Beats, People, and Vosloo —the evolution of a Kasi sub-culture
The Beats, People, and Vosloo (#BPV) session, a wing of the Beats People & The Hood Series — on 6th March was dope!
I went, saw, and was greeted by the friendly bouncers with sanitizer and lively banter at the gates of 944 Dimpe Street, Ext 1, Vosloorus. The people? Diverse both in style and taste of music, with their nuances also their sharpest commonality. It would be easy — not ideal — for me to “typecast” this crowd as the deviant ones, that don't subscribe to unfounded paranoia and conventional wisdom. But, bearing in mind that the space embraced me, it's safe to say you won’t feel “othered” or boxed-in, Ubuntu is well and alive.
While It’s more about the music and the culture before anything else, the ante has evidently been upped as the music’s tentacle now extends and mingles with broader society via digital platforms like Ubuntu Beats Radio.
It goes without saying, the location of the event is also worthy of special appreciation because it’s also at the crux of one the oldest parts of the neighborhood a.k.a. “Basothong” which forms a key historical indicator in the changing times of the country, when the Apartheid regime was taking its last breaths in the 90s. Now the area, from an eagle’s point of view (See map) is home to both the oldest, and, newest black-owned and operated community establishments and businesses.
The most notable of these has to be Sporo’s Street Cookout. While we’ve all heard the truism that most South African businesses barely make it through their second year. This business which turned a solid 5 years at the end of Feb, has managed to cement itself as part of the lifestyle and culture of the community. It doesn’t take a clever black to see the resilience this business has displayed, the gap it has filled in the food and entertainment circles, and the uncompromising passion imbued in the service given to its loyal patrons. The food is exceptionally good, stays fresh, and I have to say…tastes even yummier on the morning after ... geen babalaz with a takeaway of one of these pretty buns.
Worthy all the more of respect for paying it forward during the lockdown, by actively contributing towards social-relief programs aimed at helping the less fortunate.
Then again, “dope”, in and of itself, is also an understated description when I consider BPV. A musical subculture that’s been igniting the fringes of art, social activism, entrepreneurship, and street-culture for Vosloorus and its neighboring surrounds well-above a decade. Ironically, it’s withstood all the “boo-hoo” from the cheap seats and has maintained its consistency…since its nascent days in 2008.
This said, in my curiosity, I took myself to task on the sessions’ social media page just to suss out what I could expect, and, I got an honest answer from Butho the DJ who said “The sets at BPV are very eclectic. We have DJs that play lounge, soul, and neo-soul, hip hop, bossa nova, and deep house”. That’s exactly, what I got. The one exception being that this sub-culture has now embraced and made way for deep-house which is a staple genre because it pulls in a larger share of following.
“It’s a bit of a misconception to suggest that EvO which started in 2006 and BPV which started in 2019 are the same thing. Granted BPV is an offshoot of EvO, but in the end, they are two different concepts.” Butho said.
In giving me a clearer feel of the culture, he makes emphasis that BPV does diverge a lot from the original pilot of the Evo subculture. Essentially that
“ we sought to do was to do away with was that sense of entitlement and ownership by hip hop heads over the concept and event. We wanted to create an inclusive space where all lovers of good music could come together in an eclectic environment that would cater to different tastes. He further adds that “we wanted to do away with that dichotomy of House versus Hip Hop and alternative music, and show people that we can all co-exist in one environment without necessarily dominating each other ”.
“Although it is the brainchild of the same people who gave the hood EvO LokxiOn Sundaze, BPV is not a continuation of EvO LokxiOn”, Butho affirms.
DJ bubbles, who was this sessions’ visiting guest for the day, really showed-up and shown off, because wow! I had nearly forgotten what it feels like to be happily-vibing. For me and my nucleus at the event, he stole the show.
So, if Sporo’s is food for the soul, in this space music is the fire that fuels the united-experiences that reverberate as part of the lived-environment of the people of Vosloorus.
Perks: Great hosts, you can swipe when you make purchases, great chefs that’ll treat you like the cream of the crop, cycling-tours are also available.
Definitely a wholesome space for the ambiverts and introverted-extroverts.
Life is good in BOZI!
I’m a rebel with a cause — Nina Simone
