* USB NOTEBOOK
JOB THAKO
LEBOGANG MABONE
Budding artist’s work has a TOWNSHIP VIBE
Student online
radio station
makes waves
A TUT touch for glass artwork
in Dubai
This could improve our image
Vol9 no7 2017
heita!
STAY IN THE PICTURE
ACCELERATE
The photographer behind the lens of this edition’s cover image is BETTY SELLO, who studies Photography at the Department of Visual Communication.
I’M Dimakatso Maelane (22). I’M FROM Daveyton, Ekurhuleni. I’M STUDYING Biomedical Technology at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science. WHAT’S THAT, YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW. WELL, LET ME BRING YOU INTO THE PICTURE: It is the field of medicine where human specimens, such as blood, are examined by using sophisticated machines for diagnoses. I HAVE DECIDED TO STUDY IN THIS FIELD BECAUSE I have always wanted to work in medicine, but not in direct contact with patients. I don’t like to see very sick people. I found Biomedical Technology the best option because I help patients indirectly. AFTER COMPLETION OF MY STUDIES I WOULD LIKE TO produce best quality medical results to help patients get the correct diagnosis and treatment.
please send your name and cell number to heita@tut.ac.za on or before 3 November 2017. Mark the subject field: NOTE
To win this
USB NOTEBOOK
TUT has emerged as the
number one University of Technology in South Africa, while it has also been ranked
13th among universities in the country in a new university ranking that focuses purely on academic quality. The 2016/17 University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP) results highlight the performance of
16 South African universities among 2 500 higher education institutions across the world.
IN THE FAST LANE
If there’s a name to watch on the local art scene, it’s that of Lebogang Mabone (22), a third-year Fine and Applied Arts student, who was named second runner-up of the Street Art Meets Climate Change competition by Belgium’s Government of Flanders and WTP Media House. Heita! asked him about his art with its distinct township vibe.
TELL US MORE ABOUT THE COMPETITION? The Street Art Meets Climate Change competition aimed to use youthful creativity and style to raise awareness about climate change. Young artists from all over the country entered.
IS IT THE FIRST TIME THAT YOUR WORK IS RECOGNISED IN A COMPETITION, AND HOW WILL YOU SPEND THE PRIZE MONEY? Yes, I have realised that art competitions can contribute to an artist’s success. I won R5 000 and will re-invest it in my art, buying materials I need.
WHERE DID YOUR LOVE FOR ART START? My passion and love for art started in Grade 1. Instead of doing my Maths calculations in my workbook, I would sit in a corner doodling figures and making colour drawings. It got me into a lot of trouble, but at least I was doing what I loved.
TELL US MORE ABOUT THE WINNING WORK AND HOW DOES IT LINK WITH THE THEME OF THE COMPETITION? It is a relatively small painting of about 30X30cm. It portrays three young boys posing with their tyres in a row with a colourful abstract background.
The painting links with the competition theme since the young boys in the township are recycling and reusing old tyres for their entertainment. This is exactly what the competition was all about – recycle, reuse and reduce.
YOUR ART HAS A DISTINCT TOWNSHIP VIBE, WHY? I am greatly influenced by township scenes. It is a dynamic space with so much to see and reflect on. My work is inspired by my personal experiences. I reflect back on my childhood memories of growing up in the township, which include the freedom I had. It was a time when I hardly had any responsibilities. When I visit the places where I grew up in the township and see the young boys still playing the same way I used to many years ago, it reminds me of a peaceful time in my life which many people can also relate to.
IS ART A GOOD INVESTMENT? Art is a very good investment, especially if the artist in who you are investing is busy making a name for him/herself. Some people only realise this once the prices of artworks increase suddenly, compared to when the artist started off.
ARTIST on the RISE
Lebogang
Mabone (22)
with his winning
artwork (top),
called
The Boys.
ON ROUTE
Twosome make waves online
Journalism students, Pule Letshwiti (20) and Bruce Elekwang (22) are making waves online. During their first year in 2016, they collaborated with eight classmates to form the online radio station Qube Radio Online, pronounced Cube. Initially, it only distributed content in the form of podcasts, but now it can also be streamed on YouTube.
WHAT KIND OF CONTENT DO YOU COVER? Politics, education, sports and entertainment.
WHO IS YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE? People between 15 and 35 years of age.
HOW DID YOU ESTABLISH A LISTENER BASE? Mainly through social media and by word of mouth.
