Shimmy Magazine

SUMMER CALLING
www.shimmybeachclub.com
South Arm Road, V&A Harbour Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa - T+27 (0)21 200 7778
EDITOR’S LETTER
Summer is Calling...
And there’s no better way to celebrate it than at the glamorously
refurbished Shimmy Beach Club and Restaurant, uniquely set in the
working harbour of Cape Town, South Africa.
on the cover
_model xenia deli - boss models
_photography gavin bond
_make-up alet viljoen - supernova cm
_hair merle titus - infidels
_stylist cally palmer
_bikini beach bunny
In Shimmy Style 2.0, Deborah Nunes extracts the essence from
star photographer Jacques Weyers, who shares his passage into
the sometimes-crazy world of fashion, his marriage to his childhood
sweetheart and the importance of being a family man.
Then art meets photography in Ulrich Knoblauch’s Crystal Pools
feature – which unfolds over 20 pages in a collage of images capturing
spontaneous moments of escapism, nature and beauty.
For our sports feature, journalist Gary Lemke catches up with South
African legend Bryan Habana on life in the south of France, fatherhood
and what he thinks the future might hold.
Further in, we profile singer and performer Nomfusi Gotyana who has
transcended poverty and tragedy to become one of the world’s hottest
young divas. We are delighted that we were able to catch up with her
between tours.
on the cover
_model catrinel menghia - next models
_photography jacques weyers - AgencyBook
_make-up & hair merle titus - infidels
_bikini volcom
_2014
Published and Produced by:
Netsport Media
www.netsport.co.za
Goldfish are without doubt the most exciting live band at the moment,
with their unique blend of instrumental sound and soulful lyrics, stirring
‘summer feelings’. Arts writer Sean Christie caught up with Dominic
Peters before their tour to the USA in November. Goldfish will be in the
house with the return of Submerged Sundays at Shimmy Beach Club,
with full details in the Shimmy Agenda on page 101.
Directors:
Greg Carswell, Aletha Carswell
As Ralph Waldo Emerson said so simply (and so eloquently): ‘Live in the
sunshine, swim in the sea, drink the wild air.’
Summer is here!
Production Assistant:
Celest L. Nirenstein
Aletha Carswell
(Managing Director of Netsport Media, and the creative force behind SA Swimsuit,
SA Lingerie and World Swimsuit.)
Creative Director:
Aletha Carswell
Producer:
Genevieve Baretta
Designer:
Maria Kritzas
Contributors:
Gary Lemke, Sean Christie,
Deborah Nunes, Sue Summers,
Sam MacArthur, Ryan Scott
Copy Editor:
Will Sinclair
Repro:
360 Digital
Printing:
Paarl Media, South Africa
General Requests:
[email protected]
Advertising:
[email protected]
Shimmy Magazine is printed in South Africa
and published once a year.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced in whole or part without
permission from the Publishers.
Contents
SHIMMY STYLE
SHIMMY BEACH CLUB_10
SHIMMY FOOD_18
SUMMER AGENDA_101
CHEF PROFILE_104
FEATURE PROFILES
JACQUES WEYERS_34
BRYAN HABANA_56
MUSIC
NOMFUSI GOTYANA_26
GOLDFISH_88
ART & BEAUTY
SUMMER GLOW_53
CRYSTAL POOLS_64
FOCUS
TOYS UNRIVALLED_61
CAPE TOWN SECRETS_95
_shot by: ulrich knoblauch
2.0
PIONEERING THE CONCEPT OF THE
LIFESTYLE CLUB IN AFRICA.
Drawing on the experience of two successful summers, Shimmy Beach Club has undergone a series of massive infrastructural, installation and system upgrades
in 2014, in line with the founding aim of establishing one of the world’s great beach clubs right here at the southern tip of Africa. Shimmy Beach Club General
Manager Shaun Novitzkas spoke to Shimmy Style about the exciting changes.
_written by: deborah nunes
SHIMMY
style _2014
_photography: robbert koene
ShimmyBeach
ShimmyBeachClub
011
THE INVESTMENT IN NEW INFRASTRUCTURAL FEATURES AND
FURNISHINGS AT SOUTH AFRICA’S PREMIER BEACH CLUB HAS BEEN
SIGNIFICANT, UNDERSCORING SHIMMY’S FOUNDING AIM OF STANDING
TALL AMONG THE GREATEST LIFESTYLE CLUBS ON THE PLANET.
SHIMMY STYLE
SHIMMY STYLE
SHIMMY STYLE
SUMMER CALLING
‘Music will always be front and centre at Shimmy,
and this year we decided to call our summer
campaign Summer Calling, referencing the
irresistible allure of the Cape summer,’ says Shaun
Novitzkas, the Atlantic breeze dispelling the steam
from his morning coffee.
‘Summer Calling kicks off on 30 November 2014,
with the return of the legendary “Goldfish Submerged
Sundays” sessions, at which the internationally
renowned multi-instrumental electro duo of Dominic
Peters and David Poole will remind Capetonians that
the Cape summer does have a distinctive sound…
and it is the sound of Goldfish,’ he says.
Goldfish Submerged Sundays will run for nine
consecutive Sundays, winding up on 25 January
2015. (See our exclusive Goldfish profile on page
88 and the Shimmy Calendar on page 101).
Shuffling various detailed itineraries, Shaun adds:
‘Summer Calling will run for a total of 10 weeks,
include themed nights every Friday and Saturday.
‘Our Friday night event will be launched as Shimmy
Anthems, as an Ibiza-style party led far into the night
by seductive deep house sounds. Each Saturday will
introduce a new episode of the Shimmy Pool Party,
starting at 3pm and seguing to dinners or cocktails
overlooking the Atlantic, anchored at all times
by DJs of international standing, such as Camilo
Franco and Sammi Morales,’ he says.
Inspired by Ciroc’s unique approach to making
vodka, the bar canopy has been made from lasercut sheets of aluminium, designed to resemble the
crystalline structure of ice cut open with a knife. The
folds mimic the striations and non-repetitive language
of clear glacier ice as it shears off under stress.’
Infrastructure-wise, a spiral staircase now connects
the 220-seater Shimmy Restaurant to the VIP
room. This makes for ease of access, and also
increases the restaurant’s floor space. ‘Perhaps of
greatest significance is our new stage, scheduled
for instalment on 22 November,’ says Novitzkas. ‘In
design it will reference the Sydney Opera House,
and will be made of see-through materials, so that
it does not disturb what is most unique about Cape
Town: the landward views of Table Mountain, and
the Seaward views of Table Bay, with Robben Island
in the distance. This stage will be a first in South
Africa. Here at Shimmy, we feel the considerable
investment in this unique feature is amply justified
by the fact that all our acts this summer will utilise
just this one incredible platform, in a departure
from previous summers. Experience has taught us
that nothing, not even diversity of choice, should
come between the Shimmy faithful and the purest
acoustic experience it is possible to offer.’
PIONEERING UPGRADES
The investment in new infrastructural features and
furnishings at South Africa’s premier beach club has
been significant, underscoring Shimmy’s founding
aim of standing tall among the greatest lifestyle
clubs on the planet. Most of these upgrades have
been completed, and many more will be ready for
the 2014/15 summer.
Those wishing to take a moment and commune
with the waters of the Atlantic can now do so in
utter relaxation on the new set of Vondom chairs
and tables on the pool deck . ‘Given the correct use
of lighting, these extraordinary ivory-white pieces
are like living characters in their own right, adapting
their overall personality to suit specific events,’
says Shaun. ‘A company called Space By Design
has also created, specially for Shimmy, a 32-seater,
22-metre long couch, a signature piece in pure
white which references bygone eras of indulgence
and comfort,’ she says.
‘One of the most exciting developments will be a
new Ice Bar, a sensory experience where the walls,
bar and tables are made from crystal clear ice,’
says Novitzkas. ‘Our beautiful Ciroc Bar is complete.
