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“Luis, give me some RnB man ! What does it sound like today ?” Luis is doing a great job hiding himself behind the camera, but there is one fact about himself that he can’t hide any more : like so many teenage girls over the world, he listens to RnB. For an austrian music producer believing in Rhythm & Blues as a forever Rolling Stone, this is as disturbing as not having a compass on your carpet when lost in the bush for your Ramadan 5 o’clock pray.

At first, the main problem in Sosiki High School is the distance to the closest health centre of Bohlabela. So the brave nurse travels and talks to the kids and, with the help of Education Department coordinators, something is going on. The kids are RADS, young and smart and well educated. But as our Investigation showed earlier, many of their colleagues seem to be older and sexually active. So how will they manage to send a strong message to their older mates ? As always, the answer comes from the kids themselves : ‘We need a CLASSIC RnB !’

‘Loko uri nhonyana, pfala milenge. Loko uri mpfana, zipha buruku’. Something about closing legs and zipping pants… The song is powerful and relays the dominant message of abstinence in schools. But again and like in Marapyane, the kids wrote and sung a line about ‘protecting yourself’, and this is pretty realistic considering the situation. Sokisi Workshop was a great success especially in the last event, with the participation of the parents. It was also the last one of our 2011 POSITIVO campaign in South Africa. We must thank VSO and the United States Embassy in South Africa. We must thank the Education Department of Mpumalanga, who are focusing now on preparing our last secret event in December… shh… More news later.

Check out the PICS and the MUSIC : 110731 positivo orpan mix headphone Master2

Stay online and keep POSITIVE

positivo

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Positivo Orpan [ 3:59 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

positivo choro orpan herbert [ 1:51 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Hello POSITIVO,

“When you come back, you will have a proper drumset organized, and I will be your drummer.” One of the promises left to us by the strong and proud Vennda people of Bennde Mutale, northern border of the Krüger Park, when we left the place after having completed, last week, the wildest music workshop against HIV AIDS POSITIVO ever had the chance to produce in Africa.

Now we remember the mighty river flowing through the sacred hills covered with beautifully shaped and painted Vennda houses. We remember the biggest trees on earth, like so many goddesses planted head down into the rocky soil. The Hogo ceremony of an unique initiation ritual, songs of  young men in the night, roars of some unidentified beast, echoes of our batuks, guitars and horns in a natural heavenly-shaped amphitheater.

Now the kids and adults of Bennde Mutale, together, created and recorded a beautiful song called “Tsireledza” in the community centre ‘Friends of Mutale, directed by Vincent Mihers, under the supervision of chief family Siphuga, with the help of Home Based Care powerful ladies, and Erin Kaiser for logistics.

The song ‘Tsireledza’ talks about all means of prevention, whether fidelity, abstinence or condom. It also gives some good advise about how to live a positive life when you are HIV-positive.

you can check our pics HERE.

you can listen to the song here (the song was recorded, mixed and mastered in a provisory version using only a 8cm tall loudspeaker and headphones)

Tsireledza - Positivo Bennde Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Until next week, stay positive.

Positivo.

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This POSITIVO workshop was sponsored by the American Embassy program for Education in South Africa, in collaboration with Education Departments of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, and VSO.

Yebo Positivos,

Our mobile team is on the road in South Africa until the end of May, keeping you updated on Facebook, producing our results on this page.

So we recorded 4 songs yesterday, in pure SA choral style, Swati and Sotho languages, with the Kids Club from Hlanganani Highschool, and the help of Donald, Nhaba and Inocência from Desmond Tutu Centre for Leadership in White River.

Main themes were the use of condoms, confidence to resist to peer pressure, the necessity to have the HIV test and know your own status, what is HIV and how to live with it. Kids wanted to mix rap and choral style, which they did with great success. All the team is amazed by the talent of the group, their ability to construct harmony with voices in just a few minutes. Activities included Music, HIV Debates and HIV Education with the help of local nurse Vincent Maboi, an extremely well trained technician and facilitator, who kept the kids listening to him for 2 hours, and still we had to stop him. You can check the pictures :

POSITIVO EDWALENI PICS

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Still to go : Final Event in Edwaleni with EYAKHO, Certificates CDs and Reports distribution.

To listen to the songs click below

POSITIVO EDWALENI fourth song Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

POSITIVO EDWALENI third song Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

POSITIVO EDWALENI second song Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Hello Positivos,

2011 POSITIVO campaign is going on very strong with the release of the first MARRABENTA ROCK in Mozambique, the fast-paced song ‘Nunca Desistir’ (Never giving up) written and sung by the students from Jangamo Secundary School at the end of march. It talks about everybody’s personal responsibility to fight HIV AIDS, testing and of course prevention. You can hear the music and see the video by clicking the following link :

POSITIVO JANGAMO POP VIDEO

POSITIVO JANGAMO PICTURES

To listen to the song click below

Nunca desistir - Positivo Jangamo [ 3:18 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download