I Did It Myself (Video)

I guess I've been a D.I.Y artists for a long time. Instead of looking at it as a bad thing, I decided to just run with it. You saw the 'trailer' that I put up, now here's the music video.

I shot it on a Saturday afternoon a few months ago. There was drama (boo hoo). Now here it is. I really do like what Das Kapital did with this remix. And I'm proud of Ms Marcee for shooting this on a BlackaBerry (9900). Sometimes when you don't have a million Rand you have to improvise.



Enjoy!

D.I.Y Porcelain

Music video tings 2

 Last weekend we shot the second and last part of the music video by the eager students :)

We shot it at the African Music Store on Long Street and it was all fun and games. I don't mind getting dressed up and pretending for a day. There is so much amazing music available at that store. It is a pity that the store was closed, so I couldn't buy anything. But I'm definitely going back to pick up a few Stimela albums and definitely some Femi as well.

I will post the music video as soon as the young minds are done with it... Which should be pretty soon. Yay!!

Running Stuff

I may have never mentioned this before, but I have always been useless at 'physical' stuff. At school the teachers didn't even bother to try and get me involved because I was a 'creative' kid. So I'm sure you can imagine my surprise when I discovered that I can run. Not only that... But I also enjoy running.

Marcee was the one who used to drag me to the promenade and ask me to just try. Recently she decided to run a race with @alambchop & @bohoparadox. A few days before the race she was starting to get nervous, so I offered to run the race with her. We both entered the 5km race, with no real training and finished in under 40 mins. Not bad at all :)

It was apparently so good that we may very well start training and do the Gun Run (10km). Eeeeekk!

The beautiful and inspirational Marcee

Running makes me pull weird faces

That's what I did this weekend :)

I already LOVE Dark Shadows

You dont EVER have to twist my arm to watch a Tim Burton movie and well you know how I feel about Johnny *wink*. He is my husband (in my head).

I scare myself

Its been a while since I posted on The Journey. My apologies, family stuff got in the way and being part of a 2 woman label means work is definitely affected. I'm back and ready to share.

Last year I decided that it was important to do something that scares me everyday. I lived a life ruled by fear and that seemed like the only way to learn to live with fear. I don't think fear ever goes away, you just need to learn to not let it run your life.So everyday I do at least one scary thing. I found that I'm actually getting tougher by scaring myself everyday ha ha ha.

Anyway... I am working on something big-ish for the album and it needs to be completed in 16 days. By now you know that I am very ambitious and that I like to traumatise myself with big scary tasks. This is one of them. I can't say now what it is, because there are other people involved and I don't wanna take way the 'SURPRISE' moment.

So I may be quiet-ER than usual for the next 16 days. 2 woman label work has just gotten EXTRA intense. I need to get this done and then I can announce my other BEEG surprise. So many exciting things coming up, Yaaaaayyy!!

Wearing my Today is the Day shirt and look extra excited for my next 2 releases for the album

Later Days. Porcelain. Out.

Coming Soon

First TV performance

Yesterday I was on Expresso, this was my first TV interview and performance. I couldn't sleep properly the night before (nerves). We had to wake up super early because the show starts at 05:30. Call time was actually at 04:45... WHAT?! Yes.

I performed Butterflies and Today Is The Day. Below is me performing Butterflies.

Today Is The Day video

Here it is folks:

Woza Album

For the past 2 weeks we have been sending out promo packs. Because I am releasing this album in the year of my 29th birthday I decided that 29 is the magic number. This album and turning 29 are both quite a big deal (for me). So we sent out 29 promo packs and have received such lovely feedback.

Some of the ladies who received the packages took pics and said how much they loved them. Ladies shirt is white and the guys shirt is charcoal. I will get a nice shot of me wearing the guys shirt. WOZA ALBUM!

Quick One

Back in Cape Town and I have just seen, the ungraded version of, the music video for 'Today is the day'. I am both excited and nervous. I am excited because it has taken us so long to get to this point. I have wanted to shoot this music video FOREVER and now it's (kinda) done. I am also nervous because up until now I have been able to 'hide' behind the music. Very people know what I 'look' like, when I am 'performing', so this is something new. I guess you could say that I am shy in my own weird way.

Gonna leave you with the song, while I wait for the video to be graded. It is available on iTunes and Rhythm Music Store.

Today is the day by BlackPorcelain

She is BAAAAAAAAACK

After taking a break from blogging (not by choice, but because of her work load), my dearest Marcee is back!

Check her out HERE

Video Day

On Friday we shot the music video for Today is the day. It was my first music video and I was so bloody nervous. You would think I would have been excited because I have wanted this music video for so long. I was so worried about how my performance would translate 'on screen' and whether I could pull it off.

When we arrived, I was certain that I had made a mistake and wanted to run back home. What I found what I got there was a lovely crew who made me feel so at ease.

We arrived and the crew was setting up. At this point I was nauseous from nerves.

Being 'walked through' what I was supposed to do. Eeeek.

Charmaine doing my make up. Charmaine is just so lovely. LOVED working with her

Nervous smile

Setting 'the scene'

Padraic and I trying to figure out why that damn bow tie wouldn't let me be great!

Shooting. AAAAAAAHHHHH!!

Men at work?!

Charmaine :)

Once we were done, I was ECSTATIC and wanted to shoot another music video (typical). I will put it up once the director (the super cool Padraic O'Meara) is happy with the final product. Yay video!!