Summer will also see the re-opening of The Shimmy
Boutique, and the launch of über sexy, easy to wear
Shimmy apparel and accessories, each item from
top designers.
INTERNATIONAL AMBITIONS
Given how Shimmy Beach Club has always drawn
inspiration from the world’s premiere lifestyle
destinations, it seemed natural to take the Shimmy
concept overseas in 2014. ‘The Shimmy Beach Club
brand has grown exponentially on the local stage,
but perhaps not many locals realise that this is
happening on the international stage, too. This year
Shimmy pop-up stores made the brand’s presence
felt in Ibiza, Cannes and Monaco,’ says Novitzkas.
‘The Shimmy brand partnered with iconic
international lifestyle brands like Blue Marlin in
Ibiza, KM in Ibiza, Gotha Club in Cannes, Moet,
Expendables 3, Millennium Films as well as an
amazing partnership in Monaco for the GrandPrix,’
he says. Adding the following choice detail: ‘We
also entertained some very elite personalities at
the Shimmy yacht party, including Prince Albert of
Monaco himself!’
Off the base of these successful international
interventions, the focus now returns to the flagship
Shimmy Beach Club in Cape Town for the summer
of 2014/15. ‘You can already see for yourself, it’s
going to be an epic season,’ concludes Novitzkas.
Tickets to our Summer Campaign parties are available
on Computicket or visit www.shimmybeachclub.com
_continued
above: Shimmy Beach Club, in association with
Millennium Films and The Expendables 3, threw an
incredible after-party at Gotha Club, Cannes showing
of the film. Stars like Sylvester Stallone, Mel Gibson,
Antonio Banderas, Jason Statham and Wesley Snipes
walked along the red carpet to the Shimmy event.
SHIMMY FOOD
top: sesame crusted norwegian salmon,
soy braised pak choi, carrot mash, blood
orange sauce.
middle left: club sandwich
middle right: fillet with crushed new
potatoes, asparagus, hollandaise sauce and
ruby port jus.
bottom: crispy mushroom risotto cake
topped with smoked ostrich, saffron cream
cheese & candied onions.
_images by: claire gunn
GASTRONOMIC DELIGHT AND SERVICE
‘The menu at Shimmy Beach Club has been redesigned for summer, and is
now lighter, healthier, sexier and more gorgeous than before,’ says Shaun. ‘The
major influence is Mediterranean, so think tuna with ratatouille, salt baked fish,
puttanesca sauce… You will also find African and South African influences in
the way the food is spiced.’
SHIMMY
parma ham grilled stone fruit and goats cheese
pine nut salad with lavender vinaigrette
Shimmy Beach Club has also invested heavily in intensive staff training ahead
of summer, ensuring that only the very best of the local hospitality industry
wear the Shimmy uniform. In the same spirit, the Shimmy uniform has been
redesigned, so that each staff member can be visually identified according to
their skills set and league of responsibility. ‘We have also upgraded our booking
system to ensure that there are no mistakes or double bookings, and that our
friendly reservations managers are always just a phone call away,’ he says.◊
style _2014
Novitzkas adds that Shimmy has gone out of its way to source local produce of
the highest integrity and quality, such as free range chicken; grass-fed hormonefree beef; SASSI-approved fresh fish, and more. ‘Maintaining a responsible
sourcing ethos is our way of honouring nature. We exist on the edge of the
bountiful Atlantic, after all,’ says Novitzkas. The menu has a wide embrace, and
there is something for every taste and pocket within the overarching theme of
clean-cut flavours achieved using the best local ingredients.
019
THE MENU HAS A WIDE
SHIMMY FOOD
EMBRACE, AND THERE IS
SOMETHING FOR EVERY
TASTE & POCKET WITHIN
THE OVERARCHING THEME
OF CLEAN-CUT FLAVOURS
ACHIEVED
USING
THE
BEST LOCAL INGREDIENTS.
thick-cut tuna carpaccio with root veg crisps, chili
and garlic flakes, honey and lime vinaigrette
_image by: claire gunn
SHIMMY POOL DECK
SHIMMY CÎROC BAR
LIVING THE
DREAM.
Cîroc is shaking up the world of luxury spirits by
not only promising unrivalled quality, but pure
originality as well. Unlike most vodkas that are
distilled from grain - at the heart of Cîroc lies
fresh, succulent French grapes that are distilled
at the historic "Distillerie de Chevanceaux" in
Southern France, under the watchful eye of
Master Distiller, Jean Sébastien Robicquet.
The result is C îroc Vodka, an exceptional,
luxury vodka worth celebrating the world over.
Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18. Drink Responsibly.
a
Songbird
uncaged
_written by: sam macarthur
_photography: jon cottam
NOMFUSI GOTYANA HAS TRANSCENDED
DIVAS. SHIMMY STYLE CAUGHT UP WITH
HER BETWEEN TOURS.
SHIMMY
ONE OF THE WORLD’S HOTTEST YOUNG
style _2014
POVERTY AND TRAGEDY TO BECOME
027
NOMFUSI GOTYANA
SINCE MAKING HER SINGING DÉBUT
WITH THE ALBUM KWAZIBANI IN 2009,
NOMFUSI GOTYANA HAS BECOME
ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S MOST
SOUGHT-AFTER ARTISTS. WITH A
DOZEN INTERNATIONAL TOURS UNDER
HER BELT, SHE HAS GIVEN RIVETING
PERFORMANCES ACROSS EUROPE AND
CANADA AT PRESTIGIOUS FESTIVALS
SUCH AS WOMAD IN ENGLAND,
PERFORMING WITH ANGELIQUE
KIDJO AT THE AFRIKADEY FESTIVAL
IN CANADA, AND MORE RECENTLY
WITH SOUTH AFRICAN LEGEND HUGH
MASEKELA IN POLAND. NOT ONE TO
JUST STAND BEHIND A MICROPHONE
AND SING, THE SELF-TAUGHT SINGER
AND SONGWRITER HAS BECOME
WELL KNOWN WORLDWIDE FOR HER
UNTAMED STAGE PERFORMANCES. WE
CAUGHT UP WITH THE ‘TINKERBELL
OF AFROPOP’ AT THE COLLEGE OF
PERFORMING ARTS IN JOHANNESBURG,
WHERE SHE IS HALFWAY THROUGH AN
SHIMMY
style _2014
UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE SPECIALLY
028
TAILORED FOR WORKING MUSICIANS.
Shimmy Style: Is it not difficult to concentrate on studies, with your career
exploding the way it is?
Nomfusi Gotyana: (laughs) It is not that easy, but the degree is spread over
six years to accommodate the pressures of touring and recording. I am also
about to begin studying the business aspects of the music industry, which
is something that interests me deeply and which is very relevant to me
personally. When I started singing in 2009 I knew nothing about the business
of music, and I still know less than I would like.
SS: You recently played the part of legendary South African songstress Miriam
Makeba in Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom. What has Mama Africa’s legacy
meant to you personally?
NG: I think what is most meaningful to me about Miriam Makeba’s legacy
is the international career she forged. Against all odds, as a black woman
from Apartheid South Africa, she became famous in many parts of the world.
What this means for a young black South Africa singer like myself is I can go
to Europe and sing in clicks, and it isn’t completely from leftfield because
Makeba broke that ground with her famous ‘Click Song’, and many other
beautiful, Africa-inspired songs.
SS: How tall is Idris Elba?
NG: He is very tall, but then again, when you’re as short as I am most people
seem tall! He was great, you know: a very good actor, but also just a man of many
interests and sensitivities. He is also a musician, who DJs part-time when he is
not playing Mandela or saving the world from giant monsters. During the filming
of that movie he even made sincere attempts to speak Xhosa.
