IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

BravoBrava is moving to Radio Today 1485 AM countrywide DSTV Audio Channel 169 on 2 April 2008 from 20:00 to 00:00 - streaming on www.1485.org.za

See our write-ups hereunder for our last three broadcasts on Radio2000:

12th March - Johan Engelbrecht, award-winning author
19th March - Double Bill: Rocco de Villiers and Anna Davel
26th March - The Rt Honourable, Lady Pamela, Baroness of Harlech


ONE OF THE MANY LETTERS OF PROTEST RECEIVED

To: Radio 2000 - Station Manager - Carlito Sheikh


Dear Sirs,

My wife and I are avid listeners of Radio 2000 and for the past week we have been hearing that our favourite shows are coming to an end and after checking the Radio 2000 website to see what is replacing them we find that the shows are still listed - so what is happening?

It seems that the SABC are loosing the most amazing and informative presenters as all of the presenters exude great knowledge, not only of music but of many other topics and I cannot imagine why the SABC would want to seemingly "Axe" all of the shows at the same time. I am British and have grown up with radio and definitely recognise world class presenters and those at Radio 2000 are a cut above the rest. The station identification for SAFM says "the station for the well informed" but we feel that this should have been Radio 2000's identification as this was definitely so with the line up of presenters that has been on for the past few years.

Of course one has to accept that changes take place but the changes that we are hearing about seem to be bordering on drastic - so many good excellent presenters going at the same time. Especially annoying is the fact that it seems to be the best kept secret as to what is to replace the likes of Mixael de Kock, Eric Allen, Michelle Constant, Carol Mashigo and Doug Anderson to name but a few. Not to forget the likes of Barney Simon who for many years has promoted all South African Music. Equally so as we have two gay sons Mixael de Kock's programme, Bravo Brava, is very close to the heart and he is a great inspiration to us with his intelligence and knowledge of topics and introducing to us, via radio, the fascinating and high achievers of South Africa and we are sure that many other parents, with gay children, will agree.

We look forward to some explanations and insight into what is to become of Radio 2000.

Best regards, Captain Alan Reid and Mrs Miriam Reid
Phone: +27 31 466 2139Cell: +27 83 250 3392

Wednesday, 19th March 2008, DOUBLE FEATURE: Rocco de Villiers & Anna Davel

In our special Bravo Brava double feature tonight, Rocco de Villiers, the famous South African pianist, producer, author and cocktail connoisseur appears as our Personality of the Week. In the course of the evening the listener will be able to share in Rocco’s passions, performances and, also his past.

You can listen to his music and hear about his cd's, cocktail books, wine label and merchandise range.

And, it all started with his first album, Screen Test, in the winter of 1997. After that he became a roccoholic, arranging and producing 21 CD recordings, appearing as pianist and musical director and arranger in 62 stage productions, composing music for 9 televison and radio series, as well as hosting a 13 part television series dealing with cooking, cocktails and piano music.

Last year Rocco paid tribute to the most flamboyant entertainer ever: pianist Liberace. During this interview we hear all about the the furs, the rings, the candelabra, the thousands of notes, the witty lines, the beautiful tunes and the band. The show is Las Vegas, but also Africa. The show is Liberace, but also Liberocco. Music includes the Warsaw Concerto, Rhapsody in Blue, Jealousy Tango, Moonlight Sonata, Chopsticks, Tango from 'Scent of a Woman', and many more diamond-draped tunes!
Rocco writes a monthly column in the men’s magazine. MANWEES, titled "single or double?" Rocco writes about the alcohol industry and visit bars, talk about cures for hangovers, what famous people drink etcetera. http://www.manwees.co.za/
Rocco has just released an instrumental rock and blues CD called If Freud Knew the Steps. This is a first for South Africa and promises to "roc" your world. All the music is original and Rocco's own compositions. It is inspired by current issues with titles such as "on the street where Katrina lives", "urban legend" and "tango for two saints and a pregnant woman". Listen to samples on the cd page or http://www.mp3.com/
Rocco is an avid art collector and he owns works by Penny Siopis, Jeremy Wafer, Bronwen Findlay, Peter Schutz, Paul Edmunds and Clive van den Berg. For info on South African art and artists, visit http://www.goodman-gallery.com/

