Mista Pierre's Fortified 45s Show - Season 1 Ep 3 with Lebo Diseko (Part 2)

Part 2  of the conversation with the BBC foreign correspondent Lebo Diseko.

Lebo talks about her harrowing experience, being locked in the Capitol Building for her safety during the 2021 insurrection in Washington, and her love for South African House music.

Podcast artwork by John Dyer  -   paulwindledesign.co.uk

Lebo Diseko's Song Choices

Soul II Soul - Move Me No Mountain
https://open.spotify.com/track/4gE2AMTeLxuE3n90AblFr9?si=260d9227bc104b63

Leviticus - The Burial
https://open.spotify.com/track/0BIAlQguOM4MSEDUjqOqkc?si=70e3019d29cd4593

Wookie - Battle
https://open.spotify.com/track/1Y8R1CKdai0oycCf6K0sjh?si=0eee5c33f4bd41e8

Black Motion - It's You
https://open.spotify.com/track/7wNIzYbPVysxJswTNSogBh?si=427d8542779b4ee1

Earful Soul -It's Alright
https://open.spotify.com/track/6A2oCFqEuMDjsBovTy1woX?si=a3cde7c5f16f4c39

Links, Books, Literature & Media

BBC Trainee Scheme
https://www.bbc.co.uk/careers/trainee-schemes-and-apprenticeships/work-experience?fbclid=IwAR1pjdQdFgxfS0YZDqFX-WBjHltHFRS8N4h6ZYNJdeg_iALFJ3ckUTivL2E

Mista Pierre's Run Dem Radio Shows
https://www.mixcloud.com/mistapierre/mista-pierres-turntable-torque-show-ep3/

Mista Pierre's Fortified 45s Website
Mista Pierre's Instagram

Transcript

Speaker 1: 1:20

Greets good people. My name's Mr. Pierre, welcome to 45 fives, episode number three, part two. Now, if you miss episode one, what's all that about shocking behavior. What's going on there, mate. Anyway, I suggest you listen to episode one, so you can get the background story, cuz where we're gonna pick up from is where Liu is locked in for her safety. As the pro Trump supporters stormed the capital building anyway, enough of my sky Aing let's get right into it. Please enjoy episode three, part two on

Speaker 2: 2:00

45, 45, 45.

Speaker 1: 2:00

You know, you were in, in one of the capital buildings while all the excitement was going on. And were you actually locked in at that point?

Speaker 3: 2:08

Yeah, that was an interesting day. Um, now it was a really interesting, so I was a correspondent there during the elections. I did the elections post elections. Yep. Um, the trial of Derek Chauvin, um, over the murder of George Floyd mm-hmm<affirmative> and obviously the elections and the post election period played out in a way. It was interesting for me as a, as an African as well to see post-election violence. Yeah. In America. Yeah. In a, in, in a place that essentially our exports democracy as a model mm-hmm<affirmative> and often it is the one looking at other countries with post-election violence saying, you know, don't do this, do that or whatever the case may be. And this was you, you had people trying to corrupt the de people within, um, the rule making system and yeah. You know, leading the country, trying to undermine the democratic process. It was just crazy for me. So that day we'd gone to, um, cover the electoral, the count of the electoral college votes. Usually it would be a procedural thing, but because of what was happening at the time, um, and the narrative that Trump had and um, the fact that, you know, um, his supporters were pushing for, um, uh, some of the electoral college votes not to be counted, they wanted yeah. You know, to essentially change the results of the election. Yeah. Um, it was a day we knew it, it had more, you know, very, very significant. Yeah. So we went out, I, I actually went out, um, I think our first life hit was about six in the morning. So we, our call time was sort of three, four got up at three, four. And it, it was thereabouts that we started our day. Yeah. We started off outside. Um, because that was a better shot. We were with a colleague from BBC Persian. Sure. Um, and obviously he is visibly brown doesn't and he's a man. I think that, um, as a, as a black person, maybe because I'm quite small as a woman, people didn't always find me threatening. Right. But actually the reason that we moved inside, so we were outside for most of the morning. But the reason that we moved inside is because from the beginning of the day, the tone that protestors were taking or people were taking when they turned up was quite nasty in a way that I had not seen it before. So there was a lot of racist and Islamophobic, um, comments at our colleague, the, um, BBC Persian C. Correct. So that was why we decided to move inside the building. And we had this live point. Um, I was actually coming to the end of my shift and I've got photos actually, where we watched this. So I was on air actually. And, um, watching between hits Trump's speech. Um, and I could see, um, out the building that the out the window that the, the crowd was beginning to build up. Um, but obviously didn't anticipate what quite was gonna happen. And then I was doing what was meant to be my last live of the day into a program. Um, that was, uh, you know, I was live, we had the, what was happening inside, um, uh, uh, with the electoral college vote, what was happening there. And, um, I was listening to London and then we saw a policeman and the policeman was like, ma'am, you've gotta come with us. And I was like, the time, what I at the moment, can I just finish this? Can I just finish what I'm doing? And he was like, ma'am. And so I was like, oh, luckily we were between, we were be between something. So I was watching what was happening in the chamber. Right. Yeah. Um,<laugh>, I'm, I'm just gotta finish something. Um, so actually when, when that happened, that was about an hour before they breached the building. And when I was asking the police, what was, what was going on, what the issue was. They said that they'd, um, there was a bomb threat, and actually I've now, now looking back at the timeline of what happened, that was, I think when, um, there were bombs or, uh, uh, discovered at the democratic national right, right. Um, headquarters. Um, so I think that was when, so we were all taken sort of there's tunnels. We were in the capital complex and there's tunnels that connect all the different buildings in the capital complex. Wow. So we were taken into a tunnel and then we were trying to figure out what happened, what we'd do, like how to we had to leave all of our equipment. Yeah. Then I was<laugh> then they led us back up. So all the journalists ramp back up, I was like, okay, so now get to finish my head.