SS: You have appeared on stage a few times this year with Hugh Masekela,
another South African musical legend of the same generation as Makeba, and
a person who is old enough to be your grandfather. How was that experience?
NG: I only really learned about Masekela’s life and achievements in my first
year of musical studies, and it was so abstract, you know, like reading about
a figure from history. I never dreamed that I would one day share a stage with
him, but when it happened it was so beautiful. He’s such a beautiful man,
so open to working with young artists. One of the songs we performed was
a song I wrote in gratitude towards Nelson Mandela and his legacy, called
‘My Hero’. When a song is so personal, sharing it with someone else can be
a nerve-wracking thought, but Hugh just brought it to life with his trumpet,
and it affirmed for me that this was more than just a personal song, it was a
good song.
SS: You have described your sound as ‘Sophiatown meets Motown’. What
does that mean, exactly?
NG: I think the nice thing about that phrase is it has no exact meaning. I
first used it when I started my career in 2009, and the danger with defining
yourself so early in your career is obviously that it might not leave much room
for growth and change. In the last five years I’ve travelled the world and met
so many talented people, and as my experience and insight has expanded so
my music has changed. But I’m still happy with that description because it
describes an attitude and a state of mind, more than it describes a sound.
Sophiatown gave us some of the greatest jazz musicians we will ever know,
people like Makeba and Masekela. The times that made them were difficult,
ugly times, where they had to hide themselves to create music, and yet the
music they made was happy and transcendent. I’d like to think I’m carrying
on that tradition in some way, finding these beautiful grooves no matter what
the context.
_continued
NOMFUSI GOTYANA
SS: Talking of context: you had a difficult childhood in KwaZakhele, Port
Elizabeth, losing your mother to AIDS at the age of 12, and then your aunt,
who had become your caretaker, just three years later. Was music a way of
transcending personal circumstance?
NG: You know, I actually had a beautiful childhood. My early memories are of
fun times. The wonderful thing about being a child is you are not yet aware of
how your circumstances differ from other circumstances. I was not aware, for
example, that we were categorised as poor. My home was just a home, I did
not think of it as a shack. My mother was a traditional healer, a sangoma, and
what this meant for me personally was lots and lots of attention, because the
people who came to the house were looking for help, they were all suffering
problems, and so of course it could only be in their interests to indulge the
child of their healer. I used to accompany my mother over weekends to
sangoma rituals called Intlombe, where there would be dancing and singing
for hours. It was at these rituals that I learned about performance, and honed
my gift for singing. Then as you mentioned, my mother passed away when I
was 12, and we children moved into my aunt’s house, which was a real house
with electricity and water, and it was only then that we realised that there had
been something different about our lives before.
SS: Did you perhaps come to some similar realisations about South Africa
when you started travelling the world?
NG: (laughs) Travelling does make you realise that some things are different
here, and not necessarily in a good way. There’s the issue of poverty, the
question of how it came about, who is to blame, and what is to be done about
it? And unfortunately you can’t ask these sorts of questions and not look at
politics, and politicians. I meet a number of musicians from all over Africa, and
they are all having the same contemplations, wondering why our nations are
so rich, and yet the people remain so poor. And of course if you are having
these sorts of thoughts as a musician you start to ask yourself, ‘If I put my
feelings about these things in a song, would it make a difference?’ I’m not yet
sure, it’s something I’m wrestling with at the moment.
SS: What are you working on at the moment, in addition to wrestling your demons?
NG: I’ve broken with the record label I was with and am currently producing
an independent album, which will be published by BMG Europe. It has been
a beautiful experience in the sense that it has jolted me out of my comfort
zone. The first album, Kwazibani, was a very natural album, because I had
my songs and I just went ahead and recorded them. I was unknown and it
made my name, and suddenly I was travelling the world, and this gave rise to
a desire to re-engage the place that made me, and so my second album was
called Take Me Home, and everything about it was local, from the production
to the list of collaborators. Now with this third album I’m really going for the
global mainstream, writing songs with the likes of Kool and the Gang, and
Michelle Williams. You can imagine how disconcerting this is for me, coming
from where I do. Trying to balance who I am and where I come from with these
international ambitions will be quite a task, but as I said it’s good to be pushed
out of one’s comfort zone from time to time.◊
Nomfusi
NomfusiSA
NOT JUST THE
SWIMSUIT KING
SOUTH AFRICAN FASHION PHOTOGRAPHER,
JACQUES WEYERS, SHOT MORE SA SPORTS
ILLUSTRATED SWIMWEAR EDITIONS THAN ANYONE
ELSE. WE ASKED HIM HOW THIS CAME TO PASS.
__written by: deborah nunes
__image by:
ravi gajjar
Weyers was born and raised in Durban, where he developed a love for surfing
at a young age. After school he trained to be a graphic designer, ignorant of
the profession he would one day enter. ‘In those days [the early 90s], there
The Weyers decided to move to Cape Town, which seemed to them something
of a local creative hub. ‘I fell bum in the butter,’ says Weyers. ‘We arrived
on a Friday, and I had a job in a design agency called Design by Trick the
following Tuesday. For the next two years I was nurtured by this excellent local
creative called Dave Cotton. ‘I received a fantastic exposure to photography,
going to studios to collect photographs for layouts, meeting and talking with
photographers, and I realised it was what I wanted to do. The problem was,
local photographers didn’t really have assistants at this time; they had studio
managers, so how to make a start? We took the decision to move to London.’
Tens of thousands of South Africans have cut their professional teeth in the
great economic capitals of the world, and with expatriates recycling through
South Africa all the time, tales of New York or London waft thickly in local pubs
and coffee houses. Weyers has a London story that’s well worth hearing, though.
‘I worked as a studio manager for this music photographer called Nick Elliot,
who had a good name in the industry. One Monday we had this shoot booked
with the Spice Girls, just as their careers were beginning to take off. We had
done a lighting test with a model on the Friday, and of course I arrived very
early on Monday morning, given the gravity of the job. In due course the Limos
pulled up carrying the Spice Girls and their PR people, but there was no sign
of Nick. This was pre-cellphones, and he wasn’t answering his landline. The
_continued
style _2014
‘It was a bit absurd. I was lying on the ground on my back, playing with some
kids, and I lifted one of them up and felt something pop. The next morning I
could hardly stand,’ he says, grimacing at the memory of the pain. It strikes
me that of all the fashion photographers I’ve met and interviewed, Weyers is
the only one who is married, and has kids whom he is willing to acknowledge.
‘Yeah, I guess “Family Man” and “Fashion Photographer” are two descriptions
seldom used in the same sentence. To do fashion photography successfully
you have to be very driven, very focussed on the work, and so there is
definitely a risk you’ll wake up one day a 50-year-old bachelor, with nothing
in the fridge but film and tequila. I was lucky. Ingrid (Mrs Weyers) was my
childhood sweetheart, and we were married just out of school.’
were no real fashion mags in South Africa: no Elle or Marie Claire, just Sarie,
Rooi Rose and that sort of thing. I was exposed to photography, though, in
the sense that the design agencies I interned at were doing a lot of productrelated shoots, and that appealed to me more than the prospect of sitting in
front of the computer all day.’
SHIMMY
In North America, the broad wedge of hair that currently cascades from Jacques
Weyers’ face would be called a Playoffs Beard – after the sports tradition of not
shaving until one’s team is beaten in a season. Thanks to Game of Thrones,
the Viking look has become something of a global phenomenon, but Weyers
does not look like he owes anything to either of these sources. ‘I have a great
excuse,’ he says, a little sheepishly. ‘I slipped a disc the other day, and have
been on my back for a while, unable to lift my arms above shoulder height.’ It
is not uncommon for busy photographers to have bad backs, and Weyers is one
of the busiest fashion photographers in the country. In the past 14 years he has
worked for every major fashion label and publication in the country, and many
more overseas. None of this explains his back, though.
