Counting Headz: South Afrika's Sistaz in Hip Hop
Encyclopedia
Counting Headz: South Afrika's Sistaz in Hip Hop is a 49 minute documentary film
that explores South Africa
n hip hop
culture
through the stories of women in hip hop. It was shot in 2006 and completed post-production in 2007. The film was directed and produced by South African filmmaker, Vusi Magubane, and Canadian
filmmaker, Erin Chen-ying Offer.
. This ground-breaking documentary reveals the position of South Africa's women today; their stories are mediated through the experiences of three major artists in South Africa's hip hop scene.
MC Chi introduces the alleged contradiction of values between African and hip hop cultures. Is it possible to reconcile the two? Is it worth it to reconcile the two? Her questions thread together the obstacles encountered by fellow sistaz.
DJ Sistamatic challenges a distorted portrayal of her image in the media. Candidly, she recounts her resistance to conform to female stereotypes as she continues to make a name for herself.
Family relationships are tested when daughters step outside traditional roles; Graffiti
artist Smirk works beyond her family's initial misgivings about her art and prepares to merge living hip hop and being a mother.
Alternately, they are supported and contradicted by an all-female community of hip hop artists and activists from the locally respected MC, Cuba, to the internationally acclaimed crew, Godessa.
Counting Headz is a collaboration, a labour of love, a celebration. But most importantly, it is a voice for these women's stories that are often left unheard.
, the cultural and commercial capital of South Africa
. The film would have been incomplete had the crew not also shot in Cape Town
: the birthplace of South African hip hop. One busy week was spent in Cape Town, in which the crew interviewed Cape Town based artists and significant contributors to South African hip hop such as Godessa, Endz, Kato, Smirk, and Faith47.
Much of the original performance footage was shot at weekend hip hop shows such as Black Sunday, Slaghuis, and Splashjam, which all take place at various locations in Soweto
.
Counting Headz features original performance footage from Chi, Tia Anam, Godessa, Endz the Otherness, Nthabi, Cuba, Sisanda, and Nicky.
The Counting Headz Sistaz: Chi, Smirk, Sistamatic, Lee Kasumba, Cuba, Godessa, Tia Anam, Endzi, D-Unik, Kato, Faith47, Nthabi, Sisanda, Supa, Nicky, Crystal Orderson
Produced and Directed by: Erin Offer & Vusi Magubane
Assistant Director: Thabiso Mohapeloa
Associate Producers: Jenny Hu & Matt Offer
Edited by: Thabiso Mohapeloa & Vusi Magubane (Chop Shop Multimedia)
Financial Advisor: Jenny Hu
Director of Photography: Vusi Magubane
Translation by: Lulama Masimini
Translation Edited by Taryn Mackay
Rhymes Written by: Nthabi
Rhymes Edited by: Erin Offer
First Camera: Vusi Magubane
Second Camera: Ignatius Mokone
Camera Operators: Thabiso Mohapeloa, Kurt Orderson, Alistair Andersen
Final Mix: Arno Keyser (Blind Productions)
Camera Supplied by: Alex Musoke
Photographs by: Lerato Maduna, Hugh Mdlalose, Nhlanhla Mngadi, Faith 47, Smirk, Godessa, Beef, Chigo Gondwe, Dominique Soma
Additional footage provided by: Chigo Gondwe, Godessa, Nhlanlha Hlongwane, Smirk, Clinton Cerf, Lee Kasumba
Music provided by: Hugh Mdlalose, Mangaliso Ngonyoza, Chigo Gondwe, Grenville Williams
Cape Town Unit
Key Production Assistant: Kato
Flights provided by: Sharmin Mackay
Accommodation: Zamo Mji & Sizwe Mji
Transport: Sharmin Mackay
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
that explores South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
culture
Culture of South Africa
South Africa is known for its ethnic and cultural diversity. Therefore, there is no single culture of South Africa.The South African black majority still has a substantial number of rural inhabitants who lead largely impoverished lives...
through the stories of women in hip hop. It was shot in 2006 and completed post-production in 2007. The film was directed and produced by South African filmmaker, Vusi Magubane, and Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
filmmaker, Erin Chen-ying Offer.
Synopsis
Counting Headz is a platform for stories that are often drowned out among the male voices in hip hopHip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
. This ground-breaking documentary reveals the position of South Africa's women today; their stories are mediated through the experiences of three major artists in South Africa's hip hop scene.
