SA Rocks

There are many South Africans using Twitter at the moment and that number is growing, immensely.

I have been trying to find a way to make use of Twitter for SA Rocks. Initially I’ve been pushing SA Rocks content through the Twitter stream but I think that’s a bit spammy.

So today I launch something a bit different, something experimental and new.

I’m pleased to introduce you to @ifeelrocking.

I Feel Rocking is something I am starting to get people to start talking positive, letting other people know why they feel brilliant living in SA, why their day is going well, why they feel on top of the world and such things.

So to give you some examples, if you are on twitter simply send a reply to @ifeelrocking :

@ifeelrocking today because the sun is out and it’s Winter.

@ifeelrocking today because I just got a raise.

@ifeelrocking because I just had my second child.

And such things.

The trick here is that I will try my hardest to aggregate my favourite “I Feel Rocking” tweets, emails, comments in to a new blog post every day with links back to your twitter profiles.

So, get rocking, get happy and get positive.

Those of you who are following SA_Rocks on twitter right now, don’t freak out, you are automatically following ifeelrocking as I’ve simply adjusted the account.

If you are wondering what’s happening to SA Rocks on twitter, it’s gone. I don’t think posting updates consistently of new blog posts works. So let’s give this a go.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Disclaimer: This is going to be an exceptionally geek-orientated blog post but those of you who are interested in the new world happening right would be mad to not read on!

South Africa has been chosen as one of the nations taking part in a world wide fundraiser called a Twestival. The event is basically run from organisation orchestrated on Twitter, the micro-blogging platform.

Here is what the main Twestival website has to say:

Tweet. Meet. Give.

On 12 February 2009 175+ cities around the world will be hosting Twestivals which bring together Twitter communities for an evening of fun and to raise money and awareness for charity: water.

Johannesburg and Cape Town are the two local venues taking part in the global event. Other African destinations include Lagos and Lusaka.

The JHB event will be held at Cappello’s in Sandton on Feb 12th at 19:00. All other events around the world will also take place on Feb 12th.

The charity that we are trying to raise money for and assist in their quest is Charity: Water
From the website: “Most of us have never really been thirsty. We’ve never had to leave our houses and walk 5 miles to fetch water. We simply turn on the tap, and water comes out. Clean. Yet more than 1.1 billion people on the planet don’t have clean water.
It’s hard to imagine what a billion people looks like really, but one in six might be easier. One in six people in our world don’t have access to the most basic of human needs. Something we can’t imagine going 12 hours without.
Here, we’d like to introduce you to a few of those billion people. They are very real, and they need our help. They didn’t choose to be born into a village where the only source of water is a polluted swamp. And we didn’t choose to be born in a country where even the homeless have access to clean water and a toilet.”

I think that this is a very valuable charity to be supporting and even if you don’t, it might be nice for you to get out and meet some of the people who tweet non-stop and it might be nice for some tweeters to get out into the real world and meet some non-tweeters. (I can completely understand how absolutely crazy this entire blog post sounds to those who don’t make use of the word “Tweet” in everyday conversation.)

This is a worthy cause couple with a different sort of event that just might turn out to be fun and help others. So when tickets go on sale, get them!

Popularity: 6% [?]

Yesterday I actually used social media to discover a new South African band that is putting themselves out there and sticking with the changing times.

The Watermark High started following me on twitter yesterday.

Luckily I was intrigued by the name of the follower and didn’t disregard them as one of the many twammers out there.

Why I immediately became intrigued by the band is simple. It’s not often that a local band will simply create music and give it away. The industry here is too tough for that. It’s hard work here to make good money from music so many bands keep it close, don’t release their tracks for free download before they’ve made it big in some way.

After mentioning that I discovered the music online I was soon informed that via one degree of separation I actually knew the social media muso. What a pleasure.

So what’s the deal? Simple, The Watermark High is a band from Gauteng, South Africa. Post-Rock / Electronica / Indie / Ambient. It’s that easy. You can download the EP from their MySpace page or just click here. It is the solo release from Paul van der Walt.

