photo: Wolfgang Hasselmann
The guests were seated and ready to engage in the interview that was held with Hakkiesdraad Hartman and EgoNege. As the interview proceeded each response that they gave, brought more intrigue and insight about the content and concept of “Woestyn Blom” to the audience and The People's DNA host, Rhonley van der Ross. Even though the screening had not yet taken place, the audience became actively involved in asking questions which, not only gave them more insight but elevated their interests in what was to come.
Here are just a few of the questions that were asked:
Why did you choose the Gwaing beach and not any other beach that the Garden Route has to offer?
Why did you choose the Gwaing beach and not any other beach that the Garden Route has to offer?
Hakkiesdraad Hartman: Firstly, for the vast beauty of the beach as well as the historical background. It was the only beach that we, as the “brown community”, were allowed to go. I am a very cultural and historically conscious person and as history knows, that was not just a beach but also a healing ground for many people in an individual sense specifically those who were baptized on that beach. We, as the brown community, are really hurt and trying to heal and the people involved in this music video are individuals working towards the healing for the brown community.
EgoNege: The beauty of Gwaing has never been exposed like this. We tend to always use Victoria Bay and Herolds Bay, but Gwaing beach is actually one of the most beautiful beaches and I never swam in the blue sea. So when I saw the sea I could feel that there is spirit moving, and I was told that before Gwaing, it was called “Hoogekraal” - this just made me want to explore the history of the beach and the history of the brown community, even more. The video was shot in just 14 hours.
Did you find this project challenging?
Egonege: It was not that challenging, but it was challenging. Hakkiesdraad put in a lot of work with the directing and the script. Everyone involved in the scene were all helpful and teamwork was definitely present. On the day that the video was to be shot, nothing fell out of place. Everything went according to plan. It was full of joy and fun, there was a time for socialising and a time for work. But there were no challenges, everyone did their part and it was an amazing experience.
Hakkiesdraad Hartman: Anything would be challenging if proper planning was not done. Even if you prepared yourself well you should still be prepared for a challenge. If you invest in people you will get the best out of them, and there is this assumption that the “brown community” does not work together but on that day, that statement was contradicted. That fact it was done in 14 hours, we always had to think in a sense of, if we do this scene how much time do we need to shoot this scene and if we move from this scene to the next scene how much time will that take. We had a time table and we worked according to the time table. We had a night scene as well, and for me, that was the most challenging, not in the sense of the cameras or the cast, but we had to carry a generator about 400m down and back and it took about 6 men to do the hard labour. Another thing that was a challenge was that my planning did not include meals for my cast members, but they mastered it and it all worked out as planned. The elements displayed in the music video are women dressed elegantly, men dressed in animal skin, the vast nature and opera music. And not fancy cars, money or women dancing nude.
What was the significance of these elements?
Hakkiesdraad Hartman: Firstly it depends on what your perception is. I feel that if you are exposed to just Channel O or MTV Base and how they present hip hop, then that will be your perception of hip hop. And those are the individuals that are giving us a bad name for they are the mainstream in the hip hop industry and eventually people start thinking that what is presented on these platforms is the substance of hip hop, but in fact, that is only 12% of the market. Secondly, all the videos that I present, I like to involve my community and not present anything fake. I do not have a fancy car, I am not stimulated through women that dance around in bikinis and the last thing is I am not in it for the hunt of money. These are all the things I do not believe in and at the same time I also want to be a representative for my people, where they can be proud about the moves I make. The women featured in the music video are well-known artists and actresses, and they are expected sometimes to do things that are against their morals, and they firmly believe that is not the way.
How was your experience to put all these elements together?
EgoNege: It was a first for me to be part of a project such as "Woestyn Blom". I am a nature lover myself. I love to capture nature, but to be honest this was a first for me, in a sense of what we think what hip hop actually is. The thing is that we have a prejudice of what hip hop is, but hip hop is actually a platform where one can express yourself and that is exactly what Hakkiesdraad did. So it inspired me to push my vision in the industry.
Why did you decide to feature The Multisure Crusaders rugby players and not Evergreens or Progress?