WHAT SETS QUBE APART FROM OTHER ONLINE RADIO STATIONS? It’s an online youth platform with visuals and podcasts. We are different because we have branched into the international market, allowing other online radio programmes to interact with us.
HOW DOES QUBE SERVE SOCIETY? We educate our listeners by addressing their everyday problems, like unemployment, relationships, etc. We also set aside space for local artists to give them publicity.
WHAT IS THE IDEA BEHIND QUBE? The future of the world lies online and we want to be at the forefront of this revolutionary platform. Our aim is to build an online media powerhouse that competes with traditional media houses. Our mission is to give unknown artists and initiatives a platform.
WHICH WELL-KNOWN PEOPLE HAVE YOU FEATURED, AND WHAT IMPACT HAS QUBE HAD? We’ve had big names on our show, such as SA businessman, Kenny Kunene; and artist, Aewon Wolf, among others. Qube has also received recognition from DJ Sbu talking about its future potential. The involvement of such big names have seen a rise in user engagement statistics with an average of 1 000
downloads on Data File Host, 300 views a week on YouTube and 134 subscribers on SoundCloud. Qube is currently in talks with Nasty C, Orlando Pirates and The Wolf Pack as potential guests for upcoming shows.
HOW CAN IT BE ACCESSED?
We release shows through our social media pages. If you follow us, you will receive a notification when a show is released.
Soundcloud
Twitter (@QubeRadioSA)
Pule Letshwiti (20), one of the founding members of Qube Radio Online, is flanked by Mduduzi Mfeka (22) and Lwandile Sinama (22), fellow Journalism students who are also part of the Qube initiative.
Twosome make waves online
ANSEBÉ PRINSLOO (20)
Marketing Management
“We need more social events that will allow for team building and assist students to get to know each other, regardless of race, gender and religion.”
MALATJI RAYHAP (21)
Marketing Management
“It would be nice if we had a bus service that caters for everyone and extends beyond University residences.”
MUVHUSO MMBODI (20)
Crop Sciences
“We need better planning strategies, especially on the academic side. Most of the tests clash because some lecturers do not prepare us in advance and they don’t communicate with us.”
CAROLINE MONTSHA (24)
Logistics
“I dream of a TUT that provides all of its students with free, quality education. Most of us are struggling to get funding for our studies. Free education would relieve financial stress and enable us to focus on our studies.”
FANELE NONGQAYE (20)
Crop Sciences
“A more reliable bus service. The current one is failing us because there are not enough buses. We arrive late at class and that impacts negatively on our studies.”
LINDIWE NKHOBO (21)
Logistics
“Proper cooperation between management and student leadership; not a situation where students try to overpower management.”
VUYOLWETHU JODWANA (22)
Hospitality Management
“It would be nice if the University lived up to its name of being a University of Technology by providing us with learning equipment that meets learning standards.”
TSHIVHASE MBUELO (23)
Crop Sciences
“The University should improve Internet access by providing students with free tablets. It would save us from high textbook fees and the luggage we carry.”
TO VIEW ANSWERS, CLICK ON
ANY OF THE IMAGES.
African music was the biggest winner as new kings of the keys were crowned during the Southern African Music Rights Organisation’s (SAMRO) overseas scholarships competition on 26 August. After a thrilling final round of piano performances at Unisa’s ZK Matthews Hall in Pretoria, TUT Music alumnus NTANDO NCGAPU (26) was named winner of the Jazz category. Ntando will be able to use his R200 000 prize money to further his postgraduate studies or professional development abroad. He gave dynamic performances of works by Oscar Peterson, Chick Corea and Antônio Carlos Jobim. In the Jazz category, another TUT Music alumnus TEBOHO KOBEDI (26) scooped the R8 000 SAMRO/De Waal Study Award.
OVERTAKE
SPECTACULAR!
The new Tasha’s Flamingo Room restaurant, which is part of the Al Naseem Hotel right next to the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai, features this impressive glass artwork installation designed by Fine and Applied Arts alumnus, Mike Hyam. The glass discs were blown by the dynamic Smelt Glass Studio, involving four Fine and Applied Arts students doing their internships at Smelt. The installation took about a year to create. The soft colours of white ivory and light green, in contrast to the pink colouring of the walls, make the glass stand out and look as though it forms clusters of flowers blossoming in the roof of the restaurant. Some of the glass have lights inside which are dimmable to create a different ambiance throughout the day or night.
