A Belated Post About ZAP Records: RIP ZAP 2015-2020

This post has been a long time coming and I feel bad about delaying it this long.

Some of you may or many not remember when I debuted Dystopian Futures’s latest music video for “Space Junk”, but I mentioned that ZAP Records closed down. This bummed me out since the founder Dave Emmerson was one of the few people left in the DIY music scene that I still respect as well as him being a great friend. I thought it was amazing with how he managed to get bands and singers from multiple countries involved with his record label. I was exposed to great music that no one else was making and I managed to get involved with the label even before “Ospreyshire” (the spoken word project AND the blogger you see today) was a thing. Not sure if I mentioned this, but I was able to help out with press releases, bios, and I even made music videos for some of the bands. Dave himself has a record in my filmography portfolio since I’ve directed three music videos for him between two of his bands. The first music video I ever made in my life was for his old band The Old-Timers (no pun intended) and it was a major international collaboration since Dave at the time was living in South Africa while I was still here in America, yet we were able to make it work. That really gave me confidence and he encouraged me to do some recording of my own.

While Ospreyshire (the spoken word project) was all me with my poems, acousmatics, and instrumentation, I will say that if there was no ZAP Records, there might not have been an Ospreyshire let alone the current blogs I run. It’s strange how life works, but I do have to credit Dave for being a good friend to be encouraging to me even if he was thousands of miles away in South Africa or when he was back in his home country of Scotland. Who ever thought that some random guy like me and someone like him would meet at a music festival in Central Illinois and were able to collaborate with multiple projects for years now.

It is sad to see ZAP Records go. I’m thankful to have been a contributor in multiple ways to the label. I was so disillusioned with the music scene at large, so this was a last bastion of sorts.

RIP, ZAP Records.

In good news, Dave came up with Visions Press where he’s releasing new music and even zines. Definitely check it out!

https://visionspress.bandcamp.com/

Some music I’ve been listening to lately: McIntosh County Shouters, U-Carmen soundtrack, and Wildbirds & Peacedrums

I researched a bit of the Gullah Geechee culture somewhat recently especially after watching the movie Daughters of the Dust and checking out some of Miss Trudy’s Sierra Leone travel vlogs. I wanted to know about some of the musical parts of the culture and didn’t realize a number of African American spirituals came from that autonomous group. One band known as the McIntosh County Shouters who’ve been around for decades and preserve a lot of the Gullah songs as well as the culture. Not going to lie, I wouldn’t have actively listened to them when I was younger, but I’ve been gaining more appreciation for other types of music. I even bought one of their albums and saw some of their concert videos on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/YELZepKtr1I

I got to see U-Carmen earlier this year. For those of you that have never heard of that movie, it’s a South African adaptation of Bizet’s famous Carmen opera. Not only is this set in the 00s and in a different country, the entire opera is actually done in the Xhosa language (the X is pronounced by clicking). It was a very fascinating take on that classical work. In the movie, all the actors actually sing live on set instead of lip-synching to pre-recorded performances. I would definitely recommend the movie and soundtrack. This song in particular is a Xhosa cover of “Habanera” which is a song a lot of you know even if you don’t know anything about opera or classical music. Just listen to the melody, and you’ll instantly recognize it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjThbylqXdI

Here’s a band I found out about somewhat recently after finding out that they’ve collaborated with the Congotronics Vs Rockers project. It was a superband involving Congolese bands (mainly from Konono No.1 and Kasai Allstars) and various musicians from all over the world. Two of those musicians happened to consist of the Swedish married couple known as Wildbirds & Peacedrums. I’m a sucker for experimental forms of music and I didn’t think anyone can make a band with just vocals and percussion. They’ve got some avant-pop and jazz kind of vibes with their minimalist approach to music which I found to be unique. I was also a fan of the stop motion filming in this music video.

I’m glad I still have an appreciation for music in these stressful times. Hope you like these selections.