UPCOMING PERFORMANCES:
28, 29 March: one rocco, one piano ABSA KKNK, Oudtshoorn, Computicket
2 May: one rocco, one piano Music in the Mountains, Winterton Computicket
2 - 4 May LIBEROCCO Rhumbelow Theatre, Durban. Book at 031 205 7602 / 082 449 8636
4 May Nelson Mandela Birthday Concert Artscape Opera House. Computicket
13 - 31 May one rocco, one piano Theatre on the Bay, Cape Town Computicket
6 - 29 June one rocco, one piano Montecasino Theatre, Johannesburg Computicket

In the second half of BravoBrava this week - and as part of our special double feature, multi award-winning South African singer, Anna Davel, is our Personality of the Week on BravoBrava. She was the overall winner of the 1997 Crescendo the ATKV National Singing Competition. Her winning composition, Violets, addressed domestic violence and established her as song writer and singer. The next year, in 1998, Anna completed her diploma in light music and jazz at the Pretoria Technikon.
Later that same year she joined the group Cutt Glas and performed for 6 six consecutive years with this popular Acapella group. During this time the group released 3 albums and toured Portugal, Finland, London, China en Belgium.
Anna left the group at the end of 2003 to focus on her solo career and, since, many exciting things have been happening in her career.
Davel records both in Afrikaans and English and her fifth album, Raaisels, skepe & 1000 drome (Riddles, ships and 1001 dreams) was released last year. She also premiered her brand new show on this occasion and even made her debut in TV soapies!
In Egoli she played the sexy Anke and, along with Chris Cameleon, Gloria Bosman en Zwai Bala participated in the Ball Scene to celebrate the 1000th episode of SABC2’s 7de Laan, telecast to 1,6 million viewers.
In 2004 Anna wrote the music for View on the Highway, a musical theatre piece with Alexa Strachan and Roelof Colyn. In 2005 she followed this success with the music for the hit comedy Haar Hare, which played to full houses at the Aardklop National Arts Festival. She also played in another smash hit show, Al daai jazz at the KKNK. Amanda Strydom, Mynie Grove, Gloria Bosman, Karen Zoid and many other greats featured in this show. The production then toured South Africa.
Also in 2004, for the first time, Anna played the role of director and also performed in the show Ma’Divine. Her co-stars were Trix Pienaar, Elzabe Zietsman, Sarah Theron en Natalia da Rocha. This troupe received standing ovations at their concerts in Stellenbosch.
This success is followed up in 2005 with a dramatic/ singing tribute to Koos du Plessis. In this show, Nagkantoor, she was joined by Matthys Roets and Jannie du Toit and they played to 3000 people at the Big Top Arena at Carnival City.

Since 1992 Anna has written music for stars such as Elzabe Zietsman, the Zing!-winners Johnny en Vivian, Jannie du Toit, Christa Steyn and Herman van den Berg.

She released her first solo-album Te Diep (Too Deep) her own steam. This album became one of the top releases and was nominated for 3 awards.

Her 2nd album, Gypsy, was nominated for 8 awards and then went on to win:

Album of the Year
Best Contemporary Album
Best Sound Engineer
Best Producer
Best Song Writer
Best Cover Design
Best Female Vocalist

Her third album – Goddesses on a Dust Road - was awarded the 2006 SAMA Award.

For more information:

infoan@nadavel.com

http://www.annadavel.com/

Wednesday, March 12th, 2008 - Johan Engelbrecht

Mixael & Kate Bapela of the IEC

Mixael presents

BravoBrava's Personality of the Week is Johan Engelbrecht, award-winning author of a controversial novel centred on Afrikaner racism. The 2007 Jan Rabie/ Rapport Prize* was awarded for his debut work titled ‘kaffertjie.’
Engelbrecht was commended for his contribution to renewal in Afrikaans literature. Says Dr Andries Visagie from the University of KwaZulu/Natal and a judge in this category, "Engelbrecht is responsible for one of the most original debut works in Afrikaans literature’s history"

“The novel gives another dimension to the varied truths about our past under apartheid. The work touches the reader in a manner in which human values are highlighted over racial categorization.