Speaker 1: 7:15

Hold on, hold on, wait time out, Tara. Where's the time for fear worry. There might be a bomb. There might not be a bomb. Hello.

Speaker 3: 7:22

I just can't really engage that. Otherwise you won't do your job. So, um, um, okay. Well then that, if I'm scared and I was scared, but then, then what must happen? Like must I cry? I

Speaker 1: 7:35

Get that. I get that. I mean, I guess I'm asking you, where do you get your, I guess that comes with school, your, your, your stoic nature. Cause you know, you've still gotta do a job, but you've still got like, you know, London speech unit here, you got camera in front of you've got report, you know, as it happens, how do you manage to,

Speaker 3: 7:49

Well, look in the series of, it's not like I'm really, you know, I think adrenaline helps you, but at that time I was on air, the guy said, Miam, you've gotta go. And I was like, can do. Um, so then we were put in the tunnel, we were waiting, we, we were quite frustrated. We didn't really know what was going on. Then we were, all the journalists were allowed back up and then as we got to the like middle of the stairs, it was like, no, you've gotta go back down again. So I think when we came back down again, we then were shepherded further into this tunnel, like there for a bit. And then when we came out, we were in the cafeteria cafeteria where there were these massive screens and that's where we saw actually they had breached the building and the, um,

Speaker 1: 8:30

This building, you were actually in,

Speaker 3: 8:31

Not the build. So they'd breached the main building of the capital. And then we were locked down there for several hours, like our first, you know, the first thing we did as soon as we got to a place where we had reception was call our boss, call London and figure out how we were gonna get up on here. Yeah. Yep. So we were locked down for several hours. Um, I think it was sort of four or five hours, maybe even more. We kind of lost track of time. Yeah. Um, locked down for quite a few hours. Um, and there's these two TVs inside the CA in, in the cafeteria where you just see where everything is happening and there's that quite, um, what's become like kind of infamous picture of, um, um, someone with their feet up on Nancy Plus's desk. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you know, all of those, um, uh, offices where the members of the house of representatives were, that's the building that we were in. So not the main right. Yeah. One, but you know, was there exactly. And, um, so yeah, we, we, we basically, I, I was scared. I was really scared. And um, at certain point I just had to kind of, um, ignore, I mean, my family were like, my family, I can imagine was like, we sent you to America.<laugh> and now what, what is happening there? Um, I

Speaker 1: 9:49

Remember when I caught up with you soon after that, when I first saw you, I was like, can you not go to those places again?<laugh> I was like your older brother. I was saying, I can't deal with that. You know, it's like, it's quite scary to watch you in that position as

Speaker 3: 9:58

Well. Look, it was, it was really, really, I was, I went through the first live hit. I did

Speaker 1: 10:08

What's the live hit.

