kuze kuyovalwa
impromptu. friday, 7.14pm. i get a phone call. i am told to be ready by 7.45pm. not a hard thing to do considering that i'm a bloke. i eventually get picked up at 8.20 and am told that we are going to san francisco. okay, mina being the thathekile guy, i was game. two guys, three girls, four nationalities being represented.
i hadn't really been to the city on a jaiva-ring spree and the 40 minute ride seemed endless. the guy in charge of plans definitely knew where he was going. dinner was at this uber-cool senegalese joint called bissap baobab and late night at the club next door, little baobab. i've been to countless african themed places to eat and groove and they are usually the run down type in the true african sense, with shady characters after your wallet and car - kalabash in bristol and that one in croydon, 187, 791, whatever it's called. it was so refreshing to go to a really trendy african joint with such a vibey crowd.
eat-wise at bissap, i was impressed. i've had not-so-good experiences with west african eateries in england but my reservations were lost after i had this senegalese roasted lamb served with couscous and an okra-based sause. it's about time! in the western world, cuisine from almost everywhere is thriving: chinese, thai, indian, mongolian, japanese, etc but hardly ever from somewhere in sub-saharan africa. the drinks - cheap too, five dollar cocktails, FIVE dollars, beers are three bucks - real cost effective boozing!!!! i was hooked to their sarange, a ginger orange margarita. it went down real good.
around the corner, little baobab had the biggest cosmopolitan party in this country. if california is a melting pot, that place is way past boiling point - young crowd in the right mood. the music, the music: sitshayi dombolo dombolo. nice mix of west african, bhangra, dancehall, reggeaton, bits of hip hop - it was everything but the commercial bubblegum crap from the mainstream. clubs can sometimes be stuffy and cliquey. well this was some celebration in the truest african sense. mina and mdanso go hand to arm phela. but i must say that i had to take notes from this tall dark boy from the gambia obegqok' iyembe eluhlaza. it was like as though he had no bones in his qolo. the dj's played what we wanted them to play, so i requested anything south african. what i got was a screaming brenda fassie telling us to party kuze kuyovalwa. i finally got the jolt that my spine needed. i can now leave this country happy. and when premier gaou came on, my people thought i was weeping. yes i know that my legs shaking rhythmically and that my left hand was over the left eye and that my right hand was on my heart and that i had a facial expression of complete agony. yes it was painful, i was in anguish. such music causes pain. they didn't understand. they'll never understand.
i just checked out their website: www.bissapbaobab.com. they had this interesting description:
"After your meal, take a few steps around the corner to the Little Baobab. Bursting with energy, this little juke joint has a big heart that beats to the rhythms of music from around the world. Feel its friendly, casual atmosphere - dance to the DJs while enjoying our famous ginger cocktails and exotic imported beers. Step outside for a breath of air, and you will find yourself surrounded by languages and conversation from around the world. Every night is its own event as people gather to celebrate life and living."
words just cannot describe it.
i hadn't really been to the city on a jaiva-ring spree and the 40 minute ride seemed endless. the guy in charge of plans definitely knew where he was going. dinner was at this uber-cool senegalese joint called bissap baobab and late night at the club next door, little baobab. i've been to countless african themed places to eat and groove and they are usually the run down type in the true african sense, with shady characters after your wallet and car - kalabash in bristol and that one in croydon, 187, 791, whatever it's called. it was so refreshing to go to a really trendy african joint with such a vibey crowd.
eat-wise at bissap, i was impressed. i've had not-so-good experiences with west african eateries in england but my reservations were lost after i had this senegalese roasted lamb served with couscous and an okra-based sause. it's about time! in the western world, cuisine from almost everywhere is thriving: chinese, thai, indian, mongolian, japanese, etc but hardly ever from somewhere in sub-saharan africa. the drinks - cheap too, five dollar cocktails, FIVE dollars, beers are three bucks - real cost effective boozing!!!! i was hooked to their sarange, a ginger orange margarita. it went down real good.
around the corner, little baobab had the biggest cosmopolitan party in this country. if california is a melting pot, that place is way past boiling point - young crowd in the right mood. the music, the music: sitshayi dombolo dombolo. nice mix of west african, bhangra, dancehall, reggeaton, bits of hip hop - it was everything but the commercial bubblegum crap from the mainstream. clubs can sometimes be stuffy and cliquey. well this was some celebration in the truest african sense. mina and mdanso go hand to arm phela. but i must say that i had to take notes from this tall dark boy from the gambia obegqok' iyembe eluhlaza. it was like as though he had no bones in his qolo. the dj's played what we wanted them to play, so i requested anything south african. what i got was a screaming brenda fassie telling us to party kuze kuyovalwa. i finally got the jolt that my spine needed. i can now leave this country happy. and when premier gaou came on, my people thought i was weeping. yes i know that my legs shaking rhythmically and that my left hand was over the left eye and that my right hand was on my heart and that i had a facial expression of complete agony. yes it was painful, i was in anguish. such music causes pain. they didn't understand. they'll never understand.
i just checked out their website: www.bissapbaobab.com. they had this interesting description:
"After your meal, take a few steps around the corner to the Little Baobab. Bursting with energy, this little juke joint has a big heart that beats to the rhythms of music from around the world. Feel its friendly, casual atmosphere - dance to the DJs while enjoying our famous ginger cocktails and exotic imported beers. Step outside for a breath of air, and you will find yourself surrounded by languages and conversation from around the world. Every night is its own event as people gather to celebrate life and living."
words just cannot describe it.
hmm I thought I was uthathekile but obivously I have some serious competition out there!
but I have to agree with you on premier gaou. was at a party on saturday where we were all black peeps. the song came on and im telling you, EVERYBODY went wild. the styles on that dance floor. the tears of agony, the wails of the pain. mai we! you're right. unless you are one of us, you will never understand. it's in the blood.
Posted by
Unknown |
1:21 am, May 03, 2006
guess there should be a thathekile club, coz lam' ngibizwa ngisabele.Uyazi your blog gives me idlabuzane lokuyatebha like its the end of the world.Glad u had a great time.
Posted by
Lesedi |
2:44 am, May 03, 2006