The Hon Mr. Justice Edwin Cameron, Appeal Court Judge and Author of Witness to AIDS, under 'Best Reads of the Year', was quoted as follows in the Sunday Independent (Books Page December 2006): “ ‘kaffertjie,’ by Johan Engelbrecht is a provocatively titled novelisation of a most remarkable true story. The writer's childless aunt and uncle – he was a West Rand Conservative Party councillor in the 1980s – took their helper's infant into their doting care when she became permanently institutionalised. The title is eponymous, and is meant to capture the contradictions in this story of love, devotion and (fortunately brief) betrayal across the chasms of racial ignorance and stupidity. The book is already making waves in its Afrikaans appearance. An English translation, and film rights, must surely follow.”

Born on 16 May 1955, Engelbrecht matriculated at the Florida Afrikaanse Hoërskool and read for a BA in Drama at the University of Pretoria.

During his varied and wide-ranging career eh acted in countless local theatre productions and also established himself as a singer of repute – appearing in many musicals and solo shows – and he also designed for the stage and television.
Engelbrecht lived for many years in the Benelux countries.

*The Jan Rabie Rapport Prize is one of the more prestigious awards in Afrikaans literature, as it recognises the most outstanding debut novel of the year.
The award was given to Johan Engelbrecht for his novel Kaffertjie, a book that, according to its publisher - the independent concern Zulu Planet Publishers (which has ties to the new Books & Leisure magazine) - "embraces this volatile time in a brutally honest fashion and without fanfare". Engelbrecht is pictured here with Tim du Plessis, editor of Rapport.

Engelbrecht was ecstatic to the point of breathlessness, but kept his wits about him long enough to explain that, for him, writing "is like giving birth to barbed wire", and that there were three things he had promised himself he would never do: write a book, dance in the ballet and play the violin in a symphony orchestra. A pause followed, and then - "I'm going to have to start ballet lessons this week".
Finally, delight go the better of him, and he grabbed the nearest person to squeeze - in this case emcee Elana Afrika.

Eric Allen of Jazz Rendezvous and Brian Schimmel (pictured on the left), musical director on the musical Chicago, joins Mixael in the SABC'sCape Town studios to present the second half of BravoBrava.

This week megastar Liza Minelli makes another guest appearance in the sixth episode of the blockbuster snap, crackle, pop-u-lar BravoBrava radio cereal: The DeKocks of Grootvoëlsvlei. South African super star Robert Whitehead-DeKock plays the title role in this saga that highlights the one and only value of our consumerist disposable society.
The inernationally famous theatre and costume designer, Johan Engels-DeKock, conseptualised the sets and outfits. Technical direction is by Bryan Reilly-DeKock and Mixael de Kock-DeKock is the executive producer.

Contact details:

Mixael de Kock

Cell No: 071 226 8063
BLOGSITE: http://bravobrava.blogspot.com/
Postal Address: PO Box 85414, Emmarentia, 2029, South Africa

Email: mixaeld@gmail.com

Wednesday, March 5th, 2008 - Esther Nasser

Mixael de Kock with Kate Bapela of the Independent Electoral Commission










Mixael presents

This week, South African choreographer, Esther Nasser, will be featured as the Personality of the Week on the mega-popular gay radio show BravoBrava broadcast every Wednesday night from 20:00 to midnight on Radio2000.

Nasser first completed a Speech & Drama Diploma at the University of Pretoria before reading for her degree in Dramatic Art at the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS).

She was Artistic Director of the State Theatre Dance Company and was actively involved in the transformation process in Dance & Theatre since before the establishment of the demographic Government in 1994. She cooperated with the ANC Cultural Desk from 1990 onwards and remains actively involved with the organisation.