Speaker 3: 10:09

Sorry. It's like the first, um, the first, so when we first appeared on air, right. You can actually see in my face that I am just like, what is happening. Yeah. And I think the, the thing that kept going around in my head was that some people set out at the beginning of the day and said that they were going to interrupt the democratic process. Right. They gonna stop it from happening. Right. And they have succeeded in doing that. The vice president of this country has had to be taken away for his own safety. So for me, that was just like what, you know? Um, but yeah, so, um, we were locked down for several hours and we were actually reporting on two phones. We were broadcasting on two phones, all our camera equipment was, uh, up where we were before. So, um, it was two phones and, uh, oh, wow. An earpiece. So<laugh> the cameraman it, yeah. So it was very kind of make makeshift makeshift. Yeah. Um, and then a few, like when, whenever we were let back up, we went back up. I mean, it was evening by then. Yeah. Um, we went back up and then we just kept actually, I think, as a kind of, um, sign of defiance and it was quite sort of moving to see, um, um, members of Congress making a point that they were gonna continue this process. Brilliant. You know, when they were brought back, however long it took. Um, and it went on late into the night to like four. So yeah, by the time we finished this, somebody took a picture of me, um,

Speaker 1: 11:52

Makes me shattered emotionally, physically.

Speaker 3: 11:55

Yeah. Yeah. It was, it took me a long time to process. Actually it took me a long time to process and it was a weird thing because it's not, like I thought to myself, it's not as if I was in a war zone. So I was surprised at how traumatic it was.

Speaker 1: 12:11

It's because you weren't expecting that of America.

Speaker 3: 12:13

I, I really can't tell you. Yeah. Because it was not like there's, there's other, there's other situations where my brain would understand why I couldn't sleep yeah. Afterwards more. Or do you know what I mean? It's not, it's, it's it's, as I said, I just thought, and it's not me that they were coming for. Yeah. It's not, you know, I thought of the members of Congress that now had to, you know, people died that day. Yeah. But you know, it's not me that those, those kind of writers were coming for. And so, and I, there are also more kind of, um, uh, immediately kind of, you know, like I said, there's, there's war zones that people that get kidnapped there's all sorts of situations. So I was actually surprised at the, um, how long it took me to process that.

Speaker 1: 13:12

Well, say, thank God. You're fine. And well,<laugh> to tell this story, um, let's play the next track and let's talk about some of the other aspects of your job that I'm interested in.<laugh> um, and we'll get into that. Okay. Okay.

Speaker 4: 14:52

Never

Speaker 1: 16:33

Move no mountain by soul to soul 1992. Talk to us about this

Speaker 3: 16:36

Track. Um, this song just, it is by mom, this, this song reminds me of a, particularly a particular period in time in our lives. And it just, my mom was just my rock and she kind of my mom's my ride or die. And, um, I think like lots of families we've been through it and life kind of deals you a lot, you know, lots of knocks, but this song just reminds me again of my mom kind of dancing. And it also reminds me of how she loves, um, like it is just her,

Speaker 1: 17:16

Your mom saying so cool. Well, you know what I like about your parents? I mean, from what you tell me as well, is that, you know, for all that adversity, they've got so much energy and love and joy. It's amazing to have, you know, characters that still have that sort of<inaudible> amongst all the adversity that they grew up with,

Speaker 3: 17:32

But isn't that all black people like don't we isn't that just us isn't isn't that just how we do, whether it's in, whether you are in, whether it's, you know, Jamaican's yeah, yeah. Cultural impact on the world, whether it's like African Americans and their cultural impacts on the world. No, you're right. Yeah. Whether it's the music out of Africa, like at like whatever is done to us, we find the joy. We like, even when, even when we were given like the worst bits of food to eat, we made it so delicious, so joyful and made something beautiful from it. That's just what we do.

Speaker 1: 18:10

I've got question for you actually, um, in terms of when you're doing your correspondence and, you know, usually it's political, usually it's not always happy stories. How do you, how do you remain not unaffected by it and keep it about your job and how do you keep your joy based on the kind of job that you have?

Speaker 3: 18:25

Well, I think I am affected by things, you know, there's things that really affect me. So I think, um, covering the trial of Derek Chauvin really affected me. And, um, it was really hard. Um, I think my, I mean actually when the verdict came through, yeah, we were, so I've been to Minnesota, to Minneapolis specifically. Lots of times we've got family, friends who are there, mm-hmm<affirmative> who live there. Um, one of the most kind of, I important women in my life lives there, wonderful woman. So I spent lots of time there and I've always really loved it. But, um, when we went, it was just miserable. It was COVID, there was no one around, it was so cold and every day listening to every detail of how a man died. It was awful. Um,

Speaker 1: 19:20

Were you working that at the time, at this point?

