New beginnings.

  

As time has gone by we've realised more about ourselves and more about fashion, style, photography and most importantly our culture. With that has come our need to focus more on what we love and want to do and some changes have been implemented so that we reach a wider audience and hopefully people can start being more proud of where they come from and who they are.

Izinto ezo ooBawo - Things of our forefathers.

We have worked around bringing our culture to the city for many months but nothing we did ever felt right and deserving enough to display because we wanted more out of  ourselves and more out of this experience. Starting to work as a brand and finding new sources of inspiration around us that contributed to the story has been the hardest challenge yet because we want to keep a lot of the culture intact while still trying to appeal to a wider audience. Which is why we worked hard around this concept of bringing "Amakrwala" to the city and making people realise that our cultures should still be preserved no matter where we go.

Kwezi nyanga zigqithileyo besisebenza nzima sizama iindlela esingazisa ngayo isiko lethu ezidolophini ukuze sibonise abantu ubuhle bemvelaphi yethu. Kuye kwanzima ukufezekisa lonqweno kuba yonke into ebesiyenza ibingabonisi kakuhle ubunzulu nobuhle bembali yesiko lethu lwesiXhosa. Eyona nto eyeyanzma kakhulu ibikuzama ukufumana iindlela esinga dibanisa ngayo izinto esizifunde edolophini nezinto zesiko lethu, ngaphezulu konke oko sifuna ukubonisa isiko lethu kubantu bangaphandle koba silitshintshe. Ukuze sifezekise iminqweno yethu sizimisele ukusebenza ngokuzinikela kwaye nanzima ukubonisa abantu ukuba isiko alilahlwa kwaye line ndima eliyidlalayo ezimpilweni zethu nokuba sibaphi, siyephi nha.

Photographer: Siphesihle Mmusane.

Mborweni

The Xhosa culture is a culture which is passed down from generation to generation through stories which make reference to very specific practices, eras and people. Which is why we are such a proud and misunderstood people because we have very little of our history in textbooks and on the internet; it really takes quite a while before you're able to read about the Xhosa people. That's why it's so important for us as Xhosa people to speak the history of our people and teach the masses in order for people to understand better what goes into many of our cultural values and practices.

This is our friend Lwanda Bixa, who recently returned from the mountains on the 3rd of January 2015 and we've had an amazing time sharing and documenting the culture with him; we hope he becomes  familiar face which you end up loving and relating to.

Isiko lakwa Xhosa, lisiko eligqithiswe kwizi zukulwana nezi zukulwana ngama bali anobhekiso kwi zithethe, amaxesha nabantu. Kungako ke singabantu abaziqhenyayo naba ngaqondwayo kuba sine mbali encinci kwiincwadi nakwi ntantethi, kuthatha ixesha phambi kokuba ukwazi ukufunda ngabantu bakwa Xhosa. Kungako ke  kubalulekile ukuba thina singabantu bakwa Xhosa sithetha nge mbali yabantu bakuthi sifundise uninzi ukuze abantu baqondisise ukuba zintoni ezingena kakhulu kua xabiso nezi thethe zosiko lwethu.

Lo ngumhlobo wethu uLwanda Bixa, osando kuphuma esuthwini ngomhla wesi thathu (3rd) ku  nyanga a January 2015 sibene xesha elikhwankqisayo xa sabelana sibonisa isiko lethu naye, siyathemba ukuba akazunqaba emehlweni enu nani nizakuqgibela nimthanda, nikwazi ukuzalanisa kuye.

A book - Ingcwadi.

About a year ago, we started planning the arrival of our first booklet which would highlight style within our culture and how we can use style to relay the stories of the past in the present and hopefully use those to combat misconceptions our culture in the future. The booklet was a 16 page booklet (starting at the front cover to the back cover) and there were only 10 copies made. Through this we learnt a lot about planning and conceptuality because we want people to feel as though they can relate to the certain hardships and to create an authentically South African brand that addresses not only how we're seen through how we dress but also how South Africa is seen through it's practises.

