Opportunity of a Lifetime for Young African Leaders

Opportunity of a Lifetime for Young African Leaders

U.S.A. President Barack Obama announced at a Town Hall Meeting in Soweto, South Africa Today details
of the Young African Leaders Initiative.

This is the opportunity of a lifetime for Young People from Sub-Saharan Africa.
Successful candidates will get to interact with President Obama.  They will have training
in leadership and mentoring.  They will also meet with US Government leaders.

You have to be between 25 - 35 years of age, speak and write english well and be from
Sub-Saharan Africa.

For all the details visit their website

http://youngafricanleaders.state.gov/washington-fellows/

(Source - US Embassy)


McDonald's Street Rhythm winners announced



DJ Jonathan B



Dance Crew Primitive

McDonald’s Street Rhythm Winners Crowned

Johannesburg, 28 June 2013: Zone 6 in Diepkloof, Soweto was pumping this evening when the winners of the McDonald’s Street Rhythm competition were announced.  DJ Jonathan B and Primitive dance crew both from Cape Town battled it out in an exciting finale against three other candidates in each genre to finally be crowned McDonald’s Street Rhythm champions on the night.

McDonald’s Street Rhythm has travelled the country over the past three months to seek out, discover and showcase local talent in the areas of music (DJ mixing) and dance.  After several grueling rounds, eight finalists (four DJ’s and four dance crews) were selected to compete at the finale.

According to the winners the McDonald’s  Street Rhythm competition has already opened up doors for them by offering them additional exposure and the opportunity to perform at more gigs.  They have also had the chance to meet and mingle with other DJ’s and artists, and spend time with their idols getting firsthand knowledge of what it really takes to succeed.

DJ Jonathan B - “People experience music in different ways I use DJ’ing to bring the finer details of the music to the people.”

Jonathan has been DJ’ing for six years, which offers him the opportunity to really enjoy his passion for music, allows him to showcase new songs and experiment with mixing. He aspires to names like Leo Large, Ryan the DJ and international talent such as Shift and is looking forward to getting more exposure and recognition so that he can take his love for music to an even wider audience.

To see why he made it to the finals - click on the attached link to see him in action http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SKFseLhu1c

Primitive (dance crew) - “Dancing provides us with a way to tell a story about our experiences and feelings so that other people can feel what we feel.The passion we have as a team is indescribable as we live to dance it also helps us to build confidence and face our fears”

Primitive consists of five female members who chose dancing as a means of expression as they feel there is a freedom in dancing; they aren't guided by rules but rather by the discipline of Hip-hop. Dance allows them to show others who they really are, as their individuality is shown in every piece. Going forward the crew would like to become more established and gain recognition across SA as a dance crew and build a bigger name for themselves via exposure to a wider market . They want to create and inspire by becoming ambassadors for the country, of the hip hop culture and the youth. They would also like to work towards giving back to the community by teaching workshops, especially in under privileged areas.

To see why they made it to the finals - click on the attached link to see them in action - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw4antqO5bg

McDonald’s Street Rhythm, a national competition that encourages individuals and groups to showcase their talent for DJ mixing or dance, is an evolution of the previous McDonald’s ‘Top Jock’ campaign and continues to recognize, build-on and harness South African's talent in the genre of music and dance.

The McDonald’s Street Rhythm concept was born out of the understanding that music and dance are the universal languages of South Africa’s youth as it gives them a voice and an opportunity for expression. Creatively expressing themselves allows the youth to move beyond limitations and dream big. It offers them the platform to make a difference in their lives and harnesses the power of a generation, encouraging a move for growth and change in their own lives and that of society.

The ‘Street Rhythm’ campaign brought together established, well known local DJ’s such as; Euphonik, DJ Shimza, Major League, DJ Sphectacula, DJ Naves, DJ Warras and DJ Franky.  McDonald’s partnered with these ambassadors, who had given of their own time to work with finalists, giving entrants an opportunity to showcase their talent with the help of high profile personalities.

Prizes for the winners, which will help them further their careers, included R50 000 (inclusive of DJ equipment and management contract or cash divided evenly between dance crew members), Shure SHR550DJ Headset valued at R2 000 (for DJ Jonathan B), professional portfolio photo shoot by Christiaan Hattingh, Butan Street Wear and Nike clothing hampers, Nokia Lumia valued at R8 500 and a exclusive full page interview with ISpeakHipHop Magazine.

The McDonald’s Street Rhythm 2014 competition will build on the success of the 2013 campaign and offer even more opportunities and entertainment. Until those details are revealed keep an eye on the current winners who are destined to make waves in the industry.

For more information visit http://www.streetrhythm.co.za or follow McDonald’s Street Rhythm on Facebook or Twitter.

#streetrhythm

(Source - McDonald's)