Hakkiesdraad: Everyone I chose to be part of the music video, are individuals that inspire their community in what they do. And I could have chosen different rugby players from different teams to present in the music video. But the reason I chose the Multisure Crusaders was, firstly, they are the youngest team in the premier league and 2 years back they made the top 8 in the league and last year they won the league. So to me, that is something to celebrate in sense of their age against the other rugby club teams. The other thing about Crusaders is, I know there are women in Conville, Parkdene and Borchards that sell food every weekend to ensure that the players are covered. So that in itself, shows that the brown community can work and stand together. Sometimes we undermine the capacity of the rugby players in our community. They are the role models for the young boys in our communities, we have young boys on the field wanting to be their favourite player. They are on the field every Saturday just to watch their favourite rugby player and that is a positive role that they play in our community. To hear the young boys say they want to be like Luzane Williams one day rather than to hear them speak about drugs. So, they are role models in our community.
What is the deeper meaning of “Woestyn Blom”?
Hakkiesdraad Hartman: We get different flowers that bloom in the desert. Firstly, we are going through a cultural drought. We as the brown community are also going through a drought in the political aspect, but I see that we are healing and we are standing up for what is ours. Although the desert is just sand and nothing seems to grow, eventually, the rain will fall, water the sand and flowers will begin to bloom. People always wait to be discovered, but the best way to be discovered is recognizing that you have a talent and once you have done that it is the only break you need and then the nurturing takes place and maintaining. So what I am trying to say is that as the brown community we have passed that drought our beauty will be exploited and we need to recognize the beauty in each other as well. But life is not easy - we go through patches of drought but if you keep the faith, the rain will fall, and you will bloom. So it is just a process of life.
The night stars were at the peak of the sky, at this point the video was about to be presented to the audience. The room was filled with different age groups and different genders. The Gwaing beach was revealed on the screen, and a pleasant silence uplifted in the room, with all eyes fixed on the screen. As I viewed the music video, I took a glance around the audience just to capture their facial expressions. The expressions were unified in amazement, pride and that our perceptions of “Hip Hop” music videos were about to be changed forever. Through the whole of the screening, all eyes were fixed to the screen, which, to me, was a pleasing sight and not one individual displayed discomfort towards "Woestyn Blom". The elements were women dressed elegantly, the Khoi men indulging in their culture, local rugby players standing tall as pillars of their communities, night scenes of men and women dancing around a fire, and the vast beauty of the local beach in Pacaltsdorp, all complementing each other in the music video. The reaction after the screening was even more pleasing for me, hands were raising left, right and center, for all felt the need to know how such a majestic piece was coordinated in less than a day and curiosity was displayed on the significance of each of the elements displayed on “Woestyn Blom”. As each element's significance was explained, we all started engaging in historical questions of our people, our country, and our historical background of indigenous people and Hakkiesdraad Hartman gave us answers. At that moment, we all felt to educate ourselves of our people for our knowledge was vague and that was shocking to us all that we do not know our roots.
Hakkiesdraad Hartman left us with words that we all should take into consideration. He said that we are all responsible for our own knowledge and that it is time for us to know who we are, to uplift and encourage each other and our communities and to take back what is ours. As a third-generation individual, it is time to embrace as the “brown” community and uplift each other to complete the magnificent piece. The night ended off on a pleasant note. We all engaged with each other of how we felt about the "Woestyn Blom" and how it made us feel. We all left with something to think about or with something to be proud of, either way, we all felt like a Woestyn Blom. We, as people, are like a desert flower, no matter the season. In happiness, hardship, pain, loss, disappointments or all other aspects the universe puts us through. When it is your time to bloom, you will bloom. Like the desert flower no matter summer, winter, spring or autumn, the desert flower will bloom when it is time.
LINK TO THE VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrkeoW6TPGI
What was the significance of these elements?
Hakkiesdraad Hartman: Firstly it depends on what your perception is. I feel that if you are exposed to just Channel O or MTV Base and how they present hip hop, then that will be your perception of hip hop. And those are the individuals that are giving us a bad name for they are the mainstream in the hip hop industry and eventually people start thinking that what is presented on these platforms is the substance of hip hop, but in fact, that is only 12% of the market. Secondly, all the videos that I present, I like to involve my community and not present anything fake. I do not have a fancy car, I am not stimulated through women that dance around in bikinis and the last thing is I am not in it for the hunt of money. These are all the things I do not believe in and at the same time I also want to be a representative for my people, where they can be proud about the moves I make. The women featured in the music video are well-known artists and actresses, and they are expected sometimes to do things that are against their morals, and they firmly believe that is not the way.
How was your experience to put all these elements together?
