Disclaimer: The views expressed by the artist/interviewee are their own and do not necessarily represent the beliefs of Aweh Online, or our respective editors. 

Rohil, 25, is a writer and digital artist. He has primarily made a living in the video game industry as a narrative designer, writing story-lines, dialogue, directing visuals, and creating digital art assets. More recently, Rohil’s films have won awards at festivals across the globe, and he’s released his debut music project, the “Run Me Back” EP. 

So, you grew up in Cape Town, South Africa. What was your upbringing like, and do you miss home at all?

Growing up in Cape Town was a blessing, man. I used to resent being the only Indian kid for much of my adolescence, especially not having the vocabulary or support to communicate how I was being othered. I look at my childhood now as something that fortified my mental toughness and gave me a greater sense of awareness and comfort within a diversity of different people and cultures. Cape Town taught me to love and empathize, and with that instilled a purpose to stand up for marginalized voices. I also miss the food on an intense, cellular level. I even miss Steers’ Wacky Wednesdays. You don’t even know. Cape Town is beautiful, too. I miss hiking and looking out at the ocean.  

You have found a home in New York City; surely, this is quite a contrast to growing up in South Africa. What challenges have you faced during this move? What are the advantages and disadvantages of being in a city as vast as New York?

The resilient personality and overwhelming pace of New York align perfectly with the type of person I am. It’s a very harsh, activated city overflowing with creative collaboration. Things I grew up inspired by overlap with my day-to-day life because they’re created in my immediate area. So, I feel a lot more motivated and closer to fully realizing my artistic expressions. Disadvantages are; New York is incredibly expensive, and America is a police state. America imposes a dystopic-level of surveillance on its citizens, and if you’re an immigrant, you can expect intense scrutiny. America also systemically values labor over lives; this is especially true for its minorities and immigrants. If you’re not operating with awareness, you can quickly become trapped in the ass-chasm of meritocracy; an ideology only used to reinforce oppressive socioeconomic power dynamics. 

Give us a little more insight into the New York creative landscape and what its been like cutting your teeth in The Big Apple?

New York cherishes the attempt. The people here celebrate those who are trying to create things and develop their crafts — and there are so many great self-started spaces in the city. The collective self-belief in New York surges through everyone. If you are actively pursuing your art, you feed into the city’s collective energy. It feels like we’re all a part of this larger thing, a shaping of culture. 

I listened to your debut EP, “Run Me Back.” It has a lot of hip hop influences, and from a glance, seems soaked in a very New York energy. I noticed a few South African-inspired sounds as well. How was the EP produced? What are some of the main lyrical themes? Was it done 100% DIY, or did you record the EP in a studio?

Lyrically the project is me processing and evaluating my journey from Cape Town to New York, my place in America, and my reason for wanting a platform. Ultimately, it’s a project about laying the foundations for building “home.” The project is DIY; almost all of it was put together in my studio apartment in New York. It shows. It’s kinda dusty and janky, but that’s why I love it. The closing track, “Lucky,” is produced by Skuwid, who is in and out of studios. His production is super rare. He used to throw New York’s dopest art shows, and he’s a known sonic innovator. I recorded a few cuts in a traditional studio, but they didn’t fit the overall direction of the project. Might drop them randomly at some point, or they might sit eternally in the digital abyss of some forgotten hard drives.  

Can you elaborate on some of your biggest influences in any of the mediums you choose to express yourself?

Najma Sharif and Earl Sweatshirt and Zack Fox and Noname and Trevor Noah and my homegirl Mari and my homegirl Macy and Santangelo and Dumbfoundead and Edmund McMillen and KevJumba and Rodney Mullen and Satoshi Kon and my father. They influence my work in all mediums. 

Looking through your portfolio, I’ve noticed that you are a very disciplined, multi-faceted artist. From copywriting to video editing and game design. How important do you feel it is to have a diverse skill set in a continually changing digital landscape?

I love exploring different mediums for expression and enjoy the process of developing a new skill. On a practical level, if you’re young and trying to make a living off being creative — most digital media companies, especially the smaller ones, will have you wearing multiple hats. You don’t want to limit your creativity; you also don’t want to limit the jobs you can apply for either. You should at least have your graphic design and video editing skills on lock; there’s always an expectation for those. They make up most of the branding/content creation timelines—and expand into things like motion graphics and animation. You can do them remotely, too.

