My Sustainable Hemp House ... Tony Budden

Tony Budden is confident: "Now is the time to come together and move forward to a green future." This is a man who built a house out of weed (Yes, the cannabis plant). He is a tireless advocate of growing this amazing, renewable material and showing just how exceptional this plant really is. Overcoming various legal and practical obstacles, Tony worked to realize one of South Africa's most sustainable homes.

"I start2 believe in my own power to make a difference" 

- Tony Budden

The house sits comfortably upon the foot of the mountain range overlooking Noordhoek, Cape Town, with unobstructed views of the wetlands and the beautiful shore line.

www.hemporium.com/

The home is designed to showcase hemp's incredible potential as a building material and convince the government to remove obstacles for widespread commercial development of one of the most resilient, versatile, and fast-growing carbon sinks on earth.

We chat to Tony about the home he built and the incredible potential of Hemp as a building material. Because authorities do not distinguish between hemp and the euphoric THC-laden "dagga" plant, its benefits as a super-sustainable building material have largely gone untapped.

To listen to the show and Jack Johnson's rendition of Imagine, just click below:


Thought for the day:

Tune in at 17h30 to the iStart2 Show on Radio Today 1485 AM in Jozi, Nationally on DSTV Audio Channel 869 or worldwide on www.1485.org.za. Show hosted by Pierre du Toit and the beautiful Keitu Gwangwa. The show is broadcast every Monday at 17h30 and repeated on Thursdays at 17h30 (SA Time). 

Please Visit our website: www.istart2.com and join our movement.

Shower the people ... JB Arthur

SAMA and Emmy award-winning composer, musical arranger and producer, JB Arthur has made music his life.We chatted to JB about his accomplishments, his role in the soon-to-be-released iStart2 Anthem and some tips on the process of writing a song. He believes in "melody ...melody ... melody"

"iStart2 sing a song of joy" - JB Arthur

A man with heart ... a man with an incredible talent ... and an absolute honour to have JB composing and producing the iStart2 song with artists like Yvonne ChakaChaka, Pops Mohamed, Karin Hougaard, Zubz and other greats on the South African music scene.

Working across all disciplines, harnessing the beauty and power of every imaginable musical genre - rock, pop, African, world music, orchestral, big band, inspirational, jazz, and gospel - JB has added soul to countless films, documentaries, commercials, live concerts and television shows.
Most notable achievements include producing all the music for the 2010 FIFA World Cup final draw and co-producing the music, together with long-time friend and collaborator Victor Masondo for the World Cup closing ceremony watched by over 2.5 billion people worldwide. JB also composed and produced the score for the Emmy award-winning "Eye of the Leopard", a National Geographic documentary. and the soundtrack for the film "Story of an African Farm" for which he won a SAMA Award.

Aside from his involvement in features, JB has created and composed the music for many of the country's most beloved and iconic commercials as well as imaging themes for local television stations.

His involvement in television shows is also notable. JB has been the Music Director for five successful seasons of Strictly Come Dancing on SABC and numerous pageants including Miss South Africa and Miss World.

JB's well-known studio, Joe's Garage, has produced projects for some of South Africa's leading musical talents including Watershed, Ringo, Freshly Ground, PJ Powers and Tony Cox, to name a few.

" Providing a sustainable source of clean water is our biggest challenge" - JB Arthur .

To listen to the show - and JB's Favourite song "Shower the people", just click play:



Thought for the day:

Tune in at 17h30 to the iStart2 Show on Radio Today 1485 AM in Jozi, Nationally on DSTV Audio Channel 869 or worldwide on www.1485.org.za. Show hosted by Pierre du Toit and the beautiful Keitu Gwangwa. The show is broadcast every Monday at 17h30 and repeated on Thursdays at 17h30 (SA Time). 

Please Visit our website: www.istart2.com and join our movement.

Thonga Lam ... Saddi Khali

Have you ever thought of taking a photograph of yourself in the nude? World-renowned photo-therapist/poet/theatre practitioner/all-round artist extraordinaire Saddi Khali believes he can help you see what is already there. 

And if you have ever seen a Saddi Khali photograph you will believe him when he says: "Your belly, your stretch marks, your jiggle & your dimples, what happens to your bosoms over time, your surgery scars AND your side meat are all beautiful to me. Bring them to me & let me show you the art in them".

Saddi Khali starts2!

We chatted to this remarkable artist and world citizen on the iStart2 Show. He believes that most people who are controlled by something is miserable: 

"Happiness is out the box. You can't be chained and fly".

To check out his photos go to Saddi Khali or to listen to his wisdom just click play:



Thought for the day:

Tune in at 17h30 to the iStart2 Show on Radio Today 1485 AM in Jozi, Nationally on DSTV Audio Channel 869 or worldwide on www.1485.org.za. Show hosted by Pierre du Toit and the beautiful Keitu Gwangwa. The show is broadcast every Monday at 17h30 and repeated on Thursdays at 17h30 (SA Time). 