EgoNege: It was a first for me to be part of a project such as "Woestyn Blom". I am a nature lover myself. I love to capture nature, but to be honest this was a first for me, in a sense of what we think what hip hop actually is. The thing is that we have a prejudice of what hip hop is, but hip hop is actually a platform where one can express yourself and that is exactly what Hakkiesdraad did. So it inspired me to push my vision in the industry.
Why did you decide to feature The Multisure Crusaders rugby players and not Evergreens or Progress?
Hakkiesdraad: Everyone I chose to be part of the music video, are individuals that inspire their community in what they do. And I could have chosen different rugby players from different teams to present in the music video. But the reason I chose the Multisure Crusaders was, firstly, they are the youngest team in the premier league and 2 years back they made the top 8 in the league and last year they won the league. So to me, that is something to celebrate in sense of their age against the other rugby club teams. The other thing about Crusaders is, I know there are women in Conville, Parkdene and Borchards that sell food every weekend to ensure that the players are covered. So that in itself, shows that the brown community can work and stand together. Sometimes we undermine the capacity of the rugby players in our community. They are the role models for the young boys in our communities, we have young boys on the field wanting to be their favourite player. They are on the field every Saturday just to watch their favourite rugby player and that is a positive role that they play in our community. To hear the young boys say they want to be like Luzane Williams one day rather than to hear them speak about drugs. So, they are role models in our community.
What is the deeper meaning of “Woestyn Blom”?
Hakkiesdraad Hartman: We get different flowers that bloom in the desert. Firstly, we are going through a cultural drought. We as the brown community are also going through a drought in the political aspect, but I see that we are healing and we are standing up for what is ours. Although the desert is just sand and nothing seems to grow, eventually, the rain will fall, water the sand and flowers will begin to bloom. People always wait to be discovered, but the best way to be discovered is recognizing that you have a talent and once you have done that it is the only break you need and then the nurturing takes place and maintaining. So what I am trying to say is that as the brown community we have passed that drought our beauty will be exploited and we need to recognize the beauty in each other as well. But life is not easy - we go through patches of drought but if you keep the faith, the rain will fall, and you will bloom. So it is just a process of life.
The night stars were at the peak of the sky, at this point the video was about to be presented to the audience. The room was filled with different age groups and different genders. The Gwaing beach was revealed on the screen, and a pleasant silence uplifted in the room, with all eyes fixed on the screen. As I viewed the music video, I took a glance around the audience just to capture their facial expressions. The expressions were unified in amazement, pride and that our perceptions of “Hip Hop” music videos were about to be changed forever. Through the whole of the screening, all eyes were fixed to the screen, which, to me, was a pleasing sight and not one individual displayed discomfort towards "Woestyn Blom". The elements were women dressed elegantly, the Khoi men indulging in their culture, local rugby players standing tall as pillars of their communities, night scenes of men and women dancing around a fire, and the vast beauty of the local beach in Pacaltsdorp, all complementing each other in the music video. The reaction after the screening was even more pleasing for me, hands were raising left, right and center, for all felt the need to know how such a majestic piece was coordinated in less than a day and curiosity was displayed on the significance of each of the elements displayed on “Woestyn Blom”. As each element's significance was explained, we all started engaging in historical questions of our people, our country, and our historical background of indigenous people and Hakkiesdraad Hartman gave us answers. At that moment, we all felt to educate ourselves of our people for our knowledge was vague and that was shocking to us all that we do not know our roots.
Hakkiesdraad Hartman left us with words that we all should take into consideration. He said that we are all responsible for our own knowledge and that it is time for us to know who we are, to uplift and encourage each other and our communities and to take back what is ours. As a third-generation individual, it is time to embrace as the “brown” community and uplift each other to complete the magnificent piece. The night ended off on a pleasant note. We all engaged with each other of how we felt about the "Woestyn Blom" and how it made us feel. We all left with something to think about or with something to be proud of, either way, we all felt like a Woestyn Blom. We, as people, are like a desert flower, no matter the season. In happiness, hardship, pain, loss, disappointments or all other aspects the universe puts us through. When it is your time to bloom, you will bloom. Like the desert flower no matter summer, winter, spring or autumn, the desert flower will bloom when it is time.
LINK TO THE VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrkeoW6TPGI
THE PEOPLE'S DNA
Rhonley van der Ross
'n Klein vonk kan 'n groot woud laat brand #nasieinspirasie
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