Today is the day by BlackPorcelain

 I'm also on Twitter and Facebook *wink wink*

My little stars

For the past 2 years I have been a volunteer for The Shine Centre. I found out about The Shine Centre while I worked in radio. I had interviewed one of the founders and she invited me to one of the schools they work in. It just so happened that one of their schools was right behind the building where I lived.

Anybody who knows me, knows that I love kids and I am very passionate about educating them. I thought I knew how poorly some kids were being educated, but I really didn't. Meeting these bright little stars and finding out that some children in Grd 3 were barely literate broke my heart. I decided on the spot that I was going to volunteer. My dad often quotes Gandhi 'be the change you want to see in the world'.

Seeing these kids every morning is honestly the highlight of my day. Now that I have 'down graded' my day job I am able to volunteer Mon - Friday. Last week was our final week with the kids and we made cards for each other. Best cards ever!

If you are in a position where you can spare an hour out of your day, please think about volunteering. I know not everyone can do it, but we always need more volunteers. And if literacy and kids is not your thing, think about volunteering elsewhere. It WILL change you and your world. I stopped believing that the government, most governments, can make a difference. I only believe in people. I've seen how people can make a difference by caring and getting involved.

Courage

"The fact that you can feel the fear means you also have the courage to get beyond it. Otherwise, the fear would serve no useful purpose."

- Ralph Marston

"The beginning of courage feels like fear."

-Ralph Marston

It's a celebration (bleep)

Just in case you don't why there is a bleep in the title: The title is from a Kanye West song and I didn't feel like putting up a 'PG' title. Git it? Good :)

Yesterday Marcee and I had a very NB meeting. We were both very scared about the outcome, as it would affect how well we do this 'tiny label' thing of ours. The outcome was even better than we imagined. She was working at a place called Table Thirteen in Green Point, so we had a mini celebration.

I had wine (obviously)

And the Lemon Polenta. I wanna learn how to make this.

All smiles

THIS is why she was smiling. THE BEST baked cheesecake ever!!

Marcee had the chicken mayo sandwich. The food at Table Thirteen is amazing

Marcee had tea. I have proof that she is becoming an old lady.

Hoping November will bring me more good news.

I play on Twitter and Facebook too.

Porcelain. Out!

Making progress folks

Look at me blogging like a machine... Hey I posted something last week and here I be again ;)

This is an album update:
I've released the first single 'Today is the day'. It is already playlisted in The Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Croatia, Malaysia and a couple of other lovely countries.

Have a listen:
Today is the day by BlackPorcelain

Shout out to RMMU in Malaysia and Blazin 100 in The Philippines for the love they have shown the single.

We're about to shoot a music video and I am sooo nervous. I have never been good at the whole 'film me' thing. I will try and sneak in a camera and show some 'behind the scenes foolery'. You know, all the 'additional' crap that they include on DVDs that nobody actually watches. Yes! I will be bringing you some of that goodness.

Oh.. I almost forgot to mention that Today is the day is NOW AVAILABLE on itunes. You know what to do *wink*. You do right?

If I'm not posting on this blog you can find me on Twitter ---> @BlackPorcelain or on Facebook

More Butterflies

Oh gosh, here we go again. I'm not even going to try and justify my lack of posts. I will move on, as though my previous post was a week ago.

So a while ago I released my second EP 'TheInBetween' which was recorded at the Redbull Studios (here in Cape Town). Well The Manager (Marcee) and I decided to get a remix done of one of the songs. Eventually we decided on one of my favourite DJs. DJ Zinhle: the hottest DJ on and off the turntables. Yessir!!

Butterflies (DJ Zinhle Remix) by BlackPorcelain

So the original song (produced by Oltak) was already playlisted in 8 countries and we were ecstatic. All we were hoping for was for the remix to match what the original did. We sent it out to dance radio stations around the world. OMG!! The song is now playlisted in TWENTY COUNTRIES!! I am such a proud mommy. Our baby is a little champion. Butterflies (DJ Zinhle remix) is partly why I have not been updating the blog.

I am part of a 2 woman label, so things that major labels can do in a week takes us a while. Its frustrating, but it is so rewarding.

We are working on releasing the next single. Stay tuned :)

Cover Girl Duties

Last year I was featured in a German/English magazine called Golden Arrow. Somehow through the magazine I managed to meet a lovely lady by the name of Christiane Stark. Within 2 months of knowing Christiane she asked me to be on the cover of her new magazine Feel SA.

Of course I agreed and then the process of actually doing it started. Feel SA is a German/English magazine distributed both here in South Africa AND in Germany... Which means... I am on the cover of an international magazine. Yessir!! My mom should be so proud of having a daughter like me. Wink wink nudge nudge.

Last night was the Cape Town launch of the magazine and I was the MC. I was supposed to perform as well, but my throat is not playing nice at all :(

Look MOM, I'm on a magazine cover!





The gorgeous Marcee at home



I was holding Marcee's glass while she took the photo



My fav pic of the night. The flash on Marcee's phone was SO bright, I closed my eyes

This pic proves that Marcee is an angel, made of pure light lol



I love shoe shots, no matter how bad




My face on the table. It was such a trip!




Ines and Christiane the publishers of the magazine



This person had waaay too much wine... Clearly ;)

I took a bunch of magazines to post to my mom & the rest of family. NO LIES!

A good time was had. Indeed!