035
JACQUES WEYERS
PORTFOLIO
girls mucked about for a few minutes, throwing carrot sticks at each other
and that sort of thing, but then the mood began to darken, which is something
you get to know and fear about celebrities. The situation was drifting totally
beyond my control, and I remember planning to excuse myself for a minute,
and then run off and never come back,’ Weyers recalls.
‘Eventually Nick called to say his Porsche had broken down on the way back
from a music festival, and that he would be another 40 minutes. He suggested
that since everything was set up, I should start doing Polaroid tests, and so
for the next hour this is what I did. That was when the bug bit me. The girls
were doing their thing, having fun. It was not interior photography or food
photography. There was energy in the room, real dynamism. Nick arrived and
took over a shoot in full swing, and from that point onwards I was hooked.’
Weyers went on to work with several more notable photographers in the UK
and Europe, laying great foundations for a career in photography. But it was
only when a project he was working on brought him back to Cape Town that
his career truly took wing. ‘Cape Town was turning into a fashion hotspot,
which was perfect for me because my wife had moved back there the year
before. I took stock and realised I’d been an assistant for eight years, doing
no photography of my own, and I needed to make my move. This was not
easy in London because you couldn’t just call an agency up and ask for
a model for a test shoot. In Cape Town, however, the number of modelling
agencies was suddenly multiplying, and they needed photographic material
for their models’ portfolios as much as I did for mine. So I spent two years
building my portfolio. In 2000, I had my break when the publishers of SA
Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Edition called me in after seeing some pictures
I’d taken of an up-and-coming Roxy Ingram.’
Weyers went on to bag the local scene’s most coveted fashion photography
job, and ultimately did more shoots for the iconic swimwear publication than
any other photographer.
By 2004, Weyers had worked for everyone there was to work for in South
African fashion, and with two children below school age he felt it was time
to take another stab at London. ‘Those were some tough times, I must say.
I had all this work behind me, but the first agent I approached took a look at
my portfolio and said, “You’re a schizophrenic”… meaning my work covered
a very large range of styles and fashion areas, and he wouldn’t know in which
directions to push me. I had arrived in London proud of my ability to execute
a brief, which was what you tended to be valued for in South Africa, and
here I was learning that I had it all wrong. In London, Europe and the US
clients choose photographers for their very particular and narrow style of
photography, not for their versatility.’
When Weyers’ break did come, it was something of an anti-climax. ‘The shoot
was for Condé Nast, which had run a competition inviting readers to choose
their favourite items from all the high street brands for that season. The bestrated items were then to be featured in a spread of 14 pages or so, which was
to run in a bunch of Condé Nast publications. It was a very big deal, but when I
arrived for the shoot I found everyone in a terrible temper, and I realised it was
because the fashion editors, stylists and hair and make-up people were used
to having full control on their shoots, whereas here the readers had chosen…
and of course not much matched. In fact, it was ugly as hell. But it was the
over-reaction of the people around me that was most distressing, because I
realised then that a lot of what goes on in the fashion world is really just fashion
people doing things for other fashion people. The bubble sort of popped.’
Weyers returned to Cape Town for a break, fully intending a return to London,
but he was cut short by the sight of his wife’s wetsuit hanging on their balcony
next to his sons’ two little wet suits. ‘This might sound cheesy, but it cut
me that my wetsuit wasn’t there, drying next to theirs, and I decided in that
moment the place for me was at home with my family,’ says Weyers.
Since then, Weyers and his wife have started a small photographic agency
representing several talented local photographers. ‘It’s mainly Ingrid’s
concern,’ says Weyers, ‘though I find the talent and do some mentoring. It is
something we intend growing to the point that I can stop shooting myself, and
give all of my time over to sharing my experience, and developing talent. You
don’t meet many old fashion photographers. It’s a younger person’s game,
and you need to know when to leave it.’
Many fashion photographers will tell you they aim, upon retiring from the
industry, go in for arts photography, documentary-making, and so forth.
Weyers is far less vague. ‘When I’m done, I’m done. It has been a tremendously
rewarding career, but it is also incredibly tough, incredibly draining, and I feel
completely ready to explore entirely new territory.’◊
jacquesw
Jacques Weyers Photography
JACQUES WEYERS
PORTFOLIO
_parlotones / Nikon
JACQUES WEYERS
PORTFOLIO
JACQUES WEYERS
PORTFOLIO
JACQUES WEYERS
PORTFOLIO
JACQUES WEYERS
PORTFOLIO
JACQUES WEYERS
PORTFOLIO
JACQUES WEYERS
PORTFOLIO
C
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CM
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MY
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style _2014
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together at a time, so it’s easier for us than it is for our wives. It’s probably a
little harder on Janine than it is for me. Having said that, just down the road
from where I am are two other Springboks, Bakkies [Botha] and Juan [Smith].
Juan has a butchery in South Africa and he has opened one here as well –
with Bakkies no less. The two of them are bringing a South African “flavour”
to the French Riveira. Boerewos, droëwors and biltong – what a treat!’
FATHER’S DAY
Habana is a legend, the fourth Springbok to reach 100 Test caps after Percy
Montgomery, John Smith and Victor Matfield (he has also now been joined by
Jean de Villiers). All of them are World Cup winners from 2007, where they won
the trophy against England in Paris. Habana’s CV extends for several pages, but
to put it in a nutshell he is the most prolific Springbok tryscorer (going into the
end-of-year internationals he had 56 of them from his 103 Tests), had scored
280 points for his country and in 2007 was named IRB Player of the Year. But
he is also finding that his life has been turned upside-down since the birth
of the couple’s first child.
__written by: gary lemke
Back in 2007 Bryan Habana raced against the world’s fastest animal for charity.
Never mind that he was given a 30m start by the cheetah, who was chasing a
leg of lamb being pulled by a rope, or that the ‘race’ was declared a generous
dead-heat. In 2013, the flying Springbok winger was given a slightly less
daunting challenge. He raced against an A380 British Airways jumbo – and
this time there was no disputing who the quickest was from a standing start.
These days the 31-year-old is in a decidedly less frenzied environment. He
calls Cape Town and Toulon home for eight and four months of the year,
respectively. Life in Cape Town and life on the French Riveira. Two of the best
places on the planet. ‘Actually, Toulon is not a big city,’ says Habana, who is
now into his second season of a three-year contract with the French rugby
club. ‘But it is the best place when it comes to weather. There’s a relaxed
lifestyle here, but I haven’t fully explored it as yet. ‘The language is a barrier,
and I haven’t had the opportunity to have extended time to settle. As you
know, domestic help is easier to come by in South Africa than it is here, but
we have got a domestic helper. The problem was that she couldn’t speak a
word of English and my French is… well, it’s an issue, but she is now taking
English lessons. ‘Things are totally different here, but fortunately I am involved
in a rugby team environment, where there are some 20 to 25 guys coming
The Habanas’ Cape Town northern suburbs household used to consist of the
couple and two chow dogs. ‘They were our substitute children,’ he says, ‘but
now Timmy is a huge part of our life. But the dogs are with us: we brought
them to Toulon so things are as normal as can be expected. ‘Initially we toyed
with calling our newborn Bryan Junior, but we decided against that and went
with Timothy Jacob. He’s unique and has his own path to lead, and we’ll be
there every step of the way.’ In September Habana and his son were thrust
into the public spotlight when he carried Timothy onto the field at Newlands
ahead of the Rugby Championship Test against Australia. He held his son
as the players belted out the national anthem. ‘I am eternally grateful to
SA Rugby for honouring me in this way,’ he says. ‘I reached my 100 Test
milestone in Australia, and this was my 102nd Test – and it was incredibly
special. Being there, holding your boy on an occasion like that… Hopefully in
10, 12, 18 years’ time he will look back at the footage and he will see what a
privilege and an honour it was.’
