OPINION: Smooth or Curly Hair?

Who defines what a good hair day is and what is a bad one? What is the definition of good hair? Who has great hair and who doesn’t?

Everyday a lady will wake up and wonder how she will style her hair on that day. While she is styling her hair, she wonders whether or not this specific hairstyle will be judged by others. We as women wonder this because of how society and the media have constructed us to think about the way we look.

The texture, treatment and look of your hair is what matters in society. There is this perception that the straight and sleek look is the way to go when styling hair. Natural curly hair seems to be outdated and not accepted. When it comes to this, race becomes the big issue since the white race have as they say “more manageable hair” and then the black and coloured race have what they say “hair that needs more time to do”.

The white race may have manageable hair, but they too have curly hair that they now straighten to fit in the criteria of sleek and smooth. It may not take them much time to get this look but they still conform to the rules of society.

WIN 1 of 5 KODAK Printers daily!

Student Brands Magazine and UCT Radio are giving you the chance to win 1 of 5 Kodak Printers daily!

These awesome printers are wireless, have memory card readers and are advertised as having the “lowest average cost per page”.

If you’d like to be a lucky winner; just take a picture of yourself with the oldest piece of technology you own and post it to the UCT Radio Facebook  page or Tweet the picture and mention @UCTRadio.

Winners will be announced on this Friday.

Ts and Cs apply.

ARTIST FEATURE: Haezer

Creating a recent storm on the South African music scene is electro DJ Ebenhaezer Smal aka HAEZER.  Starting off in Cape Town in 2008 HAEZER has become one of SA’s most popular dj,s being voted 4^th on DJ MAG Best South African DJ awards. HAEZER has opened for international headliners such as Steve Aoki, Gtronic and Le Castle Vania as well as collaborated with internationals such as Cyberpunkers and Sain Pauli on his debut album ‘Who the Fuck is HAEZER’. Haezer has not only headlined at major South African festivals such as Rocking the Daisies, Oppikoppi, Earthdance, Synergy and RAMFEST but he has toured and performed in Portugal, Australia, Germany, Italy, Holland, Czech Republic, and Austria to name a few, giving him a vast array of international fans.

Much of HAEZER’s success can be attributed to the fact that he is signed to one of the biggest recording studios in the music world Dim Mak Records. Dim Makis is based in Los Angeles and owned by International Electro sensation Steve Aoki who sees excellent potential in our very own HAEZER. HAEZER’s popular catch line is “commercial music is dead” and at Dim Makis he is rubbing shoulders with the elite of the DJing world with DJs such as Angger Dimas, Datsik, and Bloc Party to name a few, who are slightly unconventional and distinctive much like HAEZER.

OPINION: Big Bands in SA – Should we be grateful?

Recently there has been an influx of international acts flocking to our country. Not just bands from the mainstream side of the industry, but bands considered as a part of the “underground” scene as well. There’s recognition, especially after 2010, that we have the capabilities and the support to host these artists. Well, at least that’s what it looks like on paper …

Yet why is it then that Metallica, one of the greatest bands in the history of music having sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, had to have their venue changed from Cape Town Stadium to the Bellville Velodrome? The Cape Town Stadium has hosted the likes of U2, Snow Patrol, Kings of Leon, Linkin Park and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, but Metallica come to town and they’re shuffled off to Bellville? Don’t get me wrong, I have no issues with the Bellville Velodrome itself. I saw Avril Lavinge there for my 14^th birthday, but that was 8 years ago. The Bellville Velodrome is like the Nokia 3310; it still functions and will probably never die, but is it really where we want a band like Metallica performing?

The unfortunate thing (well, ironic too) is that while South Africans are jumping for joy that all these great acts are swinging by to say hi, our wallets are feeling a lot less enthusiastic. For a while it was one, maybe two, big international acts planned for the year. Either that or you paid for one ticket to see a couple of international and local acts share a stage (anyone remember My Coke Fest?), but now there’s the #FirstWorldProblem that we’re spoilt for choice in both the number of festivals around and the number of big names coming to our shores, but many of us don’t have the funds to support our favourite bands.

OPINION: What’s a western without a little horse murder?

I hate Quentin.

I hate Quentin with an adult, preoccupied hatred. The kind of hatred reserved for paedophiles, telemarketers and Trevor Noah.

I hate that he tries to come across as a salt-of-the-earth, independent film maker when his films gross over 100 million dollars each, much like a Sundance douche with an oversized trust fund. I hate that he spends millions of dollars trying to give an effect of the production value of 18 cents. I hate the corn syrup and red dye. I hate the cartoonish sound effects and cinematography. I hate that overzealous grad students and respected critics alike call him the greatest director.But most of all, I hate his parents for naming their son “Quentin” and thinking that he wouldn’t grow up to be a closeted serial killer with a video camera. I would equate him to Shakespeare only as far as their common compulsion to kill as many characters as they can in the space of 3 hours, so much so that he would kill a character just to bring him back in the next scene (see Pulp Fiction). The difference being, Quentin would rather get all the murder out of the way in one glorious display of mass murder… followed by him climaxing in the editing suite… and yes, I do mean sexually.