Tell us a little bit about some of the awards you’ve received, and what advice you’d give to those wishing to pursue a career in the arts?

I made a film about A.I. safe spaces. It’s a commentary on privacy and performative allyship from universities who go hard to market their wokeness and diversity but ultimately fail their minority students. It won Best Sci-Fi at The New York Film Awards, IndieX Film Festival in Los Angeles, and Tagore Festival in India. It also won Best VFX at The International Independent Film Awards, Los Angeles. It got some nominations in festivals around Canada, too. Here’s my advice; that film was me holding a camera and Mari’s performance. A two-person operation, few locations, most of it taking place in one room. Start smart and frugal. Think about what you have access to, then think of a core message you find culturally relevant and are passionate about sharing. How can you communicate this message with your immediate resources? If you’re able to invest money into your project, performance and sound are essential. Good actors can save shit writing, but good writing can’t save a shit actor. Think, how do you make your immediate locations dynamic and cool? If your subject is captivating and the sound is clear, you’re on track to succeed. Start small. Create within your means, and keep doing it. Don’t go blowing your money on a fancy camera; people always look to crazier gear when they lack a strong idea. 

Tell us a bit more about THRIBING and some of the work you do with this platform; it seems to also operate as somewhat of a record label? Is this a solo effort, or do you run it with other individuals?

Thribing is a music and arts publication focused on your homies who make cool shit. We’re not interested in super established artists; it’s all people on the come up. Right now, all the writing comes from me, but I’ll reach out to Santangelo for his feedback and thoughts. Santangelo is a pivotal figure within emerging music and design on this side of the world. 

You’re a graduate from Parsons School of Design, The New School. What was your specific field of study? As an international student graduate, how has the COVID-19 pandemic affected you and your loved ones in the city?

I graduated with a degree in Design & Technology. Before that, I was at the New York Film Academy in a film-acting program. COVID-19 has impacted my group quite heavily. I have friends whose countries’ borders are still closed due to the pandemic, but their OPT work authorization or visas are about to end. So, they can’t leave, and they can’t stay — what happens to them? COVID-19 came with mass layoffs; this means many people on H-1B visas had to go home. Many of my friends had to leave. It’s really difficult to sacrifice everything to start over in America and then lose it all in this way. 

What is it like living in Trump-era America? It must be a highly complex, interesting, and harrowing experience with the recent protests surrounding the death of George Floyd. How have things changed for you as someone who immigrated to the country? Do current events influence your work at all?

I will always use my art and platform to speak on these issues, and moving to America has only expanded my awareness. The South Asian diaspora owes a great deal of our confidence, voice, and understanding of oppression and America to Black leaders and Black culture. That’s the reality. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 in America, which allowed South Asians entry into the U.S., was only possible because of Black leaders’ work. Keep in mind this immigration was also based on education, so there were disproportionately advantageous opportunities for our people in America. These are the roots of the “model minority” myth and the aforementioned meritocratic ass-chasm. We were presented as hard workers, whereas disenfranchised Black citizens were presented as lazy and criminal, and unfortunately, a lot of my South Asian community bought into that bullshit. I see the American-Desi community perpetuate racism and segregation. I saw this growing up in South Africa among my Indian community, too. A remnant of the apartheid regime giving Indian people greater access to resources as a means of further segregating, sowing the seeds of resentment, and preventing unity among all oppressed groups. I still see some of my people silent. One of the officers present and complicit in George Floyd’s death was Asian. Silence is the armor that coats our oppressors. Understand, I’ve too, been ignorant in my life, but it is on us to educate ourselves. It’s about accountability. I’m saying my Indian/Asian community needs to acknowledge and address racism and anti-blackness in our communities. We need to stand with Black people in the fight for all of our collective humanity and freedoms. If we don’t stand with Black people, we let regimes like apartheid thrive years after abolition. The energy we see in America now with the protests is deep-rooted in a vile, bloody history.