FRENCH FLAVOUR
Habana still has a year left on his Toulon contract, and he freely admits that
he has been taken out of his comfort zone in France. ‘When we moved here
we brought across little home comforts, South African products that we knew
we’d miss. Tomato sauce, chutney, spices, all those things. Janine is good
in the kitchen, but I have a tendency to burn water. Can I cook at all? Not
unless you call braaing a type of cooking! I’m a typical South African boykie,
I love my braais and the outdoors. ‘But the lifestyle and things we take for
granted aren’t here. Back home one gets used to popping down to the local
_continued
style _2014
BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
FOR SPRINGBOK LEGEND
BRYAN HABANA
SHIMMY
LIFE ON
THE RUN
Back in June, Habana took to Twitter to tell the world: ‘So I got the best
Father’s Day gift ever yesterday… Welcome to the world Timothy Jacob
Habana #ourgift- fromabove.’ When I spoke to the record-breaking Springbok
he was still in a state of shock and awe. ‘Fatherhood is an unbelievable
miracle,’ he says. ‘I am not the type of person that you would see shedding
a tear, but when Timmy came into this world and now when he screams it is
pretty emotional. The last 10 years have been incredibly busy, challenging
and rewarding, but these past four months – actually he is now 17 weeks
– have been the most intense and overwhelming of my life. ‘It changes your
perspective on life, and anyone who hasn’t had a child will try to relate but
in truth they can’t. It’s a unique thing and you find yourself planning for the
future, wanting him to grow up and be something. I love children, but all the
advice and assistance can’t prepare you for the moment. Luckily Janine and
I had a solid foundation before Timmy came along. We’ve been married five
years and love each other dearly. I’m a bit of a procrastinator and can be
rough around the edges, but when the little guy smiles or screams… well, I
just melt like butter under a hot sun.’
057
BRYAN HABANA
Woolies or similar, and the convenience of “readymade”
food is there. The vegetables have been washed and cut
and packaged, but here in Toulon we don’t have that. We
have a great produce market and have to learn to buy fresh
fruit and vegetables from the market and then do the rest
of the preparation at home. As I said, I’m not the best in the
kitchen, but Janine is a great help.’
Passing the 100-Test milestone for the Springboks
has made Habana think about the future. He has had a
phenomenal rugby career, and while it is by no means over,
in reality he is not thinking too far ahead. ‘As I have said,
my three-year deal here at Toulon ends after next year’s
World Cup, and getting to that 2015 World Cup is my main
goal. Honestly speaking, I’m not too sure how much further
than that I’ll be able to go. It will depend on how my body
holds up, and in that respect there is no guarantee. I’ve
had a decade of rugby at the highest level, and it takes
an incredible toll on one’s body. ‘I was injured for four or
five months after I came to Toulon, and not being able to
contribute to the club was not a nice feeling. So, I’ll take
things as they come. ‘Hopefully I will still be considered good
enough to be selected for the Springboks at next year’s
World Cup, but I wouldn’t want to go based on reputation.
There are some good youngsters coming through, and if I
am selected it must be on form, and because I’m the best
player for the jersey.’
Earlier in 2014 Habana was selected for Team South
Africa’s Sevens side that won the Commonwealth Games
gold medal in Glasgow by inflicting a first-ever Games
defeat on New Zealand. However, French club rules around
participation at the Games scuppered his chances – so,
what are the prospects of him ending his career with an
emphatic exclamation mark at the 2016 Rio Olympics,
where Sevens has been included for the first time?
‘I think that’s looking a bit too far ahead,’ he says, ‘but the
Olympics is a huge event and moment in a sportsman’s
career. South Africa’s Sevens team has created a great
brand, and they have unearthed some amazing talent and
showcased it on the world stage. But there is a different
skills set to 15-man rugby and Sevens. The Sevens players
are exceptional in what they do and also, like next year’s
World Cup, I wouldn’t accept being selected if it was based
on anything other than merit. I would not go if it was to
make up the numbers. But the Olympics are far away, and
at this stage it’s not something I’m even thinking about.’
For now Habana is enjoying the relative anonymity that
he’s allowed on the French Riveira, while at the same time
enjoy growing as a family, with Timothy being the centre
of attention. ‘Every day is like a new event,’ he says. ‘We
spend a lot of time together and whereas South Africa gets
busy [in terms of the trappings of a celebrity status], here
we can spend these special moments together as a family
and grow.’◊
bryanhabana
BryanHabana
Nixon Blaster
This summer you need a speaker that you can take anywhere. The Blaster is a
portable Bluetooth (operated up to 10m away) speaker that is shock-and waterresistant, and delivers up to 15 hours of power. Precision-tuned acoustics provide
full-range clarity and low distortion at any level. The operating system is simple and
effective, which makes for a quick setup-and-play; just remember, if connected to
your smartphone, your calls will come through the Blaster too.
www.musica.co.za
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Samsung 78inch U9000 Curved UHD TV
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manufactured for advanced per formance
The expansion wars of TV screens went into another dimension when Samsung
that will take you wherever your life goes.
introduced the Aero Curve design. This huge 78inch screen is curved at just the
Tread smar tly. Choose Bridgestone.
right angle to provide the optimal living room viewing experience. An auto depth
enhancer applies variable levels of contrast enhancement on different areas of the
screen, and boosted LED backlighting helps illuminate bright areas of the screen,
to pull you in for the most advanced form of immersive viewing yet.
www.samsung.co.za
TOYS UNRIVALLED
_written by: ryan scott
Porsche 918 Spyder
Just when you felt happy with your last Supercar purchase, Porsche go and build this beauty. The 4.6-litre, flat-crank,
racing-derived V-8 can explode into a roar; producing the highest power density of any normally aspirated road-going
engine, 132 hp/liter, totaling 608 hp at 8700 rpm. You’ll look good driving the new Spyder, you’ll feel even better.
SHIMMY
style _2014
www.porsche.com
061
treadsmartly.tv
TOYS UNRIVALLED
Bugatti Juicer
Even if you never use this appliance, it’ll do a great job of elevating the
style points of your kitchen. You’ll want to put this 80watt motor to work
though, and enjoy the Italian elegance of the sleek lines, as the cone tips
gently to pour your citrus juice into a waiting cup.
www.italianlifestyle.co.za
Rocky Mountain Blizzard
Fat is the new fad in mountain biking, and this chubby two-wheeler
has curves in all the right places. The 4.7inch tyre will carry you
through the gnarliest of sand, snow, or soft trails on offer; while a
suspension-corrected 68.5° head tube angle, 100mm of travel
(RockShox new Bluto RL), neutral chainstays, and shorter-thanaverage top tube, combine to create a unique geometry which is
next-level ready for action.
www.hullabaloo.co.za
noticed. Heads will turn when wearing this brave new version of the
classic, iconic Wayfarer. In a specialised process, the frames are clad
in leather, which is dunked in water allowing it to expand; then shrunk
onto the frame as it dries giving skin-tight adherence.
www.sunglasshut.com/za
SHIMMY
With so many eyewear options out there, it’s getting harder to be
style _2014
Ray-Ban Leather Wayfarer
063
CRYSTAL POOLS
C
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CM
MY
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K
THE SOUND
OF SUMMER
AHEAD
OF
THEIR
SUBMERGED
SUNDAYS
SESSIONS AT SHIMMY BEACH CLUB THIS
SUMMER, ​WE TALKED TO DOMINIC PETERS OF
SHIMMY
style _2014
THE LEGENDARY SOUTH AFRICAN ELECTRO ACT,
088
GOLDFISH
_written by: sean christie
GOLDFISH
It might surprise some people, whose memories of Shimmy Beach Club are of
tropical house pulsing out over the beach on a Sunday afternoon,but if you’re
looking for a tranquil mid morning spot, Shimmy is the place. With the Atlantic
breeze drying the floors of the many lounges, tasting rooms, decks, bars and
dance floors, I stare out at the hulk of a container ship as it slips silently into
Cape Town harbour, on whose edge Shimmy is located.Noisier are the two seals
cavorting metres away, and the seagulls hunting the surf line for titbits.