MC Chi introduces the alleged contradiction of values between African and hip hop cultures. Is it possible to reconcile the two? Is it worth it to reconcile the two? Her questions thread together the obstacles encountered by fellow sistaz.
DJ Sistamatic challenges a distorted portrayal of her image in the media. Candidly, she recounts her resistance to conform to female stereotypes as she continues to make a name for herself.
Family relationships are tested when daughters step outside traditional roles; Graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
artist Smirk works beyond her family's initial misgivings about her art and prepares to merge living hip hop and being a mother.
Alternately, they are supported and contradicted by an all-female community of hip hop artists and activists from the locally respected MC, Cuba, to the internationally acclaimed crew, Godessa.
Counting Headz is a collaboration, a labour of love, a celebration. But most importantly, it is a voice for these women's stories that are often left unheard.
Production Notes
Counting Headz was shot primarily in and around JohannesburgJohannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, the cultural and commercial capital of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. The film would have been incomplete had the crew not also shot in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
: the birthplace of South African hip hop. One busy week was spent in Cape Town, in which the crew interviewed Cape Town based artists and significant contributors to South African hip hop such as Godessa, Endz, Kato, Smirk, and Faith47.
Much of the original performance footage was shot at weekend hip hop shows such as Black Sunday, Slaghuis, and Splashjam, which all take place at various locations in Soweto
Soweto
Soweto is a lower-class-populated urban area of the city of Johannesburg in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for South Western Townships...
.
Featured Artists & Activists
The Counting Headz sistaz are:- Chi (mc)
- Sistamatic (dj)
- Smirk (graffiti artist)
- Cuba (mc)
- Lee Kasumba (radio dj, activist)
- D-Unik (dj)
- Tia Anam (mc)
- Kato (dj)
- Crystal Orderson (journalist, gender activist)
- Supa (mc) Supa's Myspace
- Godessa (mcs) Official Godessa website
- Endz The Otherness (mc) Endz' Myspace
- Nthabi (mc) Nthabi's Myspace
- Cuba (mc)
- Sisanda (mc)
- Nicky (beatboxer)
- Faith47 (graffiti artist) Official Faith47 website
Counting Headz features original performance footage from Chi, Tia Anam, Godessa, Endz the Otherness, Nthabi, Cuba, Sisanda, and Nicky.
Production Credits
Research Consultants: Bonolo Ratshidi, Zanele Guqaza, Zenaida Martin, Natalie van Rooy, Yoliswa Mogale, Tifen, Mbali VilakaziThe Counting Headz Sistaz: Chi, Smirk, Sistamatic, Lee Kasumba, Cuba, Godessa, Tia Anam, Endzi, D-Unik, Kato, Faith47, Nthabi, Sisanda, Supa, Nicky, Crystal Orderson
Produced and Directed by: Erin Offer & Vusi Magubane
Assistant Director: Thabiso Mohapeloa
Associate Producers: Jenny Hu & Matt Offer
Edited by: Thabiso Mohapeloa & Vusi Magubane (Chop Shop Multimedia)
Financial Advisor: Jenny Hu
Director of Photography: Vusi Magubane
Translation by: Lulama Masimini
Translation Edited by Taryn Mackay
Rhymes Written by: Nthabi
Rhymes Edited by: Erin Offer
First Camera: Vusi Magubane
Second Camera: Ignatius Mokone
Camera Operators: Thabiso Mohapeloa, Kurt Orderson, Alistair Andersen
Final Mix: Arno Keyser (Blind Productions)
Camera Supplied by: Alex Musoke
Photographs by: Lerato Maduna, Hugh Mdlalose, Nhlanhla Mngadi, Faith 47, Smirk, Godessa, Beef, Chigo Gondwe, Dominique Soma
Additional footage provided by: Chigo Gondwe, Godessa, Nhlanlha Hlongwane, Smirk, Clinton Cerf, Lee Kasumba
Music provided by: Hugh Mdlalose, Mangaliso Ngonyoza, Chigo Gondwe, Grenville Williams
Cape Town Unit
Key Production Assistant: Kato
Flights provided by: Sharmin Mackay
Accommodation: Zamo Mji & Sizwe Mji
Transport: Sharmin Mackay