This fight is for George Floyd, who was murdered over suspicion of a counterfeit $20. It’s for Breonna Taylor, who was shot in her own home. It’s for 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was playing in the park and Philando Castile, who was driving home. It’s for Ahmaud Arbery, who was my age when he was hunted and gunned down jogging and the countless other Black lives brutalized by America and law enforcement. I was in this country the day Trump was elected; I was in my second semester of university. He is incompetent and hate-filled and has done nothing but escalate tension and violence in this country. 

I want to say with regards to these protests surrounding police brutality, including the horrible killing of Collins Khosa by law enforcement in his own yard. Now is not the time for helplessness. We all have a role in this. Your role may be protesting, or donating, or art-activism or educating those around you. There is an abundance of resources being shared on all of our social media, and there is no excuse not to engage with what’s happening. Take care of each other, and let’s make sure this energy of compassion and humanity continues beyond the protests.

Rohil currently lives and works in New York, where he hopes to continue creating socially current art that drives conversations within the intersections of tech, culture and identity. His musical debut, “Run Me Back” EP, is available on all streaming platforms and the rest of his portfolio can be found at www.rohil.work. 

A collection of photos from a once bustling tourist hub.

The link between visual art and music is hard to displace. Johannesburg visual artist and musician Grant Sissons understands this connection like no other and exploits it to its full potential. A multi-instrumentalist and electro-whiz kid and pencil, charcoal and acrylic visual illustrator, Sissons’ work weave a complex narrative. In terms of audio, the troubadour draws his inspiration from well-known bands and performers such as Radiohead, Com Truise, Thundercat, Jon Hopkins, Thelonius Monk, and Depeche Mode as well as numerous soundtracks from composers such as Johnny Greenwood, Nicholas Britell, Lustmord, Jóhann Gunnar Jóhannsson, and Mica Levi.

One of Grant’s biggest accolades was when he scored the music for a well-known commercial for The Nelson Mandela Campaign. The ad was titled ‘Man on the Hill’. The production went onto win the following awards:

Clio Gold Winner, Cannes Lions Nominee, Ciclope Best Original Music Nominee, Creative Cir-cle Winne, Bronze One Show Pencil, D&AD Wood Pencil, D&AD Graphite Pencil, Adage and Vimeo Staff Picks, Loeries Best Original Music and Sound Design Finalist, Loeries Gold Winnerand the Loeries Grand Prix Winner.

Watch the commercial here:

We caught up with the artist over email to get a little more insight into what gets his creative energy flowing.

Firstly can you give us your full name age and when you first got into art and music?

Its Grant Sissons, I’ve just turned 41. I got into music about 15 years ago. My first serious band was a rock band called Mugshot. Following that, I started my side project, myageisdigital, and have released music under that moniker ever since. I own an award-winning music composition studio called Kidwithamatch, and I score films and commercials through this company.

You seem to really embrace the connection between art and music, what was your first interest, visual art or music and do you think this correlation is important and why?

I’ve loved both mediums since I was a teenager I guess. Music was my main focus for a long time after that and I think I almost forgot how much I loved drawing and painting because I had such a singular focus on music at that time. In the last few years, I’ve realised that the two are not mutually exclusive and that I could do both and even extend that creative field into photography, writing, and filmmaking. It’s been a liberating experience to explore all of the facets of creative art.

You are a Johannesburg based artist, what is the creative landscape like there, and tell us a bit more about all the projects and businesses you are involved in?

I think it’s probably one of the richest provinces in South Africa in terms of creative energy. I’m also involved in film and I run a film production company called Infinity Pictures with two former bandmates. We often remind each other that if you can survive a band then you can survive anything.

In your opinion how important do you think it is being business savvy as an artist or do you think this takes away the purity of “art for art’s sake”?

I think it is important but sadly I am not terribly business savvy. I really should have done that BCom instead of my arts degree 🙂 I do get bored quite quickly, and although I do believe in exploring multi-facets of your creativity, it seems to make sense to do one thing really well and to market that thing really well too. You just realise as you get older that it often takes so long for something to breakthrough.