My Atlantic reverie is popped when a waiter strides over to inform me that,
‘Goldfish is here.’ I grin at the irrepressible image of a blonde-haired, sixfoot-something goldfish asking after me in the reception area. Today it’s just
Dominic Peters, the taller, blonder half of the legendary South African electro
duo, Goldfish. The other fish, David Poole, is busy preparing for their tour of the
USA later in the month. Shimmy was Dom’s suggestion. Goldfish have located
their long-running and massively popular ‘Submerged Sundays’ sessions here
last year, and he’s genuinely pleased with the arrangement. ‘You’ll have to write
this in a way that doesn’t sound like advertorial,’ he chuckles, ‘but Shimmy is
without doubt the best place in Cape Town for us, for doing what we do. We’ve
done the last eight seasons on the Spanish island of Ibiza, playing legendary
institutions like The Blue Marlin and Destino. Shimmy really is the only venue in
South Africa that is comparable, and which has the same ethos of situating great
music outdoors, near the ocean.’
Peters is looking fresh, which is not a description that often comes to mind in
connection to mid-30s DJs who see more of the world’s nocturnal people than
you or me. He looks lean and summery, and is quite entitled to do so, given how
much he spends surfing’s the world’s oceans. ‘Check this out’ he says, cueing
up a video on his phone of a curling wall of water, driving towards white sands.
‘That was taken off Long Beach, Noordhoek, over the weekend.’ Peters points
out that the two things he loves most in life, making music and surfing, are
highly compatible.‘Whether we’re surfing or making music, we’re working with
waves of energy,’ he says. ‘Honestly, most of my best musical ideas come to
me while I’m out on the ocean, playing around in that place where the ocean’s
energy spends itself on the shore.’
ISLAND OF IBIZA, PLAYING
LEGENDARY INSTITUTIONS LIKE
THE BLUE MARLIN AND DESTINO.
SHIMMY REALLY IS THE ONLY
VENUE IN SOUTH AFRICA THAT IS
COMPARABLE, AND WHICH HAS
THE SAME ETHOS OF SITUATING
GREAT MUSIC OUTDOORS, NEAR
THE OCEAN.” _DOMINIC PETERS
Straining our eyes to look out over the waters of Table Bay, it’s just possible to
see the first kites of the day scything the air near Table View, and Bloubergstrand.
Many of them will be professional Europeans, Australians, Americans and more,
who make their pilgrimage to the Cape each year to take advantage of the
perfect conditions. I tell Peters that when interviewing the legends of the sport
last year, guys like Reuben Lenten and Aaron Hadlow,all had justified their
enjoyment of Cape Town in similar ways: ‘We come for the wind, the chicks…
oh, and Goldfish.’
style _2014
SEASONS ON THE SPANISH
Following Goldfish’s ‘Submerged Sundays’ sessions has been a bona fide ritual
in the ex-pat kite-surfing community since the days when the event was hosted
by Baraza in Camps Bay (now closed), and later St. Ives and La Med. Now they
all come to Shimmy.
091
_continued
SHIMMY
“...WE’VE DONE THE LAST EIGHT
Increasingly, it’s with this sort of talk that Dom and Dave have been answering
journalists who ask about their influences.‘I think we’re all a product of our
environments,’ he says. ‘It is what makes the things we do different from the
output of the people doing the same thing elsewhere. It is not about musical
precedents for us. I think our influences have been more intangible, the
extraordinary physical environment that is Cape Town being perhaps the biggest
influence of all.’ Peters concedes, though, that being able to observe some of
the best musicians in the world at close quarters these past eight years has
changed the way they make music.‘Particularly from a production perspective,’
he says, ‘you note the things other people do to produce a desirable emotional
reaction in their audiences, because that’s what a lot of it is: being able to
engineer emotions.’
GOLDFISH
‘I understand it, because a lot of those guys are Dutch or German, and we’re
big in those markets,’ says Peters.‘I also think it’s because we’re accessible.
We’re not quite Coca-Cola, but we’re like a soft drink in the sense that our
sound is inclusive, hopefully multi-layered, too, with some organic overtones.
When I look at our audiences here on Sundays I can discern three types of
people: the die-hard fans, right up at the front, and then those who know us
but are here with friends, and not necessarily by design. And finally the people
who haven’t a clue who we are, and through the course of the afternoon these
guys tend to really get into the, er, fishness.’ ‘Hang on,’ Peters laughs, ‘I’m
not sure whether fishness is an approved brand term!’
Dom and Dave studied music together at the University of Cape Town in the
late 90s, and duly formed a jazz outfit called Breakfast Included. It’s a time
Peters describes as, ‘the best possible apprenticeship, given how hard we
worked to get a little bit of recognition, playing hotels, bar mitzvah’s, and
more.’ It did not take Goldfish long to swim in to foreign waters, and Peters
credits their earlier struggles with the fact that, as their popularity spreads
like a hypertrophic virus, their feet remain on the ground.‘South Africa’s a
small place, in industry terms, and so to fellow musicians in those early
years we were just Dave and Dom,guys who loved surfing and making music.
Today we’re still just Dave and Dom. I also think, from our point of view, we
believe we’re still getting there. There is what we’ve achieved, and there is
what those ahead of us have achieved, and the gap is very wide, or at least
we think so. I must say I’ve enjoyed the slow-build, in place of the flash-inthe-pan rise of an act like Avicii, which cardedaglobal smash hit when the DJ,
Tim Bergling, was just 16.’
Peters’ humble point is undermined somewhat when a young woman spots
him and cries, ‘Oh my gosh, Goldfish!’ and dives in for a hug.
Similar scenes, one imagines, have played out in much of Europe, especially
the place Peters calls ‘our second musical home, Amsterdam’. Goldfish are
also huge in Brazil, a country they have toured 12 times. ‘Sao Paolo is one of
our favourite places to play, because the people there have this crazy energy.
In 2015, we’re going back to Brazil to play this outdoor gig in the mountains
around Rio de Janeiro.’
As I write this, the Fishies are in the US of A, touring all the major cities and
playing elite party nooks like Aspen. With Goldfish goes a long discography,
including a handful of successful albums. But after completing the latest,
3 Second Memory, Peters says he and Poole, ‘have really been enjoying NOT
doing albums.’ ‘You might spend a year working on an album, and three
months after its release people are asking, “When’s your next album coming
out?” It’s as if people don’t have the attention spans these days to take in
all of that work at once, and it’s almost better if you feed new work through
intravenously, drip by drip. On our side we can just do the tracks we want to
do when we want to do them, without worrying how they fit into an album
concept,’ he says.
One such track is the remix they were commissioned to do of a certain
Michael Jackson song, from the pop icon’s posthumous album, Xscape.
‘We can’t say much at this stage but we were approached about doing the
remix after playing a packed Amsterdam Arena, and we had to think about it
a bit because the Michael Jackson sound and the Goldfish sound are quite
different. Ultimately, we went ahead with the project, and I think we did
Michael Jackson justice, and I think we did Goldfish justice.’
New work is also emerging from a collaboration with Dutch electro sensation,
Bakermat, who once opened for Goldfish years ago, and confided he had
grown up listening to their music. ‘It is always enormously gratifying to
learn that we’ve had an influence,’ says Peters. ‘When we started we were
out there on our own a bit, these DJs who played their instruments live.
Before that there were legendary acts like St. Germain, and Basement Jaxx,
but they either stopped making music or went in different directions. Now
there’s a whole electro sub-genre called Tropical House, or Deep House, and
everywhere you turn you see DJ’s playing their saxophones on stage.’