I am really impressed that the music doesn’t fit in to one of the more popular genres of the moment in SA. Right now you have rock, hip hop, rnb and pop in SA. This is what sells.

The ambient approach that The Watermark High takes to their rock is refreshing and listenable and I am in awe. It’s great.

When you download the EP you are confronted with 4 tracks and a Word document to read. This is what they have to say:

Hi

Thanks for downloading The Watermark High’s new 4 song EP, “Disappear With Me”. If you like what you’ve heard then please help us out by telling all your friends about us. Either encourage them to download the EP as well (by going to www.thewatermarkhigh.co.za), or feel free to burn them a disc. It’s free, we just want to get the songs out there!

We’d really love to hear from you. Please join us on Facebook and Myspace and comment! Also keep checking those pages for the latest information on shows, news, videos etc.

The Watermark High on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Watermark-High/7554472468

The Watermark High on Myspace:

http://www.myspace.com/thewatermarkhigh

We look forward to hearing from you! See you around!

Paul
(The Watermark High)

E-mail: thewatermarkhigh@gmail.com
Official Site: www.thewatermarkhigh.co.za (redirects to Myspace)

CREDITS

All songs were entirely recorded, produced, mixed and mastered by Paul van der Walt, between January and April 2008, between his bedroom, garage and the band’s practice space.

Lyrics by Paul van der Walt.
Cover artwork by Zoology Design Studio (www.zoology.co.za)

The Watermark High Live: Paul van der Walt (guitar and vocals), Robin McDonald (drums and beats), Tjaardt Swanepoel (guitar) and Sandra Smit (bass).

Thank you for listening.

Reading that document I was sold. To quote: “Either encourage them to download the EP as well (by going to www.thewatermarkhigh.co.za), or feel free to burn them a disc. It’s free, we just want to get the songs out there!” That’s it, that’s the way music is going, going, gone. And they are right there with the movements of the industry. Lovely.

Just in case you aren’t convinced that the band gets it, here is where you can find them:

http://www.thewatermarkhigh.co.za
http://www.trig.com/thewatermarkhigh
http://www.purevolume.com/thewatermarkhi…
http://www.last.fm/music/The+Watermark+H…
http://www.sellaband.com/thewatermarkhig…
http://www.imeem.com/thewatermarkhigh
http://www.twitter.com/watermarkhigh

Popularity: 10% [?]

Twitter is a magical tool as I found out this weekend. I was talking about something or another and then another random point came up and then BAM! Marcel had created an SA Rocks Widget. It’s that easy.

He claims it only took him 5 minutes using a webtool called WidgetBox. I’m not so sure but either way it has been done.

You can now place an SA Rocks widget in your blog.

Simply visit the SA Rocks Widget link at WidgetBox, get the code, put it in your blog somewhere and help spread the good news.

The widget is also available for other services like Facebook, blogger, Typepad and MySpace so choose your preference and pop in the code.

Here’s what it looks like:

Marcel graciously offered to create the widget and is also in the process of working on a Facebook Application for SA Rocks. I am very grateful and once again astounded by the online community.

Thanks Marcel!

Popularity: 6% [?]

Yesterday I posted a question on Twitter: What does SA mean to you?

These are some of the responses that I received:

marcforrest: Sun, Sea, Fun

stii: South Africa: Beautiful, interesting, adventurous, dangerous, tough, awesome

JBagley: one word: Proud

rafiq: no place id rather be: free

Tertia: my past, my present and my future. my home.

the_one_nomad: the place I ws born,most likely will die, where I succeed and fail and where i fullfill
my purpose for existing

saulkza: Limitless potential once current socio-political issues are sorted out. We can only get somewhere through stronger leadership

Henre: Despite diversity, uncertainty, a country that posseses opportunity for those willing to search for it. A country that is inherent to my being.

All very suitable answers I think. What would your answer be? In under 140 characters, how would you define what SA means to you?

Mine? SA is everything that I am, was, will be and have become. It has defined me and will always define me. Always.

Popularity: 3% [?]