It seems you are someone who embraces numerous mediums and platforms for expressing yourself, do you have a favorite artistic outlet? Are you equally passionate about all the mediums you embrace or is this purely out of necessity or survival?

I’m equally passionate about all artistic endeavors. I’m most comfortable (and probably most proficient) in the musical space though because I’ve been in it for longer than any of the other mediums. At this stage, I’m really excited about writing and film-making, and film-making is what I really want to concentrate on. I found film late, but rather late than never.

Who are some of your favorite South African artists in any medium and why?

In music, I would say I am a big of Spoek Mathambo and Nakhane Toure. My favourite visual artists are William Kentridge, Penny Siopis, Mikhael Subotzky, and Andrew Kayser. And finally, my favourite film-makers and directors are Mark Middlewick, Oliver Hermanus, and Kim Geldenhuys.

Listen to myageisdigital on Spotify:

In Covert – Ruby Archer

O subtle valley, slipping in between

The shoulders of great sentinel hills

With smuggled silk of rainbow blossom sheen

And contraband of jeweled rills,—

We welcome you behind the pine-plumed ranks.—

You barter beauty for our thanks.

Dear lake-eyed valley, we will hide you here.

The mountains will not turn to look.

Fair fugitive, through hood of mist forth peer,

And laugh in every dimpled nook.

And if you feel sometime a timid mood,

We’ll wrap you in our gratitude.

https://discoverpoetry.com/poems/ruby-archer/in-covert/

Hiking is a way to connect with nature in a real and uninhibited fashion, where one gets to forget about the real world and indulge in sheer, present and vivid mysticism. South Africa is a country clouded by brutal history and unrelenting hostility. However, it is also a country, with equally unrelenting beauty. The people of the country, hide their tears and scars and they wear redemption proudly as everyone in the country shares a commonality of the ever all-encompassing exquisiteness that makes every South African or citizen of the world bask in the sunshine and splendour the landscape offers. Through the sadness lies a kindness and sincerity that can’t really be found anywhere else in the world. South Africans know how to dance through the pain and celebrate the sunshine and absorbing scenery. Photos by the Urban Nomad. 

As we peer into the ominous abyss, from a towering cliff of endless ambiguity and uncertainty. Aweh, remains as an archival portal for some of the more odd aspects of a city with more layers than an onion.  A new year brings new ideas and concepts and we hope to be awoken from our restless slumber to carry on documenting this city and other weird locations around the world. Keep watching this space…

Awehness

There are numerous protests, marches and events this weekend in Durban prompting dialogue and activism in aid of fighting gender based violence in South Africa, as well as promoting holistic positive change. Below are the event flyers and how you can get involved. More info provided in the links to the respective Facebook events. This is in connection with certain tragic events that have taken place over the last week. Find out how you can be apart of one of the following protests and activities below.

Durban gets spoiled for choice sometimes. A professional, well-run and musically diverse festival in our favorite inner city gardens. Under the trees and approaching new moon, Durban was thrilled by the immense performances and wonderful production, with Asa, Ben Harper, Beatenburg and Red Robyn among the artists dropping their skills into the warm afternoon

Our guy @andreswart was at the finale of this years epic Zakifo Festival, and he presents some of his images from that memorable event.

On June 4th, 1997, the body of Jeff Buckley was found floating in a harbor leading into the Mississippi River. This brought to the close the week-long search for him, and brought the curtain down on one of modern musics’ iconic tragic heroes.

Jeff Buckley, listed by Rolling Stone magazine number 39 in the top singers of all time, released one studio album while he was alive and yet somehow captured the imagination and hearts of so many lovers and music lovers across the world. Producer Steve Addabbo found him to be an intense and dedicated musician, adding “There was no veil. He wasn’t trying to do anything; he was just doing it. There was no artifice. None at all. This is what he did.” The tragic twist to his tale only adds to the romance of this modern crooner

““ ..there’s always been music. It’s been my friend, my ally, my teacher, my tormentor … I can’t recall a time when it wasn’t there. And singing just took me over. ””

At age 12, he decided to become a musician, presumably following in the footsteps of his dad Tim Buckley. He studied at a few music schools, which he later described his time at the Musicians Institute as a ‘waste of time’. His first guitar was a Les Paul and his first break was at a benefit concert for his own father in April 1991. He played, among other songs, a tune his dad had written for him and his mum called ‘I never asked to be your mountain’, though he was always seeking to step out of the shadow of a famous father, the legendary late 60s/early 70s singer who died of a heroin overdose at the age of 28.