Goldfish have not spent all that much time in South Africa in recent years, and
are no longer as well acquainted with the local music scene as they would
like to be. ‘The South African music scene is very vibrant, very innovative,
and I think we can expect a number of international break-through acts in
coming times. People are excited about the future of Beatenberg, and rightly
so, because their track Rafael is superb. They’re local Cape Town guys, so I’m
obviously rooting for them. ‘This city is extraordinary, you know,’ says Peters.
‘Truly one of the world’s best kept secrets. And to do it justice, musically, is
no small thing.’◊
GOLDFISH WILL BE DOING
CAPE TOWN’S PHYSICAL
MAJESTY JUSTICE AGAIN
THIS SUMMER AT THEIR
‘SUBMERGED SUNDAYS’
SESSIONS, HOSTED FOR THE
SECOND YEAR AT SHIMMY
BEACH CLUB,AND RUNNING
FROM 30 NOVEMBER FOR NINE
CONSECUTIVE SUNDAYS. BOOK
ON NUTICKETS OR PURCHASE
AT SHIMMY, AT THE DOOR.
GOLDFISHLIVE
GoldFishLive
Secrets
CAPE TOWN
IF THERE WAS A RECIPE TO GETTING THE MOST
OUT OF CAPE TOWN, THESE PLACES WOULD BE
AMONGST THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS.
The Woodstock Exchange
The Woodstock Exchange has quickly become the beating heart of Cape Town’s designed goods resurgence. Many of the small businesses
who have based themselves at the WEX started out in living rooms in nearby Woodstock houses, the owners skiving their bags or furniture
listening to 80s hits at The Golden. The WEX is a must-do for anyone interested in where the zeitgeist went next.
SHIMMY
pieces by hand, delivering them to market by bicycle trailer, and so forth. The building-wide emphasis on responsible business practices
style _2014
__written by: sue summers
66 Albert Road, Woodstock | 021 486 5999 | [email protected]
095
is highly laudable, and reflects as an open and accepting atmosphere. You could spend hours here, moving from coffee at Superette, to
shopping for a Kudu leather (courtesy of a responsible culling program, of course) hold-all at Chapel Bags, to winding up, cold craft beer at hand,
_continued
CAPE TOWN SECRETS
The Michael Stevenson Gallery
The location of a gallery can be just as significant as the art on its walls, and in Cape Town
there is no better example of this than The Michael Stevenson Gallery. Founded in 2003,
the Stevenson was initially located in the trendy De Waterkant precinct. It quickly became
a celebrated home of contemporary African art, but some special alchemy took place when
the gallery moved to its current location on Sir Lowry Road in Woodstock, and today the
Stevenson is something of a local icon. What is it about the new space? For one, it’s in
Woodstock, Cape Town’s historical semi-industrial suburb, and a place where art literally
lives and breathes on the walls of old Victorian shops, mills and train yards in the form of
world class graffiti. More specifically, the Buchanan building in which the Stevenson is
housed is a multi-floor brick edifice, complete with cavernous loading garage. In contrast to
the industrial façade, the building’s innards have been completely modernised, lending the
interlocking exhibition spaces an aspect of refuge from all that is coarse, crude or squalid.
Not that the art one finds in the Stevenson pulls any punches. The artists represented here
are some of the most provocative around, from the likes of Anton Kannemeyer and Conrad
Botes of Bitterkomix fame, to Zanele Muholi, whose photographic explorations of gay and
lesbian issues in South Africa rocked traditional mindsets. The Stevenson is also perfectly
located for lunch, because across the road you will find The Kitchen, one of Cape Town’s
finest day eateries.
Buchanan Building, 160 Sir Lowry Road, Woodstock | 021 462 1500
Straight No Chaser
Inspired by a song on jazz legend Thelonius Monk’s 1956 album,
Brilliant Corners, Straight No Chaser is the jazz dive Cape
Town has been holding its breath for (you can tell by the slow
exhalation of traffic fumes in the surrounding precinct, which
has become known as The Fringe). Imagine a primary school
theatre shrunk to the size of an old classroom, closed off from
the outside world with sound-masking curtains. The décor is this
extravagant, and no less. Now imagine yourself in this sealed
time-capsule, watching piano prodigy Afrika Mkhize sweat
through two shirts and two suit jackets in back-to-back gigs,
which have you and everyone around you in tears. On another
night the artist might be guitarist Guy Buttery or crooner Chris
Chameleon, but the effect is the same. No surprise, then, that
this venue was started by well-known local musicians Kesivan
Naidoo and Lee Thomson. For a jazz club to become meaningful,
passion on this level seems mandatory.
79 Buitenkant Street, City Bowl | 076 679 2697 |
[email protected]
Asoka Bar and Restaurant
For many Capetonians, Asoka Bar and Restuarant would have been the first post-Apartheid venue
that made them think, I could be in New York’s meatpacking district, or Clapham in London, or
any of the up-and-coming precincts in the world’s great cities. At the time, Kloof Street was a
litter trap and a mecca for smash-and-grab thieves. Today it is home to some of the city’s most
popular bars and restaurants, but only Asoka can claim a prehistory in another time. So how
did this restaurant cum live music venue cum electro lounge survive the vagaries of inner city
renewal? Some would say it’s because the Cape’s oldest olive tree grows from the middle of the
place, beckoning to the night sky through an open roof. Others might credit the Feng Shui design
principles, or the fact that nobody has yet worked out what ‘elemental fusion’ actually means as a
culinary reference (apparently dishes like Tom Yum Soup with prawns, Chermula Calamari, Teriyaki
Beef Fillet and Grilled Calamari). The cocktail offering is exceptional, too, based on owner Paul
Hestreed’s time spent working in London cocktail bars. But for us it would have to be the music.
In a citywide context of music bars closing down in greater numbers than they open, Asoka has
been a guardian of great jazz for a decade. Traditionally, Tuesdays and Thursdays are jazz nights,
and for some idea of the quality of the merchandise, consider the fact that Dominic Peters and
David Poole, the musical masters who comprise Goldfish, used to play Asoka in a previous guise
as Breakfast Included.
68 Kloof Street, City Bowl | 021 422 0909
CAPE TOWN SECRETS
Origin Coffee Roasting
We were not able to interview Origin Coffee Roasting’s founder, Joel Singer, but forgave him all
sins past and future for being in Tanzania ‘on a coffee hunting mission’. Anyone with a hand in
retail drools when passing Origin’s HQ, in that iconic former tobacco warehouse and snuff factory
off Hudson Street, De Waterkant. It is altogether the perfect building in the perfect area. The old
brick façade and low interior lighting would cue expectations of expensive wines if it weren’t for
the smell of roasting coffee beans wafting out on the street. Once inside, it begins to feel more like
Santa’s workshop for hot-beverage addicts, because the HQ is simultaneously a Barista school,
the latter institution founded because Singer realized way back in 2006 that a coffee revolution
in South Africa would require a small army of skilled ambassadors. Visit Origin, and you will be
paying your respects to coffee royalty in Cape Town.
28 Hudson Street, De Waterkant | 021 421 1000 | [email protected]
Sup’ing with Oceanriders
The oceans around Cape Town are world famous for the thrills they provide to international
daredevils. There’s Dungeons, of course, the gigantic swell several kilometres offshore from Hout
Bay, which draws in the world’s hardiest big wave surfers. And then there’s the Red Bull King of
The Neighourgoods Market was founded in 2006 by entrepreneurs
Justin Rhodes and Cameron Munro, whose stated aim was to
revive and reinvent the public market as a civic institution. They’ve
done pretty well in this regard. Today the award-winning market
features over 100 specialty traders, creating a weekly platform
for local farmers, fine-food purveyors, organic merchants, bakers
and distributors, grocers, mongers, butchers, artisan producers,
celebrated local chefs and micro enterprises. It is as much a
source for good wholefoods as a social event. The Old Biscuit Mill
that overlooks the market was actually a biscuit mill once upon a
time. Today, an additional storey has been clamped on its head,
and if you ride the elevator to the top you will find yourself in the
gourmand’s paradise of The Pot Luck Club, a superb restaurant
founded by celebrity chef Luke Dale Roberts, which affords
extraordinary views of the harbour and Table Mountain.
