The latest production, released beginning of 2011 is  Roots and Branches

The first collaboration between Botsotso and 111 was Purple Light Mirror in the Mud

The roots of poetry lie in Word Sound: in

chanting to accompany dance, in oral engagement with and interpretation of trance

visions, in raising up prayer and celebration

for social rituals, in supplication before the

powers of the universe, in reciting histories

and stories, in singing the praises of human

communities and their leaders. And these

Word Sounds are held together by rhythm,

often by rhyme, borne by the steady flow or

punctuated accents of the human voice, the

clapping of hands, the stamping of feet -

which over time mingled with the beat of the

drum, the pitched tones of a pipe, the twanging

of gut. And so the unity of poetry and

music embraces the sacred and the profane,

the intimate and the collective. In this spirit,

and building on our first collaboration with

James de Villiers (the cd ‘Purple Light Mirror

in the Mud’), Botsotso brings together a

range of poets whose work embraces the

many aspects of our transitional society.

Of course, contemporary poetry varies from society to society. In much of the First World an overly intellectual and proselike approach has robbed poetry of its musicality and emotional force. However, South Africans, together with immigrants from other countries, are utilising a very diverse range of styles and themes - the meditative, the ideological, the humorous, the rhetorical, the mystical – which lend themselves to performance, to being vocalized, dramatized.

Having recorded the poems (spoken, chanted or sung by each poet him or herself), the task of creating sound tones and rhythms was left to James. Over a period of two years we met periodically to review progress and select the work that seemed most successful - both as poems and as musical compositions. And in using the full scope of electronic music, we believe he has enhanced and highlighted language without being invasive. Those who have a clichéd approach to poetry stemming from Africa may question the sometimes abstract and atonal quality of the music. But that is to be trapped in the same expectation that reduces African visual arts to the category of curios.

Africa of the twenty-first century draws on both the ancient and the contemporary and we would hope that this collaboration reflects this synthesis.
Allan Kolski Horwitz

Copyright in the poems resides with the poets.

Copyright in the soundscapes resides with

James de Villiers.

For more information and sales please contact: botsotso@artslink.co.za or

111@111.co.za

 

ROOTS AND BRANCHES

PURPLE LIGHT MIRROR IN THE MUD:

a compilation of electroacoustic poetry

Available for R100 per copy, includes booklet of poetry

This Cd was recorded and composed over a year (2000-2001).
I was experimenting with electronic soundscapes at my old 111 gallery in Kimberley Road, Johannesburg during 1998 as well as hosting my first poetry readings with Lionel Murcott and his friends. I began experimenting with random music generation and various other computer music software and started looking for ways to collaborate with poets to realise the potential of what I was producing.

The final catalyst which brought the poetry and music interests together was meeting the Botsotso Jesters through Lionel. I saw them perform unusual South African poetry in a dynamic manner which I was sure we could incorporate with the various musical and sound experiments I had been engaged with. As it happened, Allan Kolski Horwitz was very enthusiastic about the project and gave me a free hand in composing soundscapes to integrate with the poetry which we recorded with the Botsotso Jesters. What I tried to avoid was using sound as a background to the words; the idea being to integrate the two forms in such a way as they would complement each other.

I think we have succeeded to a certain degree, but now this project has launched a myriad new ideas in what I have called "acoustoelectronic poetics". We are soon to be collaborating with individual poets and releasing more experimental compilations.

 

James de Villiers October 2001

 

Track Listing

 

1. KLIPTOWN SHANTYTOWN Siphiwe Ka Ngwenya 1:29

 

2. ONE LEG IN Isabella Motadinyane 00:47

 

3. WORN OUT DIRTY WASHING Ike Mboneni Muila 1:36

 

4. AFTER THE RECUE FROM SLAVERY Anna Varney 1:30

 

5. SONG OF THE BEASTS AND ANGELS Allan Kolski Horwitz 1:15

 

6. FAIRY TALE Lionel Murcott 1:31

 

7. MOCHOCHONONO CRAZY Ike Mboneni Muila 2:11

 

8. THE BLUES I LOVE (KNOW) Siphiwe Ka Ngwenya 1:56

 

9. DANCE Anna Varney 1:07

 

10. TOUTING TAXI Isabella Motadinyane 0:43

 

11. SKYWHEEL Allan Kolski Horwitz 1:06

 

12. TED HUGHES IS DEAD Lionel Murcott 1:37

 

13. NATURAL INITIATION Siphiwe Ka Ngwenya 1:56

 

14. JUST LIKE A LAMB Anna Varney 1:23

 

15. HEART Lionel Murcott 0:33

 

16. MADICE Ike Mboneni Muila 2:02

 

17. TALK Allan Kolski Horwitz 1:21

 

18. SINK A SHAFT Isabella Motadinyane 0:59

 

19. SOWETO Siphiwe Ka Ngwenya 1:35

 

20. BLOOMER JO’BURG Ike Mboneni Muila 1:35

 

21. THE RAIN THAT FELL THAT NIGHT Bridget Tinniswood and Lionel Murcott 1:23

 

22. PARYS Allan Kolski Horwitz 2:59

 

23. NONHLANHLA IS DEAD Isabella Motadinyane 1:32

 

24. NO FURNITURE Anna Varney 0:40

 

25. INSIDE OF ME Ike Mboneni Muila 1:26

 

26. MOB ATTACK (for Yubi) Siphiwe Ka Ngwenya 1:04

 

27. SHE DRINKS Anna Varney 0:34

 

28. NO TWO WAKINGS THE SAME Allan Kolski Horwitz 1:35

 

29. SLOW MOTION BRAIN SLIDE Isabella Motadinyane 0:54

 

30. SPIRITS Lionel Murcott 2:02

 

31. FAT Anna Varney 0:39

 

32. UNITY Anna Varney 1:14

 

33. STELLA Isabella Motadinyane 0:29

 

34.SWAN Lionel Murcott 1:47

 

35. WEZA WEZA TUKA SE DAE Ike Mboneni Muila 2:04

 

36. RAINBOWS Allan Kolski Horwitz 2:03

 

37. WE JIVE LIKE THIS Siphiwe Ka Ngwenya 1:45

If you would like to buy any of these CDs please contact: botsotso@artslink.co.za or

111@111.co.za

 

Lionel Murcott, one of the Botsotso poets who has appeared on both CDs