Five of the Wildest Places to Drink Coffee. An Interview with Coffee Magazine.
December 15, 2017
Hosting Singita’s Top Chefs For an Exceptional Day in Cape Town.
December 15, 2017
A Road Trip to Mozambique with Slow Jack and Manouche.
Always up for an adventure, especially one that involves road tripping and excellent musical talent, a few months back Travel Designer joined local Cape Town bands Slow Jack Music and Manouche SA on a cross-country journey that culminated in a music festival in Mozambique’s Ponta Malongane. Covering a total distance of 4564 km over a period of 10 days, our two fully kitted limited edition Defenders hit the road with Ozzy at the realm. Each was branded to a band and bursting with good vibes, cameras and musical instruments. We made stops along the way to take in the beauty of our surrounds, to explore downtown Johannesburg, take in some class street art, and for Slow Jack and Manouche to perform to enthusiastic crowds at the Mystic Boer in Bloemfontein, Arcade Empire in Potchefstroom, The Good Luck Bar in Joburg, Show Me Orphanage and Arcade Empire in Pretoria. These gigs all formed part of the build-up on the road to STRAB.About the STRAB festival
The STRAB Festival was our target, and as we left the cities behind us the setting became more rural and the skies bigger. We crossed into neighbouring Mozambique and soon it was dirt tracks through tall grass, African bushveldt and the white sands that line the Indian Ocean at this popular gathering point. STRAB, or the Subterranean Rhythm & Blues music festival was started in 2001 when a group of scuba divers decided to add some live music to one of their weekends at Ponta Malongane. Today it draws some of South Africa’s greatest artists and thousands of enthusiast music and ocean lovers to a celebration of life at this sought after and rather exclusive annual music festival. After time performing and sharing, with happy hearts we packed up and made our way back to Cape Town, and home. A true road trip adventure and the highlight is knowing that Travel Designer has supported two great emerging bands in reaching their dreams.About the bands
Manouche is made up of four incredibly talented musicians from all over Cape Town. Their 21st century take on traditional Gypsy Jazz blends together sounds and influences from genres like Tango, Waltz, Folk, R&B, Hip Hop and Electro Swing bringing audiences of all ages an original, fresh and unique sound. Being both graduates of the Composition and Jazz programs at UCT, Bernard Kotze and Sarah Blake form the basis in terms of rhythm, groove and writing original material. Diana Neille adds to the gypsy fire with her intricate melodic attacks and finally Anneli Kamfer shares her vocal power and stage personality with ease. Slow Jack is a product of Cape Town, where everything is perceived to happen at its own leisurely place, the city's special vibrations filters through the unique sound of Slow Jack. Drawing their inspiration from their surrounds, the music and lyrics speak of abundance, hardship and everyday life. Slow Jack has grown into an ensemble of some of the most talented musicians in Cape Town to render a rare and seldom seen chemistry on stage. Professional musicians without the proverbial day job, Hannes Muller, Jayme van Tonder, Jeandré Hector Schultz, André Skywalker and Adrian Fowler share a special passion to be as good as they possibly could be and their inventive approach to music is a special fusion of pop and rock that does not mirror the ordinary.
A Road Trip to Mozambique with Slow Jack and Manouche.
A huge shout out to all the guys that made the trip extra special and ensured that we travelled the distance in comfort: Front Runner South Africa, BALLO, Musgrave Gin, Origin Coffee Roasters and Music Experience. Also a big thank you to with James Delaney of Delaney Artist who is the man to introduce you to the best attractions and inspiring street art scene when in Joburg. Do listen to these great bands and remember that you can book a private concert with Slow Jack in their home, as part of our Cape Town Legends offerings. Just another Travel Designer feel-good adventure.