The State Theatre Dance Company established itself as a much sought-after dance force and one of the leading companies in SA. The company toured South Africa annually and was present at all the festivals held in Africa and internationally – KKNK / Grahamstown / Nelspruit / Aardklop / Cape Town / Pietermaritzburg, Mocambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Israel, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Thailand and Mauritius.

One of Nasser’s forte’s is to develop and push dancers beyond their comfort zones through high standards of teaching and a vast network of contacts. Accustomed to working on many different levels and in a variety of political arenas, Nasser is able to merge both management and dancers to work together as a cohesive team.

Nasser has always led the field with an international and local repertoire of leading choreographers both locally and abroad. Many South African choreographers have been nurtured by Nasser. The company also performed at Nelson Mandela’s inauguration.

Nasser has established a number of community and outreach projects in the form of winter schools and development programmes and won the Gauteng Achievement Community/Outreach Award in 1999. She also mentored many South African award-winning lead dancers now dancing nationally and internationally.

In the second half of this week’s show, from 22:00 to midnight, presenter Mixael de Kock will be joined by
Perdita Bokeer (pictured here on the right), one of the presenters of the former Tuesday Night Show on Radio Today to present this special Human Rights Day edition of BravoBrava. Bokeer and De Kock may soon be joining forces to co-present the second half of BravoBrava on a regular basis.

Also in the second part of tonight's show:

• Francis Keeping with his Report from New York
• Dr Ivan May (pictured on the right), CEO of Constitution Hill Trust (of South Africa)
• Roland Stansell and the cast of The Very Weathered Girls opening at the Rhumbelow Theatre

Media Statement issued: Johannesburg, 4th March 2008

LIZA MINELLI: Grootvoëlsvlei Guest Appearance on BravoBrava

BravoBrava, manufacturers of South Africa’s most brilliant scouring pad, today announced the successful outcome of its negotiations with superstar Liza Minelli to make two guest appearances - with the show’s leading man, Robert Whitehead-DeKock - in tomorrow and next week’s episodes of the blockbuster snap, crackle pop-u-lar radio cereal, The DeKocks of Grootvoëlsvlei. Each new episode is broadcast three times between 22:00 and midnight every Wednesday night on South Africa’s only gay show and which goes out on Radio2000.

Ms Minelli insisted that the two episodes in which she is making her guest appearance be modified as musical numbers. “Obviously this posed great challenges to the artistic directors, sound engineers and choreographers,” says Mixael de Kock-DeKock, executive producer of this innovative series with its modern approach to theatre of the mind. “Essentially the Grootvoëlsvlei-concept deals with three spoken words only: You are fired! But, despite the challenges we managed both to stick to this trusted winning formula while incorporating the essential “Minelli-magic” singing voice.”

World-famous stage and costume designer, Johan Engels-DeKock, who is Artistic Director on this mammoth production, interrupted long-standing engagements in Vienna to tend to the designs of Ms Minelli’s many outfits worn in these two episodes: “Headdresses are most important when dealing with stars of Ms Minelli’s stature as these act as a frame for the essential face. The bigger the star the bigger the frame. For both episodes of Grootvoëlsvlei the headdresses exceed the frequency limits of the station and, the listener will be confronted with a visual feast when Ms Minelli briefly appears from the ether.”

The Minelli-Grootvoëlsvlei event poses a before unknown security risk to South Afrika. De Kock-DeKock says that as everyone will be tuned in to Radio2000 between 22:00 and 00:00 tomorrow night, the country will be vulnerable to attack from the north. BravoBrava correspondent, Francis Keeping, this week reported the following from New York City: “The cereal’s fan club in New York is growing each week and with the political situation in the US being so constipated I have been asked to bring back large quantities of Dr Mac Sheila’s special preparation so wonderfully advertised on the show. I have also been asked if it will work as an instant poor man's facelift!”

International audiences are listening to BravoBrava and all the broadcasts of the Grootvoëlsvlei-saga via audio streaming on http://www.radio20000.co.za/