“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

 

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

 

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

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.

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.