BON VOYAGE! KATLEGO MASHEGO (23), a B Tech: Business Administration
student, is the 2017 Abe Bailey Scholarship recipient. He was awarded
the scholarship for his exceptional leadership skills and will
represent the University on a three-week educational
tour in London from 23 November
to 16 December.
Job Thako (29) studied Jazz and Popular Music at TUT and is making great strides in the music industry. The multi-talented musician, who obtained a National Diploma in 2014, is not only the keys player for jazz vocalist Judith Sephuma, but also runs his own music production studio, Job Audios, and produces music for other prominent musicians. Jackey caught up with him in between his busy schedule.
Jackey Masekela
Job Thako
The prominent artists that we’ve worked with include Judith Sephuma and Siphokazi Mohapi. I’ve also done programming, live band cues and keyboards for The Voice Angola, audio- mixing for the TV music show The Sing Off SA, as well as for Jabu Hlongwane, Ndo Dlakadla, Sarah Mtsweni, Dr Tumi, Ayanda Shange and L’wei Netshivhale. The list goes on.
WHAT DIRECTION WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THE SOUTH AFRICAN MUSIC INDUSTRY TAKING? The music industry evolves with time and audiences are getting smarter musically. It’s great to see some musicians adapting to the world change. I wish, though, that the high platforms of music in SA could welcome more upcoming artists so that the music industry can benefit everyone.
WE HAVE A GREAT JAZZ SCHOOL AT TUT. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO STUDENTS WHO ARE STILL STUDYING AND HOPING TO CRACK THE MUSIC SCENE AS PRODUCERS, VOCALISTS OR INSTRUMENTALISTS? No one at any school will teach you how to make business with your craft. For that reason, you will have to search in places most musicians don't want to. I won't talk about practicing and learning, because that’s what you are already doing. More than anything, study the history of musicians you aspire to be like and recognise patterns in their whole musicianship. If you decide to follow them, history will most probably repeat itself. In that way, you can control the outcome of your music career.
WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE THE PIANO AS AN INSTRUMENT TO STUDY? My parents had an upright piano in the dining room way before I was born. I sort of grew up playing on it and, like many musicians, I found myself playing in church and functions in my high school days. So, it was easy for me to pick piano as my main instrument.
HOW DID YOU GET TO PLAY WITH PROMINENT MUSICIANS, SUCH AS JUDITH SEPHUMA? I’ve always loved playing auxiliary keyboards in bands and doing sound designing. This is a rare combination and set me apart from other musicians. The ability to play piano and synthesisers all at once during a live performance kind of got a lot of my close musician friends blowing the horn for me. It accelerated my entry into industry.
TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THE INTERESTING PROJECTS THAT JOB AUDIOS HAVE WORKED ON?
Job Audios is not just a production hub, it’s also a film-scoring, audio-mixing and mastering suit. We have worked with countless known and unknown artists, motion picture directors and on TV music shows.
THE RIGHT MAN FOR THE JOB
heita!
STAY IN THE PICTURE
Heita! is an electronic student newsletter of the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT).
It is edited and published by the Directorate of Corporate Affairs and Marketing.
EDITOR
Gerrit Bester
TEL 012 382 4306
WRITE TO US AT
LAYOUT
This publication may contain third party advertisements and links to third party sites. The Tshwane University of Technology does not make any representation as to the accuracy or suitability of any of the information contained in these advertisements or sites and does not accept any responsibility or liability for the conduct or content of those advertisements and sites and the offerings made by the third parties.
BRAKE
All work and no play make Jack (and Jill) a dull boy (and girl).
win R300
It’s easy! All you have to do is answer the following
question (don’t fret, you should get the answer somewhere
in this edition): WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE ONLINE
RADIO STATION STARTED BY JOURNALISM STUDENTS?
Please send your answer, name and contact number to heita@tut.ac.za on or before 3 November 2017. Mark the subject field: COMPETITION. The winner will be announced in the next edition. Only registered TUT students can enter.
Good luck!
TEBATSO LESUFI (18), a Veterinary Technology student at the Arcadia Campus, is the winner of the competition featured in Heita! Vol9 no6 2017.
CONGRATULATIONS!
SPEND THE R300 WISELY.
The winner of the STAINLESS STEEL WATER BOTTLE SET IS: ENDRICO SIBULELA (24), a Marketing student at the Pretoria Campus.