Speaker 3: 19:22

No. So I was in Washington, but we went, so I was based in, was DC. Yeah. We were, you know, sent up there. I asked to go up there to, yeah. Um, be one of the correspondence that was covering that trial, but it was really difficult. Um, and I remember the day that the verdict came through, so we, I remember the moment we heard it was coming, we rushed to George Floyd square. And I remember when that, um, guilt, when the verdict came, the, the guilty verdict came through and the kind of way the, um, crowd in the square erupted. And we were like, so we, the 10 o'clock news was on. Yeah. So we were, we were live into the 10 o'clock news. Yeah. Um, I'd just done, I did a hit at the top of the program. Mm-hmm<affirmative> and a hit in the middle of the pro or a little bit whenever yeah. That came through. And then, um, I didn't realize that they were coming back to us. So, um, we, we did, our life came through, uh, came off and then I cried. Like I just, me and my cameraman, who is like a Australian guy. Yeah. Older guy. Yeah. Yeah. Been war zones, but we just held each other and cried. Oh, that's lovely story. And then, um, the producer was like, you know, you have to come back up, you know, you have to go back on it. That's not the end. You're not finished. So I had to get it together and do the, um, live at the, you know, put my face back together. But I say that to say, it's not that things don't affect me. Yeah. Yeah. But it's also not my job as an audience member or is somebody watching something, you feel like somebody has an agenda. Yeah. And, um, um, whatever Criticisms we might have of media here, or, you know, the BBC or whatever else. Um, one of the things I've, uh, things I've noticed when I've traveled, not just to America, but to lots of places when you have a lot of kind of opinion led news. Yeah. What happens is you lose part of the audience. Yeah. And my job is not to, um, give you my opinion. It is not to be a political campaigner. It is not to, um, preach to people or bash people over the head. Yeah. It is. To tell you what I have seen, give you context, um, tell you what people have said to me and like give you my experience of this story and why it matters.

Speaker 1: 21:49

So it's like being so close to you. How did you manage to divorce? The two, obviously you're very professional, but especially a story like this, for me, especially when the result came out, it was great, but I wasn't grateful. I was still angry. Well,

Speaker 3: 22:01

The thing is that is something that people said to me. So one of the things that, um, uh, that there was quite a few people in that square that, um, didn't wanna be on camera. Yeah. And they said, SIS, we wouldn't talk to any other media, but we're talking to you. Wow. And I remember there was these two girls that said to me, they were pleased with the verdict, but what they did not want and that what they wanted me to tell yeah. People was that this doesn't make things all better. Mm. This doesn't mean that this is not an issue anymore. Mm. And they were fearful that the world would see this verdict and think, okay, job done. Like you've got your life mattering now that's the end. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um, and that is something that I said, I said, this is what people told me, because that's a fact that is what two people, literally, a few moments ago yeah. Had said to me, but my opinion of whatever. Yeah. Is not that's, that's not what, like, if you turn on the telly, you are not there to hear what so, and so's opinion it is. Yeah. You'll hear what do they see? What have, you know, you are not there. So what have they seen? What have people told them? Yes. And how does that fit into sort of the story that's happening?

Speaker 1: 23:15

Admirable skill. Let me flip that flip, flip that a bit now. And just talk about the other aspects of your job. And who's been your favorite person to interview.

Speaker 3: 23:23

I dunno. I think that, um, there, I think my favorite part of my job is being like, allowed into people's homes. Having people talk to me at their worst moment, literally like when everything's falling, falling apart, um, having people entrust me with opinions that they think that people might judge them for. Um, wow. I can't think of like any one person, because in a way it would be to diminish. Yeah. Other people who've given me their time. Yeah. You know,

Speaker 1: 24:03

I mean, have you been internally stars struck a little bit by somebody you've interviewed or just like, not necessarily by them, but oh my God. Look where I've arrived to, or I'm, you know, I'm interviewing this person or

Speaker 3: 24:14

No, I don't think so, but I don't work in entertainment. So if I, if I, um, had to interview Mary J bla, I would cry<laugh>

Speaker 1: 24:22

Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 3: 24:23

I just would cry and say, can you just be my friend<laugh>

Speaker 1: 24:27

Are we going back to those envelopes and tape? We can say it again.

Speaker 3: 24:30

You can see a trend<laugh>.

