good taste vol 5
I just put on Jhené Aiko’s newest offering for the first time as I type this, so just know this edition is highly inspired by Westside Whimsy.
And as you know, whimsy has been a theme for my life for a long while now, so how fitting?
Anyway, let’s get into why we are here. What else has inspired me lately?
Let’s dig in.
Hype Kids Africa
I’m going to call this edition “Embracing the Whims” and kick it off with these beautiful African children doing a rendition of Michael Jackson’s Thriller performance.
Something I think about often is how many creative children in rural Namibia have been “left behind” simply because of their environment, circumstance or location.
How many talented visual artists, musicians, actors, models and designers have we forsaken because we have not built and curated a nation that promotes creativity from a young age, across all areas of the country and not just in private schools?
Not only do many of these children have to struggle with basic needs, their talents are also not explored.
One of my biggest dreams has always been to open schools of design across the country. To develop and nurture Namibian creatives all across the country, not just in Windhoek.
Fingers crossed.
Creating a Thing
I have been very drawn to creating with my hands lately.
After years of being a graphic designer and all-round creative, I have been craving making stuff. I just don’t know what my thing is outside of creating with my computer, camera or phone.
Is it drawing? Painting? Ceramics?
I’ve been trying to figure that out because, for the next phase of my life and career, I want to make stuff.
I hope in a year or two we can come back to this paragraph and celebrate that I have found my thing.
Anyway, this has glued me to creators who make stuff:
There is something so satisfying about watching someone take an ordinary material or object and think, hmmm, what if I made something completely different with this?
I want that.
Learning Afrikaans
Back on the whimsy, this Zimbabwean creator, King of Sigura, started documenting his journey to learning Afrikaans and it’s brought me and so many other people so much joy.
My favourite part of this series is how the media has embraced him and his journey. He has been invited onto talk shows, radio, TV, and even our very own Republikein featured him.
Another reminder to just be yourself, post your content and watch the world open up for you.
Wtf is “Act Your Age”?
One of my favourite things about the internet is how it has shown us that ageing doesn’t really matter.
You can wear what you want, be as tatted as you want to be, lead an unconventional life, but most importantly, you are allowed to enjoy whatever you want at whatever stage of your life.
This gentleman, Biro, has been documenting his love for Afrobeats, music and concerts. Dancing and singing his heart out.
And now he goes to concerts, carnivals, shows - just LIVING!
He posts videos of himself singing and dancing along with other people. He sticks out because he is an older white man, with white hair and a beard and everything, and in that, somehow, he shows just how different and whimsical it all is.
And actually, how little any of it matters.
Who says you can’t be that person?
Watch him at a Davido concert.
Minimalism is not African
This video came across my TikTok FYP and reminded me of how expressive and creative our ancestors were.
Our outfits, accessories, homes, music and art have always been so cool and so underappreciated.
Minimalism was sold to us and we thought that was the standard, when actually, they would later copy our art and sell it back to us.
From our cornrows and braids, to our jewellery, to the patterns on our fabrics, the silhouettes and the colours. I am so glad we are all embracing that again.
We were always the blueprint.
Here are some videos you can watch to remind yourself of the beauty:
Make Up as Art
If there’s a skill I wish I could learn, it’s doing make-up.
But I’m just too lazy and boring, lol.
So now I just watch creators like Wendy’s World as she explores make-up looks using unconventional techniques, which I think is so cool and innovative.
I love watching people use something completely outside of its intended purpose and somehow make it work.
Maybe that’s the theme here too.
Words, I love words
My new favourite TikTok account is one called Infinite Books, and they share excerpts, pages or letters from authors, writers and books.
I have always been a fan of writers. What a talent to have when we speak and use words every single day.
Some people can put words together like they’ve never existed before, in ways that can leave you in awe.
So when I came across this page, I just had to follow.
This particular post inspired me
Music, I also love Music.
Also great at words are lyricists.
Even better, they add audio?
What a perfect combo.
This South African creator, radio presenter and artist, Roii, curates a weekly “freestyle” series on TikTok where he drops music videos of himself performing a freestyle to popular sounds and songs, making them his own.
LOVE!
Watch his recent here
This one on Beyoncé’s “Ring The Alarm” is one of my favourites.
Funny, I also love Funny people
I think aspiring Namibian writers, directors, comedians and actors could benefit from creating short skits on TikTok and, in doing so, open up worlds for themselves.
And I mean other genres than the ones where speaking broken English, dressing as women or “gweri-fying” us is the entire joke.
This creator and his friends, Jake Jonez, create such FUNNY skits. Their production value just keeps getting better and better, their jokes are clever and universal, and I hope their careers expand into whatever they want them to.
Watch one of my favourite skits.
There is so much room for Namibian storytelling to be funny, weird, absurd, clever, dramatic, beautiful, ridiculous — all of it.
I’d love to see us explore that more.
Namibian Music Is Having a Moment
To end this off, I’ve really been inspired by and enjoying Namibian music and performances lately.
Last month I attended Water’s intimate event at Vinyl’s and wow, what a talent.
Then, to end the month, the Elemotho Live in Concert was another celebration of Namibian music and artistry.
Livinge Dennis stole my heart. The Ells gave me goosebumps. I loved seeing an icon like Elemotho being celebrated, and I loved discovering Tisha.
With the return of the NAMA’s, it has also been beautiful to watch Namibian music come alive again.
They are putting out music, curating events, showing up online. I love it.
I am currently also listening to The Ells’ new album, Salt Wind and Fire, and it’s amazing. Wow.
My favourite is “Remember” with my favourite Namibian artists, A Gulp’s Worth.
If you haven’t yet, please go stream it.
Supporting local means actively participating in what they offer.
Go to the shows. Buy the music. Share the work. Follow the artists. Tell your friends.
I think that is also part of what I’ve been thinking about throughout this edition: whimsy needs room to exist.
People need room to make things that are strange, beautiful, funny, unnecessary, experimental, joyful and sometimes completely ridiculous.
Children need room to discover what they’re good at.
Adults need permission to try something new.
Artists need audiences.
And cultures need people willing to participate in them.
Anyway, that brings me to the end of this edition
of Good Taste.
And oh, the Jhene album is perfect. Let me replay it.