.  People would ask us whether we all got on, and we did! There was nothing wrong, we are more like brothers actually.  And I had worked with some of the guys before. There are times when I miss working in a big band of guys like that because of the camaraderie.  Also the food in South Africa is amazing. I’m a foodie and I grew up in New York City where the food is very diverse and when I came here I was expecting it to be a bit bland and more like British food  but I was very surprised and pleased by the different foods here.

Do you have a favourite song?

That’s a difficult question for a musician to answer because my taste is so varied and it changes on a weekly or bi weekly basis.  But I just heard a song called Family by aSowetan band called Soil this morning and that’s going to become a favourite for the next while. I’m going to download it as soon as I can get to some wifi. I also like jazzy songs like My Funny Valentine (Recorded by Chet Baker, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Andy Williams, Miles Davis, Nico and Chaka Khan. The song is a popular jazz standard, appearing on over 1300 albums performed by over 600 artists.)

I’ve heard that you kicked off games for the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Cubs, and Chicago Bulls with your rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner. Are you a sports fan yourself and what’s it like performing in front of a sporting crowd?

I’m actually not much of a sports fan but I enjoy the atmosphere and it’s nice to sing the national anthem. Also with games like the Lakers, they have a huge celebrity following and I like to look for the famous faces in the crowds.

As with all of us I’m sure you’ve had setbacks or difficulties and times when it’s hard to push on. In those times what pushes you?

Every artist struggles at times because they are professional and perfectionists so sometimes it’s just about thinking about not being good enough. Actually one of my favourite quotes is by Eleanor Roosevelt who said “Do one thing every day that scares you”.  So I constantly put myself in places where I’m scared, to push myself to grow further.

I’ve often wondered what it would be like to stand up in front of a large audience and perform. I don’t think that I could do it.  Are you a natural with that or is that something that might be daunting?

It depends a lot on the context, but I think I am quite natural. And writing and playing music, sitting down at my piano, that’s my place of calm. That’s what gives me peace and strength.

I love America at least what I know of it. If I could have my choice of place to be, I’d be living in California near Santa Barbara or Santa Monica. I see that you come from Orange County. I know they’re quite a jump apart,  but have you always lived there and can you tell me something of your experience growing up as a classical musician there?

Although Orange County is in California it is still quite a world away from LA, they are really two different worlds. Orange County is more like a family community and I think it is almost because there is quite a lack of creativity. I’ve also lived in New York for a while and sometimes you have to wade through the Hollywood stereotypes.  The culture and creativity is there, but sometimes you have to drive to find it.

I believe that musicians, artists, actors etc have the ability to tweak the golden thread of humanity with their art – it goes across generations, nations, races.  You can move people, and make them think more about things – inspire people.  Is that something that you aim to achieve with your music? Do you want to do this for other people or is it something that you need to do?

Both. Expression is important. And I often get people contacting me who are say they are inspired by my story who say I have helped them deal with certain issues. I think I’ve been quite open with my sexuality and I don’t mind if I’m seen as an LGBT activist even though it’s not my primary purpose.  I sometimes even get people contacting me from the Middle East and places saying that my story inspires them . I come from a strong religious background and it was quite a struggle with my parents when I came out. Slowly things are mending, and I want to be a comfort to people and be able to tell them it won’t always be that way.  I like knowing that people can take comfort from my story.

There shouldn’t be any issue about people’s sexuality. I mean, who cares. It should be that anyone can be who they want and shouldn’t feel the need to come out to anyone else. Do you think that there will ever be a day when that kind of acceptance comes?

I’m an optimist, so I’m going to say yes. I have a love for humanity, not taking into account people’s sexuality. Also with social media we’re able to make immense strides and break down barriers. So I’m going to say that that day will come.  

What’s up next for you after Up Close and Personal?

Well after this I’m going to Reykjavik. I’m doing the show on Sunday at 3 and then getting on a plane at 7. It’s a long journey. And then after that I’m doing some shows on a ship and then heading to New Zealand, I’ll be doing some shows in Auckland.  There’s  a lot going on. And I’m looking forward to seeing some familiar faces on Sunday at the Auto and General Theatre on the Square.

As I left Branden gave me a hug and I know that I've been hugged by a man with one of the nicest voices in the world today. 

BRANDEN JAMES – Up Close and Personal

One Show only!

Sunday, 14 September 2014

Auto and General Theatre on the Square 

Cito talks Peace Starts, We Believe in You, WONDERboom and more.

Immediately when I sat down to chat with Martin Cito Otto (Cito) of WONDERboom, I concluded that part of the greatness of this man is his humility. He is inspiring without being aware of it. He’s well known without having courted fame and it came about because he did and does what he is meant to do. He is quietly going about his way making one hell of a difference in the lives of those around him and the greater public. 

You’re the founder of the Peace Starts  movement.  What’s that all about? That looks so awesome. You’ve got so many people performing at this event. 

Peace Starts is an organisation I started about eight years ago that solely promotes the International Day of Peace (21 September) which was initiated by the filmmaker Jeremy Gilley who has an organisation called Peace One Day. The motivation for him was he was doing a documentary about world peace and if it was ever attainable and while he was doing this documentary he realised there was a greater cause that he had a calling for. A friend of mine showed me this video by Peace One Day and when I saw it I was completely bowled over and I decided to dedicate my life to promoting the international day of peace in South Africa and using music events to draw  attention. 

Zak Hendrikz plays a bad guy but he's actually really nice!

Recently I saw I Have Life: Alison’s Story, 20 Years On at the Auto and General Theatre on the Square. It’s the story of Alison Botha who was brutally raped and disembowelled by two attackers in 1994 – and how she survived and triumphed. I was very impressed with Zak Hendrikz who plays the terrifying part of Frans du Toit the psychopathic rapist. He tweaked the golden thread of humanity in the audience that night and made us think. I knew it would take an exceptional actor to play that part, and I needed to chat with him. And he is really nice!

I’ve seen I Have Life, it was such an amazing experience. Unfortunately it’s nearly the end of the play (it ended on 30 August). I don’t know how you must have experienced doing it. 

Well, for us it was quite a different process because we had five weeks rehearsals which is quite a lot of time to rehearse a play. Usually when you rehearse a play you are looking at three to four weeks maximum, but because it’s such a sensitive subject matter and because they had to redo the play from the book they had to rework it. The process was very different and we had to be very sensitive about how we were going to approach the play and subject matter and we had to try different avenues to see what is the best way of telling the story. The best way of portraying what we wanted to convey to the audience that would not distance them, and then also what is the best way for the actors to feel the most comfortable on stage.