Speaker 1: 24:33

So in terms of integrity, achievements, you know, conduct for adversity in our politics, who impresses you?

Speaker 3: 24:39

Oh,<affirmative> oh, it's really interesting because I think that, um, there are so many people in my family and I think that often we look outside of our immediate circumstances for examples of people mm-hmm<affirmative> do you know what I mean? Yeah. Yeah. Um, and I'm sure, I'm sure you've had this where you are sitting with old people and then they suddenly just bring out one experience. You're like, what, what? Um, but I would say, I would say all of my elders, the people in my family, when, like just the stories that they come up with, the things they sacrifice, the things that they did. Um, yeah. I think they,

Speaker 1: 25:27

It's amazing when you get older, what they tell you and how you understand it and how you wowed by it. It might've gone over your head 10 years ago, but I think they can sense when you are at that point of understanding and they tell you something you're like, so I gonna say my elders, my aunt answer my uncles as well. They're amazing. Let's get to another track. We're gonna turn the temp a bit on this one. Let's do this. Hold on. Okay. I can't deal with you. So the best

Speaker 3: 28:16

Bit when it

Speaker 1: 28:17

Drops so many facets to you, I'm dealing with at the moment. So here we are stoic, um, you know, person in front of the TV, proper perfect Lego hair. How did you Lego hair? Hang. Yeah. On

Speaker 3: 28:30

Go

Speaker 1: 28:30

Hair. Just doesn't me was perfect. It just there like that, you know, just like isn't my insult. I've got braids at the moment. Yes. I'm talking about, okay. You have got braids at the moment. Anyway.

Speaker 3: 28:38

I would. Can we, I would like that edited in that I have braids shares, braids, hair of Lego.

Speaker 1: 28:43

She has hair. Okay, fine. That's that's me corrected no Lego hair. So, you know, you're there and you are correspond doing your thing. I can, I can't imagine it now, but you used to shock out to jungle didn't you?

Speaker 3: 28:55

I jungle was the first music that I raved to. And you asked me how I kind of like what my release is. Yeah. Obviously there's things like running that I do, but for me dancing, the dance floor is a really important part of my life and the music that I like now, like jungle led me there. Yeah. Jungle was the first, it was like the first music that took over me. Right. And made me dance. I remember, um, I used to go to, uh, places like, um, roast, uh, race, like roast, uh, way of life. They, you embrace that rose a way of life. There used to be a club behind where the, where the cinema is in Islington yeah. Or an angel. There was a club there and they used to have a way of life there. Mm-hmm<affirmative> we used to go Astoria. I was, I, I don't know even how we got into places because

Speaker 1: 29:47

That's part of

Speaker 3: 29:47

The fun. I was sort of 15, 14, 15 at that time. So I don't know how, and I looked very young for a long time. I did not look of age to be there, but I just there's something about that jungle beat that I love. Yeah. Yeah. And funnily enough, I remember sometimes you'd come out of the jungle room and then you'd go into like this garage room. Yeah. There was like, um, it was like us garage and I like, well, what is this music with this slow beat? What is

Speaker 1: 30:17

This? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,

Speaker 3: 30:18

Yeah. Um, but then I, you know, when UK garage came, I loved that too. Yeah. But, um, I just, it, it, I like the dance floor is such an important part of my life. And Lisa was the first. Yeah. Yeah. My first everything. It was the, it was the originator of everything.

Speaker 1: 30:35

Yeah. You know, what I like about John was a English British subculture that came out, you

Speaker 3: 30:40

Know, and it's got everything. It had the, the, and it was specifically ragga jungle that I liked RA. Okay. Because it has that reg it's, it's like, for me, the music I want on the dance floor, it must have the bass. It must have, I loved the, the Regy yeah.

Speaker 1: 30:55

The half beat in between it.

Speaker 3: 30:57

Yeah. Because there was other jungle that was devoid of that. And I was not into

Speaker 1: 31:01

That. So it's too many pots and pans. You like this sort of,

Speaker 3: 31:04

Yeah. I like the drum, but I like the music that resonates with me has drums and it has a bass and it has, yeah.

Speaker 1: 31:12

Did you fall in love with drum and bass after that? The, the emergence of that, or was that

Speaker 3: 31:15

Too? I I'm not into drum bass really. Right, right. It was specifically like kind of rag. Yeah. Yeah. Jungle and kind of, you know, there was other, I guess there was kind of like R and B songs that were made into jungle as well, but it was that specific scene.

