The Cape Cultural Collective (CCC) has officially launched a music video, which features the Triple C Ensemble performing the song Something Inside so Strong.
The Triple C Ensemble, which consists of eight singers and three band members, is a project of the Cape Cultural Collective.
The video for the song, which is performed in English, Xhosa and Afrikaans, was launched by the Cape Cultural Collective at its annual general meeting on October 25.
The song was released by artist Labi Siffre in 1987 as both a response to the violence of apartheid and his own experiences as a young gay man.
Mansoor Jaffer, a Wynberg resident and project manager, said: “This has been a truly wonderful experience for us and our members as we participated in the studio work, the filming and the editing processes.
“We are increasingly combining community development initiatives with high quality, professional efforts. The two are not mutually exclusive,” said Mr Jaffer.
The video was produced by Triple C Recordings, a project of the Cape Cultural Collective, and recorded, filmed and edited by Real Art World (RAW) and its partners.
Chad Karstens May, from Lansdowne, director of RAW, who directed and edited the music video, said: “We found out about CCC through a mutual friend, the late Noel Daniels who was a board member of CCC. RAW worked on a project for CCC earlier in this year. We started on the project around June. First recording the audio at our studio in Wynberg, and then moving over to shooting the visuals at various locations.”
Mr Karstens said: “We were attracted to CCC because of the great work they’re doing for the community and the youth. At RAW we’re big on youth development and the arts so we found the project to be an enjoyable experience and with the music videos that we’ve created we believe it can spread a great message on what is possible when you provide our people with an opportunity and the resources to be the best version of yourself and that anything is possible.”
Chad Isaacs, from Ottery, the project coordinator at RAW, who coordinated the audio of the music video, said RAW’s vision aligns with CCC – to uplift artists.
“CCC is a diverse team of different backgrounds and experiences of artists. I am blessed to work with these projects. I enjoyed seeing CCC artists taking the project seriously, with pride and workmanship.”
Candice Gurling, an artist from Lansdowne, is a singer in the Triple C Ensemble and the Cape Cultural Collective’s Rosa Choir.
“The choir is about more than singing. It’s about the promotion of social change and cohesion. Diverse people, who may only have perceptions of others, get to learn and experience first hand, through friendship and personal relationships, the reality. Singing in Afrikaans, English and Xhosa consolidates this further.
“We are exposed to the arts by often going to see performances at various theatres such as the Artscape and Baxter and even performing there. This allows for members who may never otherwise experience this.”
Ms Gurling said the nature of the group is “once you join the choir, you may come and go, but the family nature of the group means that people never really leave and always feel they can come home to Rosa.”
The Cape Cultural Collective has produced three videos in music, poetry and dance in celebration of its 16th anniversary.
To join the CCC team, email capeculturalcollective@gmail.com and to watch the video visit https://capeculturalcollective.org.za/
All systems go for Drama on the Plaza