This past Sunday saw me and my homie Charles head to downtown Jhb to catch Jozi’s private performance at the Lister Medical building. I was nursing a hangover from the previous night and hadn’t slept in almost 30 hours, so I was tired as a motherfucker. The venue was quite easy to find and the trip from the car to the event was quite suspenseful as I’d read about the SKYROOMLIVE concept but had never really seen it in action. For those in the dark, the SKYROOMLIVE concept is simple yet elegant; it involves a stunningly intimate venue on top of a 20 storey skyscraper in the centre of downtown Jhb. Now add to that a platform on which to perform to an unlimited number of fans, over and over again! The event is then filmed in HD and is available for viewing at any time at this address http://www.skyroomlive.com from anywhere in the world!
It was a welcome surprise to find a Liquid Chefs mobile bar fully stocked with alcoholic goodness that (oddly enough) helped ward off the chilly breeze that was threatening to turn Joburg into Alaska. Big shout out to Tumi (one of the Liquid Chef guys - pictured left), that nigga can mix a motherfuckin addictive mojito. Nigga needs to holla with the recipe or formula or summin…..
Promptly on cue Da LES and Ishmael burst onto the stage to the resounding cheers of the hip, young crowd. When they came onto the stage it was minus their drummer who was running late, but DJ V held it down so well the crowd was going bananas on the rooftop! The crowd quickly forgot the cold as the performance heated up the dance floor. I was impressed with the quality of the sound which was crisp and the niggaz from Jozi used that to their advantage, track after track they gave us a new layer to marvel at as they flexed their lyrical dexterity.
I for one had not been following Jozi closely as of late but the quality of the performance was world class. That rooftop party could have been anywhere on the planet and still have maintained the same level of swag. The diversity within their music was quite refreshing as they clearly cater for a wide audience, while generating a lot of cross-over appeal. Even though their performance was sprinkled with influences from a variety of genres their sound was still proudly South African. Black, white, young and old were barriers we soon forgot about as the music blared from the speakers. In the midst of the jamming we got treated to three stunning dancers decked in full Tsonga regalia, not only were they a pleasure to look at but it was also refreshing to see girls that are embracing their culture.
I must say, i'm really impressed with how this group is using technology to reach a wider audience. Very few artists are doing this in Africa and Jozi is spearheading the revolution. From Da L.E.S's involvement with Virgin Ink Nights to this show, it is evident that this group is trailblazing and giving other cats in the industry something to work towards.
Quite rather sadly the night had to end and we left the heart of Jhb with great memories. A lot of people had Jozi in their hearts and I know that they are waiting in anticipaion to see/hear what this group has to offer.
Check out the show on http://www.skyroomlive.com you will not be disappointed!