Speaker 1: 31:30

Yeah. I mean, after the, the emergence of hiphop, even though it was mainly American. And then we had, obviously prior to that was sold to soul. So this was a really big explosion for British black or, or urban youth just to do their, do their

Speaker 3: 31:43

Thing. And I think that, um, for me, I mean, I hadn't really thought of this, but kind of a running theme in all of the music and all of the things that really inspire me mm-hmm<affirmative> is kind of music and good times as a resistance. Yeah. And I just, I love the fact that jungle was all different races. It was all different people. Yep. It was just what kind of, it was a lot of working class people. Yep. And it was, it was, it was people who got it. It was also everybody that essentially was a bit marginalized. Yes. But just made their own thing and it was so good.

Speaker 1: 32:17

Yeah. I love that one. I love,

Speaker 3: 32:19

And there was the fashion, there was the music, there was even the, like had its own slang. Yeah. And I just, I loved that. And for

Speaker 1: 32:28

Me it was safe as well.

Speaker 3: 32:30

Yes. Very. Um, but yeah, I think, I think like salt to salt also obviously salt to salt. Wasn't a, a whole sound in the same way that jungle was a whole yeah. Movement. But I just, I I've that kind of joy and music as resistance and kind of upliftment as kind of, uh, reflection of people that like might be ordinarily marginalized, like kind of taking back their thing. I love that.

Speaker 1: 32:59

No, I'm enjoying the facets of you and your idiosyncrasies. Not that you shouldn't have these things as part of your, your makeup, but, you know, it's just interesting juxtapositions. And so let's get to the next track three to go. I think we're on the UK on this one

Speaker 4: 33:54

Soul soul, but you can never find your, you lose the spirit at the soul. Good.

Speaker 5: 34:07

The baseline, the baseline, the baseline, the, the, the, the, the, the, the,

Speaker 4: 34:16

The every day now,

Speaker 6: 34:53

When you

Speaker 4: 35:08

It's okay.

Speaker 6: 35:10

Is why

Speaker 4: 35:16

Say's when we get back in the day, every day is I have, and deep in my heart, I go after all of existence, simply you, the world I need to every day to space

Speaker 3: 37:49

Has it has, has,

Speaker 4: 37:52

And it has,

Speaker 1: 37:55

This is tensioned

Speaker 3: 37:55

By, yeah.

Speaker 1: 37:59

That's battled by walking circa 2000. Talk to us about this strike.

Speaker 3: 38:04

So when I left, it's funny when I left to move back to South Africa. Yeah. Um, when I was a, uh, well, when I was doing my undergrad, when I was a teenager yeah. Um, I was jungle was the thing. And, um, I heard from people, um, that jungle had kind of died down and I was really sad about that. And then when I came back to do, um, my postgrad, I was sort of 22 ish 20,

Speaker 1: 38:30

Is that university of Westminster,

Speaker 3: 38:31

Right? Yeah. Yeah. Right. So sort of 20, 22 ish around that time. And, um, then, uh, garage, UK, Kate landed back. Yeah. I came back to see some family friends actually. Yeah. And I remember, um, the brother of the family, um, taking me out and garage was the thing I think crave David was quite big at that time. Yeah. And I was like, what is this sound? I love it. And, um, again, you've got kind of the, the, the drums, but you've got that bass as well. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So I chose this song reminded me of twice as nice, which I used to love. Yep. Yep. Love, love. Um, I don't even remember what, cause we used to go twice as nice a lot. And I don't know what the classes were that we had on a Monday a university. Yeah. But somehow it always used to make it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, um, but I also, so I loved carriage music and carriage was a big thing. Mm-hmm<affirmative> like both jungle and carriage were a big music for me. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. But I also, I chose this because it's also a gospel song and didn't know that. Yeah. Um, when I won't sing it for you, when you've just had enough and you see no wear every day is like a battle, but will overcome. Um, it's, it's it's wow. It is gospel garage that, so I like, for me, um, I found it, so it reminds me of a specific era, but it also reminds me like, there's other, other reasons I find it uplifting. I love it. Did you

Speaker 1: 40:01

Find Gabriel by Royal Davis? Jr. Did you find that uplifting as

Speaker 3: 40:04

Well? Yeah. I like that, but this kind of deeper, I think. Yeah. I don't know what it is, but I found it, find it deeper. Fantastic.