“Dreaming, both waking and asleep, [is] a reservoir of mine. The thing is, there’s no difference for me between dream states and living. They both carry truth to them. I can read them both. I feel things in my dreams and I feel all the things that human beings’ lives bring them, except sometimes there are purple monsters or a chocolate dog trying to wake you up, but it’s still all very valid to me and I read situations in waking hours just like I read them in my sleeping hours, my sleeping hour, my lack of sleep world.
”

And so he began the hustle, working Manhattan’s East Village and dropping cover versions of a range of artists – Led Zeppelin, Bad Brains, The Smiths, Bob Dylan. Soon he got some attention from the record execs, and in 1992 he secured a 3 album deal with Colombia Records. In January 1994 he toured North America and then Europe, and on August 23rd, the immaculate debut ‘Grace’ was released.

“ It’s different in the case of [Van Morrison’s] The Way Young Lovers Do. That came about because my friend Michael, who eventually joined the band, had a dream about me and him singing [it]. On a whim, I got it together and performed it one night. Then it became something else because the tempo I liked, the feel of it; the words and the song got into me. Any time I take a cover and wear it on my sleeve, it’s because it had something to do with my life and still marks a time in my life when I needed that song more than anything ever.” ”

Grace

Jeff, along with Mick (bass), Matt(drums) and producer Andy, recorded 7 original tracks and three cover versions. Lilac Wine was based on the Nina Simone interpretation, while the song he is most commonly associated with (and the big track from ‘Grace’) was of course ‘Hallelujah’ based on John Cale’s version of the Leonard Cohen classic. This song would come to define Jeff in some ways, and is certainly the most accessible and recognized of his limited discography.

Steve Berkowitz, Executive producer and A&R man noted that ‘“he had spent his whole life getting ready to make his first album. You only make a first album once, and he understood that. And he wanted it to be, in his own terms, ‘badass,’ and good, and be proud of it,” adding “He internalized the feeling in the song, maybe like his great idol, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and delivered it in a musical, spiritual kind of a way.”

“Perhaps most notably, Grace’s lyrics are inseparable from (and intertwined with) its music and arrangements, used as poignant shading and thematic nuance to enhance the album’s overarching emotional thrust. The record takes the perspective that ill-fated trysts (and the subsequent heartbreak) are deeply romantic, almost more intoxicating and exhilarating than the actual love affair itself. As a result, Grace‘s originals are more like ornate poems than linear narratives, with images of beautiful (but formless) women, brilliant nighttime scenes, ephemeral physicality, and even death used to convey drama and anguish.”

“If I wanted to be famous, I’d assassinate the President. There’s no life in it. There’s nothing wrong with being famous for something you do well or uniquely like if I invented the cure for AIDS, I wouldn’t mind being very famous. It’d be a great achievement. Or if I wrote a song that everyone loved, I wouldn’t mind that.”

On the very day 21 years ago that he was fished out the water, friend of Jeff, Liz Fraser of the Cocteau Twins recorded the vocals for ‘Teardrop’ which would become one of the breakout tracks of the upcoming Massive Attack release Mezzanine. She revealed in a 2009 interview that “ That was so weird … I’d got letters out and I was thinking about him. That song’s kind of about him – that’s how it feels to me anyway.”