There is so much more we need to learn about Art, Fashion, Design and Photography but slowly we're moving in the right direction.

Kunyaka ogqithileyo siqale ukucwangcusa incwadana yethu yokuqala, ncwadana leyo ikhankanya indlela ekunxitywa ngayo kwi siko lethu nokuba ndlela leyo singayi sebenzisa njani ukuzalanisa izinto zamandulo nezangoku kuze sikwazi kwazi ke ukususa indida ye siko lethu kwi kamva. Le ncwadana ibi namaphepha alishumi elinesithandathu (ukuqala kwi cwecwe eli ngasemva) kwakukho nje incwadana ezi lishumi ezenziwayo ezifana nale. Ngo ku safunda lukhulu ngoku ncwangisa nokuxela kuba sifuna abantu bazive bekwazi ukuzalana nama xesha anzima athile bakwaz ukusungula into yoMzantsi Afrika ubonwa njani xa kufika kwizithethe zawo.

Kusafuneka sifunde lukhulu ngeZobugcisa, limpahla, ukudweba nokuthwebula imfanelekiso kodwa ke kancinci siza sizakufikelela apho.

Abombhi - Miners.

The question about where suits in our culture come from has been a question asked many times. The reality is that it's still a fairly new concept because when our first kings became men, there weren't suits to display that they were but their acts and works within their communities were enough. Our forefathers used to leave home in search of work in mining areas such as Carltonville and would return wearing suits that represented being able to stand on their on feet and provide for their families.

Umbuzo wokuba umgaxelo usukaphi kwi siko lethu, ngu mbuzo ebekudala ubuzwa. Yinto entsha le kuba oobawo be bengena zinto ezithile ukubonisa isidima sokuba bangamadoda, kodwa ngezinto zabo ezilallini umntu ebekwazi ukungqina ubudoda bakhe. oobawo bebesuka ekhayeni bekhangela umsebenzi kwii ndawo zokombha ezifana nase Carltonville, babuye begaxele. Lonto ibibonisa ukwazi ukuzimela noku nakakela usapho lwakho. 

Photographer: Siphesihle Mmusane.

Kwa Xhosa.

In the Transkei, this is possibly the most important uniform that you can wear and show off with because it represents the willingness to work, not only for yourself and your family but other families in the village and that being a man of work is the most important element you can possess.

eTranskei ezimphahla zibalulekile ngaphezu kwazo zonke ezinye imphahla ongazi nxiba kuba ibonisa ukuvuyela umsebenzi, hai nje kwi siqu sakho naku sapho lwakho kodwa na kwa bantu be lalli yakho kuba ukuba yi Ndoda ngezenze yinto onga zingca ngayo ngaphezulu nokuba yi Ndoda yase hlathini.

DiBlaas - New Men.

People come up to us an ask us what certain things mean and why we've chosen to do what we do and it's sometimes hard to respond without putting the ancient secrets of our culture at risk. The truth of the matter is that as we've embarked on this journey, we're learning a lot about ourselves, our culture and art which was essentially the what we wanted but the overwhelming support from Xhosa people around the country has been amazing. We hope that as you view our page that you too, no matter what culture, religion or race, will be inspired to tell the story of your people in a way that you know best.

Abantu abaninzi bayasi buza ukuba siyenzela ntoni lento kwaye kutheni sikhethe ukubonisa usiko lethu nga le ndlela. Kunzima ukuphendula ngamanye amaxesha kuba asifuni ukufaka izifombo zesiko engcuphekweni. Inyaniso ithi njekuba sihamba kule dlela, sifunda nzulu ngathi singabantu, isiko lethu ne zinto ezinhle ngathi sonke; kwaye ibi yilonto ebesiyifuna ekuqaleni kodwa ukuxhasa kwenu kuyimangaliso enkulu. Siyathemba njengokuba ujonge lento siyenzayo, nawe uyavakalelwa kwaye uyazingca ukuze nawe ukwazi ukqgithisela amava ngesiko lakho.

Amakrwala - New men.