Speaker 1: 40:12

Yeah. No, that's the last one. Let's go. Another one. Let's find this by black motion featuring miss P it's you,

Speaker 4: 42:05

When you,

Speaker 7: 42:28

When you wound, you say, when you are the little panic, it's you it's, you it's, you it's, you only, you can have

Speaker 4: 42:40

It it's you it's,

Speaker 7: 42:44

You it's, you it's

Speaker 4: 43:06

It's you

Speaker 7: 43:09

Have

Speaker 4: 43:09

My heart,

Speaker 7: 43:10

You eyes look into eyes, feel safe when it's you it's, you it's, you it's, you only

Speaker 4: 43:37

It's

Speaker 7: 43:38

It's it's it's

Speaker 4: 44:32

Understand and hope understand, and I hope understand andandand and I hope you understand, and I hope you understand, Jersey.

Speaker 3: 45:18

I love south African house, south African house music, Afro house music. It's just my thing. Um, I chose this song cuz it reminds me black motion are, uh, uh, south African house duo. Um, you've got one guy that does the drums. One guy that does the dejak. I love them. Um, but this reminds me of a particular festival that we go to me and my friends go to a lot in Croatia. Yeah. Um, called suns beats. Um, but it's run by the people that do Southport weekender. Yeah. And I love Southport weekender as well, but it just like, it reminds me of dancing on the beach, dancing on like boat parties. Yeah. Good times. And people that have, um, you know, I came to London and I didn't really know that many people and I've ended up with just such an incredible variety of friends and raving all over the world and just incredible people in my life. And it just that kind of dancing on the beach and we, as friends have met so many people through that. That's what this is kind of reminiscent of for me. And I love it. That it is such a south African, such a south African stand.

Speaker 1: 46:30

So labor, first of all, I didn't know you were such a RA. That's brilliant. Great, great to know. Um, but also for me what's emotional about south African house is, you know, after all that despair and, and, and hatred and, and butcher and brutality, this whole emergence of, of, of house and music and celebration. It's so beautiful to see for me, you know, the new generations dancing and smiling, it's just like, you know, who would've thought that, you know, and I saw a part-time and at east worst, but you know, when it's really an awful state and I've seen the generations of those kids now dancing and enjoying that.

Speaker 3: 47:02

Well, I think south Africans have always, like you said, there was the jazz. Yeah. I mean the best south African jazz. Um hum. Yeah. That kind of period that music was at the time you were having forced removals, people's like the most brutal ever part eight days mm-hmm<affirmative> and yet people still had their music and their, their, their joy. Well,

Speaker 1: 47:25

We didn't see that

Speaker 3: 47:26

Seeing well, yeah, true. I think the thing with, um, uh, what I love so much about South Africa well, is so beautiful for me. Yeah. Is to see, um, this movement of music. Yeah. Cause you have individual artists, like, you know hum Mira ever. Yeah. Being celebrated, but like the movement that, um, south. And I love the fact that even though, um, as I said, I've kind of gone into Yanos by force a bit because that is the current wave. But um, um, I also love the way that different, like Nigeria and south African artists are collaborating like the, the kind of cross pollination. I love that now, you know, I'm not really particularly into soca, but I love that. Now you listen to soca tracks and there's Afrobeat, soca. Yeah. You listen to some Nigerian tracks, they sound a bit SoFi. Yep. You listen, there's like this cross pollination of house. Yep. Um, the other, um, country that has a lot of house that I love, but I haven't fully explored is Angola really amazing. Um, but yeah, I just, um, I, I love that south African music and, and the movement of south African house music yeah. Is um, um, being celebrated so widely, it makes me smile so much when you cuz cuz ammo, piano is kind of, um, it builds on an older music called Cudo. Okay. So that's, that's kind of its roots, but it also mixes other music and they've slowed down a beat and um, the baseline is amazing, but it is beautiful. I don't know that Juito ever qto ever got the love that it deserved. It was not my music. Yeah. Particularly it wasn't like, it didn't particularly resonate with me, but it was big in South Africa and it was a movement. Yeah. And in the same way, as, I guess, jungle never got really the it's J outside of London or outside of the UK. I say, I think I didn't really get is due outside of South Africa. So it's beautiful that it's kind of had this remix and this kind of house remission. Yeah, yeah. House sation, and then to go to, or a here in London and that is all that is plated. Like I said to my uncle, um, I have been to places and that's all they play and he's like what? You know? Yeah.