These two also recorded a song together, a kind of ultra romantic snapshot of life and love

While there are some conflicting opinions, Jeff reached and remains an iconic figure, trapped in the tragedy yet releasing some of his genius before floating out of our world. It is conjecture to imagine what he might have become if he hadn’t gone swimming that day. And still, perhaps he found that gap between the worlds

There are endless adjectives to describe the songstress Red Robyn, yet sometimes it’s best to let an artist speak (in this case sing) for themselves. I had a chance of watching this incredible talent perform roughly 2 years ago with an ensemble that was made up of a lot of Durban’s most current and popular jazz musicians. Since that period, Red Robyn went off the radar, nobody really heard much from her until one day she came out with a completely different sound and mood, that evoked, subtle, somber and compelling emotion. Since then the name Red Robyn has been making the rounds on various festival lineups, across the country. The fact that The Bluff-based songwriter has no management behind her is even more impressive. Red Robyn is proof that Durban has the ability to produce enigmas in the music industry, who spend vast amounts of time creating ethereal, engaging art. At least in this regard, it seems the art in question is not drifting off into obscurity and it’s fantastic to see an artist getting national recognition while still being based in their hometown. Catch Red Robyn this Saturday at The Durban Botanical Gardens for the final show of The Zakifo Music Festival featuring Ben Harper. We caught up with the performer to see what she has been up to leading up to the event:

Q&A BY JORDYN PILLAI

 For those readers who don’t know who you are, tell us about who you are?

My name is Red Robyn; I am a musician, singer, songwriter, and actress. I studied music and Drama performance at UKZN and later did my honours in Music. I am from Durban: the Bluff to be specific. I have always wanted to be on stage whether it was being part of the musical productions in school or the drama club, singing in church, music and performance have always been a part of me. I come from a musical family on both sides my family members were always in bands and touring making gospel and secular music. I started performing with my electric guitar more frequently and have begun forging my own path in the alternative music scene. 

….and tell us a little about your music

My music is best described as alternative. I am influenced musically by RnB, pop Rock, country and contemporary Christian music. Some of my favourite bands and artists in high school were Paramore, young the giant, Mariah Carey, and Hillsong United. 

What has been the main challenge for you as an artist trying to establish yourself in the Industry?

It has been very challenging being a female in the industry, and people not always taking you seriously or thinking they can just push you around. I’ve had to be very strong and learn to stand up for myself and go after what I want. 

What have been some of the most interesting parts about trying to find a career as a musician?

The most interesting thing about trying to find a career as a musician is learning about yourself. I think a career in the music industry will expose your weaknesses and force you to confront them. I think another interesting thing is the people you meet, they are always so unassuming as people generally are and they always form part of your story in some unique way. 

What do you love the most when you step up onto the stage to perform?

I love being on stage with people who are as passionate as I am about what I do, I love the synergy that comes from that. This reminds me that God is real. 

With regards to Zakifo, how has it required you to grow?

It has required me to grow in many ways. At this point, I still don’t have a manager so I’ve had to learn how to juggle tasks and manage my time wisely. 

How do you as a local artist try to describe Durban’s music scene to outsiders?

I think the Durban music scene is very diverse and extremely rich, I always say Durban hides the best musicians in the world because it does just that. I always describe it as very multicultural and extremely diverse and growing in that. 

For the 1st of June, you are playing on a stage full of renowned Artists. How do you plan on wowing the crowds?

I plan on wowing the crowds with my epic dance moves!!! I think the atmosphere at a festival lends itself to people just enjoying themselves and I’m hoping to just direct that wave of energy in a good direction. 

When the first time was that Zakifo approached you to play at the Festival, and how did it make you feel that first time? 

I think it was last year sometime; I was at the Afropunk competition when it first came up. I was extremely excited because I had always hoped to play on the Zakifo stage ever since I attended the very first festival in 2016. I felt like finally my music was being recognized and heard. 

Where would you like to see Zakifo festival in the next few years, how do you want to see it change?

I’d like to see more local acts on the line-up and I’d like to see Durban start to appreciate the talent and the richness of culture and diversity that has always been right on our doorstep. I think the festival has done an excellent job at evolving and catering to their audience. I think I would like to see more spaces being activated in the city through the festival. 

What are your plans for the future, where are you headed?

I try to take my gift seriously but not that I invest my whole life into it. I think many artists make the mistake of banking their whole life on being a superstar. I want to use music to change the world, I want to study and get all the knowledge I can to make life easier for people who struggle with mental illness as I have and with trauma and PTSD. I will be releasing my debut EP this September, and hopefully will spend some time touring that project next year. I look forward to playing more festivals and meeting more like-minded musicians and artists to collaborate with.