The Mixtape Vol. 146

By Ian McNair at Platform Magazine

It’s not often something as fresh, big AND varied as Sunday Edition comes along. The Sunday afternoon cool-out serves to postpone or avert the crisis of the weekend coming to an end, by serving up some of the biggest names in interesting music in South Africa, alongside an array of local designers, food, drinks and general merriment. This coming Sunday Edition features headliner Nozinja, for the first time in Cape Town in five years, Maskandi poet Vukazithathe (featuring Spoek Mathambo), CT producer and DJ Flōyu, K-$ and Black Major Select.

The inaugural Edition in May 2017 before the winter break featured Petite Noir and Bongeziwe Mabandla, and the current 17/18 summer season has featured elusive star Zaki Ibrahim, Soweto’s transcendental BCUC, electro-beats soul duo KAJAMA, folksy powerhouse Alice Phoebe Lou, Sol Gems as well as a host of many more brilliant DJs, bands and experimentalist musicians.

The Sunday escape is a project of Black Major, originally an artist management agency that has repositioned itself as a music agency – one that dabbles in curation, touring, event production and is in the process of launching a label. Black Major shared some insights with The Way of Us…

Why would an artist management company start throwing events? What gap are you filling? Is nobody else providing this kind of space for your artists or is there a different reason?

Artist Management is just one area of Black Major. We’re a music agency with no strict formula. Members of the team are involved in promoting shows in their own capacity and when things come our way where we feel it fits within Black Major we work with it. When Neighbourgoods approached us we felt it would be good to be involved in an event where we can create a new space for live acts to perform. Seeing as Cape Town’s live music scene isn’t in the most healthy of places, being able to get acts like Petite Noir, Nozinja, Kajama and Zaki Ibrahim to down here is great.

You’ve had people on the stage as diverse in sound and audience as Desmond and the Tutus – representing an older guard in hip guitar music, and Petite Noir – an artist on the cutting edge of culture here and globally. What determines the choice of headliner?

There are many tastes that run through the office, which you can tell from our roster. For Sunday Edition we select acts that bring variety, artists we know perform well live, and simply, music we enjoy. It’s also important to create platforms for younger acts like Kajama and Lo-Ghost. That stage is pretty unforgiving being in broad daylight and on a Sunday afternoon, so it’s really good experience. There’s no smoke and lights to hide behind.

What was it about the first one with Petite Noir and Bongeziwe Mabandla that convinced you to commit to the concept and roll out the series?

Seeing close to 1000 people on a Sunday come out to enjoy music together we knew we had something we needed to work with.

What has been the most special moment thus far for Sunday Edition?

Alice Phoebe Lou is unstoppable. That room was packed to capacity with all eyes and attention fixated on that stage. It’s always incredible to witness.

Black Major is also working with other eventing concepts, such as December’s ‘Black Major Selects’, which featured Okzharp and Manthe Ribane, and the basement show in July last year, with Moses Boyd, Angel-Ho, DJ Lag, and others… Will we be seeing more of these events this year? What can we expect to look forward to?

Yes there’ll be more. We’re working on some more events in the basement and we have some exciting guests and shows in the works. Nothing to give away right now, but follow us to know.

What can we expect from the Sunday Editions for 2018? Are you continuing through winter? Who is on the cards for future Editions?

May will be our last one for the season and then we do take a break for the winter. Future editions we’re keen to build on what we’ve started, and cementing it as your day out on a Sunday.

What is special about the upcoming show on 11 Feb with Nozinja, Vukazithathe feat. Spoek Mathambo, K-$, Flōyu and the Black Major Selects family?

It’s been almost five years since Nozinja has played Cape Town, being one of the very few shows he has performed in South Africa. His show is one of the most colourful and energetic around. It’s something that will not be witnessed here for a while, most probably, and one to make hearts and minds race. Vukazithathe is such an incredible guitarist, songwriter and performer. His set featuring Spoek Mathambo on electronics makes its Cape Town debut. With some of the best selectas around - BM Select, Floyu and K-$ - to set all the right tones on either side - this is special!

Get your tickets for the show here