Photography: Heritage of Artistry.

Ndingum' Xhosa - I am Xhosa.

Indoda ngu mafung' akajiki, kodwa lonto ayithethi ubu zesi libale ukuba singo bani.

A man never looks back but that doesn't mean that he must forget.

A week - iVeki.

A few weeks ago it was FNB Art Fair from the 19th to the 24th of August 2014, we had no clue what to do but we definitely want to contribute to the art fair/week in any way we could. After some thought we realised that there's nothing we know better than our culture of the fact that we want to teach people more about because the difference between knowledge and ignorance is the willingness to learn.

Iveki ezim' balwa ezidlulileyo bekukho iFNB Art Fair  nge 19th kude kube yi 24th ka August 2014, besingayazi ukuba sifun' ukwenza ntoni kodwa besifuna ukuba nayo isandla kwi nqubo yalo veki. Ekupheleni kwe xesha siye saqonda ukubai ayikho into esiyaz' ngaphezu' kwe siko kwaye sifuna ukufundisa abantu kuze bazo kwazi nzulu ngesi Xhosa, ngoba umahluko ngokwazi noku ngaz'into kuk'funa ik'funda okanye hayi.

Photographer: Blair Macdonald. (http://novembafilms.com/)

Emakhaya - At home pt. 2

Ukugoduka kuza nezinto ezinintsi ngamanye amaxesha, izinti ezintle kakhulu kwaye nethuba loku cola cola amava nentsikelelo zo-makhulu, o-mkhuluwa, nobawo. Ngenene siyazingca ngobu Xhosa bethu.

To go home brings a lot of things at times, things that are really good and a chance to pick up teackings and blessings of grandmothers, older members of the family and ancestors. Really, we are proud of being Xhosa.

Emakhaya - At home pt. 1

Ukugoduka kuza nezinto ezinintsi ngamanye amaxesha, izinti ezintle kakhulu kwaye nethuba loku cola cola amava nentsikelelo zo-makhulu, o-mkhuluwa, nobawo. Ngenene siyazingca ngobu Xhosa bethu.

To go home brings a lot of things at times, things that are really good and a chance to pick up teackings and blessings of grandmothers, older members of the family and ancestors. Really, we are proud of being Xhosa.

Amakrwala - New men.

Photographer: Carol Chitima.

Inkumbuzo - Remembrance.

Ekuhambeni kwexesha sinokuzi khumbuza ngentonga esazifumana endleleni yobudoda. Siralela ukufundisa abantu ngabantu bethu, maXhosa, kuze sonke sikwazi ukudibana nje ngabantu basem' zantsi Africa. Enkos' ku bhut' Trevor Stuurman ngothatha esimfanekiso.

In time we usually remind ourselves about the lessons learnt on the road to manhood. We wish to teach people certain elements of the Xhosa culture so that we can all live together in harmony as South Africans. Thank you to brother Trevor Stuurman for taking this picture.

Photographer: Trevor Stuurman (http://stuurmanstylediary.tumblr.com/)

Indlela - The Road.

Abantu abaninzi bacinga ukuba indlela yobudoda iphela xa ubuya esutwini, kodwa indlela isandu qala.

A lot of people think that the road to manhood ends when you come back from initiation school, but it's only beginning.

Photographer: Patrick Matloga.

Sidibene - Together.

Ekuhambeni kwexesha sifunda ngesiko nangathi singabantu. Kuhle ukwazi abantu bayafuna ukufunda ngesiko lethu.

As time goes by we learn more about our culture and ourselves. It's beautiful to know that people actually want to learn about our culture.

Photographer: Natalia Ndlovu.

Ekuqaleni - In the beginning.

Sasihleli siz'buza ukuba abantu bazoyeka nini ukuthiya into bengayazi. Saqond' ukuba kungcono ukuzama ukufundisa abantu ngathi nangama siko akwa Xhosa.

We always wondered why people always labeled and judged things. So we decided to rather teach people about ourselves and the Xhosa culture.

Photographer: Unam Ntantala.