The Old Biscuit Mill, 373 Albert Road, Woodstock |
Every Saturday, rain or shine, 9am-2pm
each other 30 metres and more into the air. But there are ways of enjoying the Cape waters that
don’t involve unreasonable risk, and far and away the most popular of these is Stand Up Paddle
Surfing, or SUP. Founded by well-known local businessman and big wave rider Greg Bertish,
Oceanriders has been offering daily SUP lessons and rentals for a couple of years now. The beauty
of SUP, says Bertish, is it opens up the Cape oceans and waterways for people of all ages and
skill levels. For us the beauty of Oceanriders is the fact that they utilise the canals around the
V&A Waterfront. For summer you can also rent a board or take a lesson from Camps Bay’s Fourth
Beach, providing a welcome outlet to those for whom lazy beach towel voyeurism is a bore. Prices
from R200 for a basic intro lesson plus equipment and board, and from R500 for an hour one-on-one private lesson plus
equipment & board. True Blue Travel, Gardens | 021 4694716 | [email protected]
style _2014
at the Old Biscuit Mill
the Air competition at Bloubergstrand, at which the world’s great kitesurfers strive to outperform
SHIMMY
The Neighbourgoods Market
099
POOL PARTY
Sammi Morales
Byron Soulful, Gareth Kenward,
SOX, Branny B
SUBMERGED SUNDAYS
Goldfish
Wankelmut
5
6
7
(Friday)
(Saturday)
(Sunday)
ANTHEMS VOL I
Sammi Morales
Watershed, SOX,
Chris Taylor, Branny B
POOL PARTY
Chris Vargas
Deztract, Byron Soulful,
Gareth Kenward, Branny B
SUBMERGED SUNDAYS
Goldfish
Lexer
13
12
(Saturday)
(Sunday)
(Monday)
ANTHEMS VOL II
Camilo Franco
Deztract, SOX, Chris Taylor
B.Jones
POOL PARTY
Camilo Franco
Chris Vargas, Gareth Kenward,
Branny B, Rene Amesz
SUBMERGED SUNDAYS
Goldfish
MONDAY NIGHT FEVER
19
20
14
15
(Friday)
21
26
(Friday)
(Saturday)
(Sunday)
(Friday)
ANTHEMS VOL III
Deztract, SOX,
Chris Taylor, Branny B
POOL PARTY
Chris Vargas
Deztract, Branny B
SUBMERGED SUNDAYS
Goldfish
ANTHEMS VOL IV
Deztract, SOX, Chris Taylor,
Branny B
27
28
31
(Saturday)
(Sunday)
(Wednesday)
POOL PARTY
Chris Vargas
Byron Soulful, Gareth Kenward,
Branny B
SUBMERGED SUNDAYS
Goldfish
LEGENDARY SHIMMY
NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY
style _2014
DEC
2014
30
(Sunday)
SHIMMY
NOV
2014
29
(Saturday)
0101
SHIMMY SUMMER AGENDA
3
(Saturday)
RELAXED IBIZA-STYLE PARTY
Ella, Kayper, SOX,
Gareth Kenward
ANTHEMS VOL V
Kayper
Deztract, SOX,
Chris Taylor, Branny B
POOL PARTY FOR
THE FAMILIES
Dean Fuel, Chris Vargas, Ella,
Gareth Kenward
9
10
11
(Sunday)
(Friday)
(Saturday)
(Sunday)
SUBMERGED SUNDAYS
Goldfish
ANTHEMS VOL VI
SOX
Deztract, Chris Taylor, Branny B
POOL PARTY
Gareth Kenward
Chris Vargas, Byron Soulful,
Branny B
SUBMERGED SUNDAYS
Goldfish
16
17
18
23
(Friday)
(Saturday)
(Sunday)
(Friday)
ANTHEMS VOL VII
Deztract, SOX,
Chris Taylor, Branny B
POOL PARTY
Chris Vargas
Byron Soulful, Gareth Kenward,
Branny B
SUBMERGED SUNDAYS
Goldfish
ANTHEMS VOL VIII
Deztract, SOX,
Chris Taylor, Branny B
24
25
30
31
(Saturday)
(Sunday)
(Friday)
(Saturday)
POOL PARTY
Chris Vargas
Byron Soulful, Gareth Kenward,
Branny B
SUBMERGED SUNDAYS
Goldfish
ANTHEMS VOL IX
SOX
Chris Taylor, Branny B, Deztract
POOL PARTY
Chris Vargas
Gareth Kenward, Byron Soulful,
Gareth Kenward
FEB
2015
13
6
7
8
(Friday)
(Saturday)
(Sunday)
Deztract, SOX, Chris Taylor
POOL PARTY
Chris Vargas
Gareth Kenward
Branny B
ULTRA ROAD SHOW
14
20
21
(Friday)
(Saturday)
(Friday)
(Saturday)
Deztract, SOX,
Chris Taylor
VALENTINE’S DAY
CELEBRATION
Deztract, SOX, Chris Taylor
Byron Soulful, Gareth Kenward,
Branny B
27
28
(Friday)
(Saturday)
Deztract, SOX, Chris Taylor
Byron Soulful, Gareth Kenward,
Branny B
style _2014
4
2
(Friday)
SHIMMY
JAN
2015
1
(Thursday)
0103
SHIMMY FOOD
EXECUTIVE CHEF
BERNARD
STEYN
_in his own words
_photography: robbert koene
“I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE EXCITED
TO BE PART OF SUCH A FANTASTIC
DIVERSE ESTABLISHMENT IN
UNDENIABLY THE MOST BEAUTIFUL
SETTING ON THE ATLANTIC
SEABOARD. ON ARRIVAL AT
SHIMMY BEACH CLUB, I FOUND A
DEDICATED AND SYNCHRONISED
TEAM OF SERVICE AMBASSADORS,
THAT CARE ABOUT OUR PRODUCT,
THINKS ALONG THE SAME LINES
AND SHARES THE SAME VISION.”
I was born and bred in Cape Town, and studied there before
working at a few hotels and restaurants in the city and the
Cape Winelands. I left Cape Town in 1997 to work for a leading
South African food retailer in Johannesburg as a fresh food
specialist doing product development. After that I joined the
five-star Park Hyatt in Rosebank, Johannesburg to open their
new signature Italian contemporary restaurant, Zafferano
as Chef de Cuisine. In early 2001 I left Johannesburg and
worked for Sun International Hotels & Resorts, as Executive
Chef of the Royal Livingston and Zambezi above Victoria Falls
in Livingston, Zambia.
Then I travelled – first to Dar es Salaam, where I opened a few
fine dining restaurants and hotels, then to Mombasa, Kenya,
where I was Group Executive Chef for five Sentido Resorts
hotels on the country’s south coast. My most recent positions
before joining Shimmy Beach were a stint in the big metropolis
of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, working on pre-opening construction
design projects and food concept design projects of various
fine dining restaurants and boutique hotels, and also four
years which I spent as Executive Chef of NH The Lord Charles
Hotel in Somerset West.
How would I sum up my career? In a nutshell, I am very
dedicated to my profession, with 20 years of experience in
product development and food concept design. I have a
joyous imagination and a firm belief that – whether classic
or contemporary – any food offering should be a good and
balanced combination of colour, texture and taste, and should
be fun, fresh and exciting.◊