Speaker 1: 49:44

But I think sometimes it's good for my opinion that for me to stay within it, subcultural genre to make pure and she enjoy that vibe. I'm not sure if jungle became too popular, whether it would become diluted and over rinsed, if you know what I mean.

Speaker 3: 49:58

Yeah. I don't know what it is. I don't know what it is that makes some musics cross musics. What makes some music crosspollinate and kind of become better. Yeah. And what makes, Do you know what I mean? I don't know enough. I, I'm not like a music industry person. Um, but I wonder whether it's the control that artists now have. Yeah. So actually it seems to me I'm not in the music industry. As I say, that artists are able to set the terms is no longer, um, record companies saying, oh yeah, that's a hot thing. Go and find me 20 different duplicates. Yeah. Yeah. And making a water down version of that. Cause it's the street that makes the sound and brings the flavor of of course, you know?

Speaker 1: 50:45

Yeah. No, well said, okay. Your final track. Now this one's called, um, it's alright by air force. So it sounds like a really inspirational track to, um, uh, to close on. So, uh, let's get into that and let's hear why

Speaker 4: 52:57

All hold,

Speaker 8: 54:20

You know, you special and diamond and gold, your life is your,

Speaker 1: 54:34

That's a lovely, inspirational tracks, you know, to inspire people, to let things are okay. Tell me why you, you chose this

Speaker 3: 54:41

Track. So again, I chose it because it's a south African, uh, artist, earful soul is a, um, south African artist. Okay. And I mean, this has been, we're just coming out of a really, really difficult two years. I think I've been blessed in that. I've had some amazing opportunities, but I, I think for everybody it's been really hard in, in different ways. And this was a song that I had on repeat, um, throughout the kind of last 18 months. Um, I keep talking about it's yeah, this is this, this wasn't my intention. This wasn't why I chose this song. Like I chose this song because I thought, oh, this is a song that's got me through some quite difficult times. Yeah. But I keep talking about like how important house music was for me. And you know, just particularly south African house and the song call that like for me, this is our thing. And he, um, passed away this week and this, like, he had, he, he was ill for like a really long, that was one of the things that for me was really, really hard. But um, I remember our last conversation, messaging him from the dance floor saying, Hey, I'm out and they're playing sun, south African house music, blah, blah, blah. And I was like, you wouldn't believe like how they love it here. And I said, when you get better, we are gonna RA together. Oh brilliant. Because, um, he was a younger uncle as well. Yeah. So, uh, the last born in my dad's family. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah. I just think this song is just, uh, I just, it, it, it, some really challenging things. The pandemic on all of us was just tedious, wasn't it? Yeah. But my mom told me during the pandemic, she said that she made a routine. She would get up every morning and she would dance in her house and then she would go on about the day. Brilliant. So that's lovely. That's why this was some, this was my song for that like every day for like the past 18 months or so. Oh,

Speaker 1: 56:42

That's lovely. So in closing, how would you, uh, what would you say to young people, you know, going through their struggles and trying to find their way in life, any anecdotes, anything you'll say to, to, to, you know, wish them the best for or any advice?

Speaker 3: 56:55

Oh, goodness. I, I don't<laugh> if I had the answers I would share yeah. Bottle it and sell it. Um, yeah. I mean, I think a few things to remember that, you know, success is not linear. You don't arrive. That's taken me a really long time to understand, um, that there is lots of time. I remember people telling me that that, that there is time and experience takes experience. Um, and I just thought you are old, so you don't understand. But I put a lot of pressure on myself to achieve things early and that just robbed me, just made me more anxious and stressed. Yeah. Um, things are not always a meritocracy. So, you know, like particularly in creative industries. Yeah. Um, so where you can, um, network and when, you know, if there's somebody who's work, you like who's in your field that you admire right. To them ask them for advice, everybody. Like, if you say, oh, I think you're amazing. I love your work. Would you give me some advice on my CV? Who's gonna say no to that, you know? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, but yeah, I, I don't have all the answers. I'm still figuring a lot of stuff out.

Speaker 1: 58:05

Brilliant. Listen, thank you for your time. Thank for your great stories. Thank you for coming to 45 40 fives,

Speaker 6: 58:17

5 45, 45, 45.

Speaker 1: 58:19

Before I go peeps, don't forget to check out the description of this podcast, where it has all the songs played in the show. More importantly, it's got a link to the BBC apprenticeship scheme. Should you know anybody who might benefit from it? Okay. Stay well, peace. I'm out. I'm.