Ospreyshire Origins: Lebombo

Lyrics:

[Zulu]
Sisungule ithuluzi elisha
Leli thambo lizosiza abantu ukutui bafunde izinombolo
Singabaqambi bethuluzi elisha

In ancient times at the continent’s Southern points in the mountain range
We told time, counted the days, and tracked the moon
All it took was a baboon fibula tally by tally
We taught our people from the highest to lowest veldts
At least 44,000 years ago
This wasn’t decoration
This was for education as the Originator blessed us and those up north for our tools

---

I have to show South Africa some love here especially since this won’t be the only time I’ll mention things from that country when it comes to the content of this album. The Congo wasn’t the only nation to produce a calculator in ancient times. In the Lebombo mountains in what would eventually be South Africa and Eswatini (the country formally known as Swaziland), the natives created their own tally stick also using a baboon bone. That was certainly innovative and this needs to be better known because I literally can’t think of any history class I took in school that mentioned ancient African civilizations with the exception of a whitewashed Egypt or maybe a casual mention of Hannibal of Carthage (now modern-day Tunisia). See, there were important math elements in Africa among many other things. Major props to Dr. Y. for informing me about this lesser-known history!

The Lebombo Bone image is from Afrolegends.

Disney and Beyonce need to stop giving me carte blanche to rant about that stupid rip-off movie franchise and how they rip off stuff again (or CAN YOU FEEL THE HEIST TONIIIIIGHT?)

I’m sorry. I seriously didn’t expect to make a rant involving the best-selling piece of plagiarism in movie history. Okay, I did get a smile on my face how that remake has been getting negative reviews, but I still get frustrated with their fans defending the indefensible.

However, recent situations and discoveries are only proving me right more and more!

Let’s recap on what The Lion King has stolen thus far:

1: Kimba the White Lion. ‘Nuff said.

2: Trademarking the phrase “Hakuna Matata” which is totally cultural appropriation.

3: Withholding royalties from the late South African songwriter Solomon Linda for his song “Mbube” which was plagiarized into “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. He died penniless and his heirs sued a licensing company and Disney for not giving credit to Mr. Linda and for the royalties which they wouldn’t get until 2006.

Then came a 4th reason and this one involves a music video, the most famous Destiny’s Child member, and a lesser-known South African musician of Congolese and Angolan descent.

So, Beyonce came out with the new music video for “Spirit” which is a song for The Lion King remake. It features imagery of a desert and people wearing blue and red traditional African clothing. Wouldn’t it be crazy if the imagery copied a long-form music video that came out last year? Oh…that actually happened.

Petite Noir is the originator in this story. He made a short film/long-form music video for his “La Maison Noir” EP. I’ve checked out his music and it’s really good. I bought his EP on Bandcamp not just because I liked the music video or his music, but to support a real artist who doesn’t steal from others. He even self-directed his own music video. Want to know the subtitle of it? The Gift and the Curse. HAHAHAHA! Get it? Because that Beyonce vanity project…I mean companion soundtrack is called The Lion King: The Gift! Wow, shame on Beyonce, director Jake Nava, and Disney for stealing someone else’s art. I hope Petite Noir lawyers up and sues all those parties involved.

Disney and Nala…I mean, Beyonce are only proving me right even more that this franchise is a legacy built on artistic larceny. First, Japan, then multiple Swahili-speaking countries, and South Africa TWICE now?! They really have no shame.

I really didn’t want to do a post bashing this movie franchise again, but it was deserved.

Now if you excuse me, I’m going to rock out to Petite Noir’s EP at the moment. Dear Beyhive, your so-called goddess isn’t infallible whether she got Mickey Mouse money or not. Disney fans, your favorite company isn’t innocent.

An Apartheid agent confesses to using AIDS and other diseases as genocide against Africans

https://newafricanmagazine.com/cover-story-longread/we-deliberately-spread-hiv-aids-in-south-africa-former-apartheid-era-intelligence-service-officer-confesses/

Humanity can so demonic and this story only strengthens my belief on that matter.

There’s a new documentary called Cold Case Hammarskjold that’s been making the rounds in Sundance and other film festivals. One scene shows a confession from a White South African officer named Alexander Jones (not to be confused with that Infowars dummy) who fessed up that he and others put diseases across South Africa and other parts of the continent.

This is far too sickening and some of these following quotes should disturb you.