I. Really. Hate. Quentin.

With Dawn EP Launch

Saturday, the 13^th of April heralded the arrival of the With Dawn EP, a much anticipated and much publicized collection of tracks from the band consisting of Kevin Rule, Alistair Dring and Josh Gready.  Very Ape and Ark Synesis were the supporting acts, each band offering up a different sound, creating a delightful variety across the board.I had the misfortune of only arriving at R.O.A.R. when the Ark Synesis set was in progress.  On Facebook, Ark Synesis simply typed, “No words.  Just sounds.”  Cryptic though this may sound, it’s as succinct a description as one could ask for.  All their tracks comprise instrumentals which showcase the wonderful talent of the progressive metal band.The short while I spent in the middle of the crowd was magical, though I did have to spend the last few minutes maneuvering out of the range of a particularly enthusiastic fan whose oh-so-whippable hair repeatedly lashed my face no matter where I stood.

Once Ark Synesis bid the crowd farewell, there was a lull during which I scanned the EP leaflet.  I got all warm and fuzzy inside upon seeing UCT Radio listed under the “Thank you’s”.  We do like feeling special.  Finally the set did get underway.  It began with Kevin’s deep roar, “With dawn came the gulls!” the first line of the track …Came the Gulls and also that of Watchmen, the graphic novel from which inspiration for the band’s name came.The audience got a couple of special treats in the form of Revealed, a song which the band almost never performs, and Driftwood, a song created early on in the band’s career, but never performed because it had not yet been perfected.When it came to giving away the always coveted Body Architects tattoo vouchers, audiences members were instructed to do justice to the most brutal song on their set-list, Breakdown.  Also included was a mash-up of songs, including the Big Bang Theory theme song, originally by the Barenaked Ladies,and Teardrop by Massive Attack.

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Banana Jam Cafe

Situated in Harfield Village, Kenilworth is the striking yellow presence of the vibrant Café, Banana Jam.

This Caribbean inspired café that has been around for almost 13 years, is small and cosy and provides a carefree and vibrant atmosphere for a large meal with your family or chilled cocktails on the weekends with friends.

It is because of the great food and friendly staff who at your service that make Banana Jam a café that is on my favourites here in Cape Town. The fact that it is situated only 7 kilometres away from UCT is convenient, and is reason enough to dedicate some of your free time to visiting it.

Banana Jam seats 150 people, and the outside deck with wooden tables contrasts with the warm and tranquil inside seating, which evidently make it suitable for any get together. The massive umbrella’s outside shade you from the sun during the day, while a blazing wood lit fire lights up the entire café at night.

Rainbow Salon – The first-hand experience

The female UCT Radio managers were recently treated to massages, hair treatments and pedicures by the lovely ladies of Rainbow Salon in Observatory.

The Setting:

Rainbow Salon has established itself in a quaint, early 1900′s house on Old Main Road. They have kept the facade of the home, but the interiors have been revamped with modern finishes and ample space. Fortunately, the old wooden floors and mantle pieces ensure that the original cosy atmosphere remains.

The Product:

An impressive range of hair treatments, massages, pedicures and manicures, skin treatments and waxes are offered at the salon. The UCT Radio team sampled the Swedish massages, the moisture and repair hair treatments and the pedicures, all of which were incredibly well received. The massages were said to be relaxing and professionally executed, with one of the girls falling asleep during one. The hair treatment took only 30 minutes, and made a lasting difference to the texture and shine. Only good things could be said for the pedicures; soothing, cleansing and rejuvenating.

UCT Radio Exclusive Interview with Varsity about Racial Attractiveness

Jonathan Duguid interviewed the Editor-in-Chief for Varsity Newspaper on UCT Radio 104.5fm regarding the controversial racial attractiveness article and chart.

The Perfect Circle Review

Scattered cushions, dimmed lights and candles. Not to be mistaken for another slumber party at your friend’s place. In fact it was our good ol’ Mercury transformed for 2013’s second edition of The Perfect Circle. Hosted by Siren Music & Productions and in colabaration with UCT Radio as the media sponsor, The Perfect Circle Volume 5 took place on Friday, 22 March.

Featuring South African musicians, the idea behind the event is to have once-off acoustic performances from artists and bands regarded as heavy rock/rock alternative. The latest edition saw performances from three great bands: Lucy Kruger, Saintfearless and Reburn.