“Black people have got no rights, they need medical treatment. There is a white ‘philanthropist’ coming in and saying, ‘You know, I will open up these clinics and I will treat you.’ And meantime [he is] actually the wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

“We were at war. Black people in South Africa were the enemy…”

I’m beyond enraged at hearing this story and anyone with a shred of decency should be furious, too. The Africans have never done that to their European and American counterparts. I’m glad this news is coming out to expose how those diseases really got there in the first place. This depopulation agenda is quite infuriating, but the sad part is I see people even in 2019 that would cheer this devil. They even mention Rhodesia (the country now known as Zimbabwe) which only adds fuel to the fire when those people wanted a White ethnostate in Africa. Keep in mind this is the same former country where Dylann Roof repped the flag of that nation mixed with the Apartheid-era South Africa flag and the Confederate flag in those pictures.

Maybe in addition to wanting an ethnostate with their germ warfare, they would probably want to wipe out a country to let the animals survive and name it Pride Rock. What, did that Disney potshot offend you more than this genocidal campaign? Yes, I’ve been on a bash-fest against that movie, but some things make you wonder…

Seriously, I’m so fed up about the diaspora and people on the African continent being demonized, derogated, and killed just because of their skin color and heritage. I could never in my heart of hearts do the kind of things these colonizers did even on my worst days. It’s been changing my worldview on so many levels and I’m tired of how apathetic or callous people are. I’m not just someone who talks about my music, books, or my reviews, you know. There are important things I care about.

The Old-Timers are back, BABY!

My friends in the Scottish/South African hardcore band The Old-Timers FINALLY released some new music in the form of a 4 song EP. It’s Short Sharp Shift and it’s 4 short songs and the whole EP is a minute and a half long. I’m glad Dave and Don are making music together again. Big props to ZAP Records to releasing this EP! It’s only $1 to buy. Come on, you can’t even get a song for that same amount of money, so support independent music.

ZAP Records Spotlight: Skree Alleen

Hello, everyone!

I’d like to introduce you to South African artist Willem Samuel AKA Skree Alleen. He just dropped a new EP earlier this week called “Artefak” and it’s quite good. It’s certainly no sophomore slump from this artist. Much like Metode en Tegniek, the lyrics are actually in Afrikaans of all things.

Fee free to check it out. It’s only $2 to buy!

ZAP Records Spotlight: Metode en Tegniek

Here’s some more love shown from other musicians who are on ZAP Records, the same label I’m affiliated with.

This is a South African one-man band called Metode en Tegniek.

Their (his?) music is some quirky and incredibly fast folk punk here. All the songs are actually in Afrikaans of all things which is something I’ve never heard in this genre before. I believe fans of Gogol Bordello, AJJ, and Self Proclaimed Narcissist would definitely dig their urgent acoustic music.

Friendship Friday: George Hugo

http://georgehugo.blogspot.com/
https://zaprecords.bandcamp.com/album/zap-009-rainwet-morning

This week’s edition of Friendship Friday involves George Hugo.

He’s a musician from South Africa. I was introduced to him through our mutual friend Dave from The Old-Timers, Their Throats Are Open Tombs, and the founder of ZAP Records. George is a really cool guy that makes some nice folk tunes. He also just told me about his photography on his Blogspot, so I’ll be promoting both links of his. George Hugo’s debut EP Rainwet Morning is available for free or pay-what-you-want on ZAP Records’ Bandcamp page.

-Curtis

Friendship Friday: The Old-Timers

https://theold-timers.bandcamp.com/

I thought I would try something new for the Ospreyshire page. It’s called Friendship Friday where I cross-promote my friends who do creative things such as music, literature, art, film, etc.

For my first #FF project, I’d like to tell you about The Old-Timers. They are a hardcore band based in South Africa and Scotland. I’ve met their lead singer Dave at the final Cornerstone Festival back in 2012 and he was such a legit person. We’ve been talking online ever since and I found out years ago that he was in this band. They’ve been making some great albums and EPs over the past few years. I also want to thank Dave for giving me a platform with my Ospreyshire project after falling out of the music scene for years.

Thank you, The Old-Timers!

-Curtis