Please Visit our website: www.istart2.com and join our movement.

Funiculi Funicula ... Eric Stoch

Eric Stoch, or “Thabo”, as he is better known by his friends, is a man of as many skills and interests as the number of languages that he speaks. He fills director positions at a variety or companies, Trusts and organisations, such as the HIT Parade Foundation and the North West Province Umbrella Fire Protection Association, where he is the Chairman and also does strategic planning.

Pierre and Ndabankulu with Eric Stoch

He is involved as a volunteer working with stressed children (gangsters, alcohol & drug abuse, kids living with HIV and AIDS etc.) and is a member of a number of municipal and provincial disaster management fora. 

Eric specialises in Environmental, Strategic, Social and Management consulting. We chatted to him about his work with the Hit Parade foundation and their participation in the iStart2 Song that will be released later this year: "It is something we can really be part of", he says, " iStart2 sing. We are Africans, we sing. We sing when we are happy. We sing when we are unhappy. We sing when we rejoice."

Eric is a passionate person who loves what he does, does what he loves, and in the process transforms the world around him to one that is safer and better for humans and the environment. 

To listen to the show just click play:



Thought for the day:

         

Tune in at 17h30 to the iStart2 Show on Radio Today 1485 AM in Jozi, Nationally on DSTV Audio Channel 869 or worldwide on www.1485.org.za. Show hosted by Pierre du Toit and the beautiful Keitu Gwangwa. The show is broadcast every Monday at 17h30 and repeated on Thursdays at 17h30 (SA Time). 

Please Visit our website: www.istart2.com and join our movement.

  
    

M'Bifo ... Mbongeni Buthelezi

This man is unique: "I don't know of any artist in the world that does what I do. I wish I had four hands," he says.

Mbongeni Buthelezi Starts2

"The only thing I think of is plastic"

Mbongeni Buthelezi is an artist whose art is renowned for its distinctive, personal, and innovative style. For his artworks Buthelezi exclusively uses industrially produced plastic materials with various imprinting, making art from plastic rubbish. "I collect rubbish and create something beautiful from it. I collect something that has no value and give it new life. That's what we can do with ourselves and our lives". 

The use of such material shows Buthelezi's awareness of environmental problems. "I have to believe in climate change and what the experts are telling us." He is convinced that seeing his works and his history, people are able to realize that in South Africa there are many opportunities, too, and that it is possible to create a better live and a career out of nothing; making art would enable people to change their lives and to contribute something positive to the world.


Buthelezis works have been exhibited internationally, including the Museum of African Art in New York, the Goch Museum in Germany as well as the Prague Biennale

To listen to his journey, just click below:




Thought for the day:

Tune in at 17h30 to the iStart2 Show on Radio Today 1485 AM in Jozi, Nationally on DSTV Audio Channel 869 or worldwide on www.1485.org.za. Show hosted by Pierre du Toit and the beautiful Keitu Gwangwa. The show is broadcast every Monday at 17h30 and repeated on Thursdays at 17h30 (SA Time). 

Please Visit our website: www.istart2.com and join our movement.

Basimanyana ... Ntsako Mkhabela

Basimanyana ... the wisdom of forgiveness...

“Activism is dirty; it needs your hands whether it is a veggie garden, teaching kids how to paint or how to write, activism needs your hands more than your voice,” says Ntsako Mkhabela. "We need to get dirty man. We need to think deeply about realities... look outside the window."

Ntsako is a playwright, director of theatre and founder of the Spelling Bee in South Africa. She feels strongly about sustainability and believes it speaks to our own ability to survive on this earth. "It's not my business to mess with the earth."

We chatted to Ntsako on the iStart2 Show and listened to her favourite song by Vusi Mahlasela. To listen to the interview just click play:



Thought for the Day:

Tune in at 17h30 to the iStart2 Show on Radio Today 1485 AM in Jozi, Nationally on DSTV Audio Channel 869 or worldwide on www.1485.org.za. Show hosted by Pierre du Toit and the beautiful Keitu Gwangwa. The show is broadcast every Monday at 17h30 and repeated on Thursdays at 17h30 (SA Time). 

Please Visit our website: www.istart2.com and join our movement.

Time to heal ... Zubz

"How can anyone tell my story better than me?" says Zubz; this guy definitely does not conform to the stereotypical picture of a hip hop rapper! He not only impressed us with his professional approach and seriousness in shooting his video part of the iStart2 Anthem song (that will be out soon by the way), but also touched the iStart2 Team with his lyrics and commitment to creating a song that is going to take South Africans and the world by storm. 

iStart2! Ndabankulu, Keitu,Zubz & Pierre

A peek at his rap lyrics, emphasises his positive, but serious outlook on life:

I plant the thought right now,
A seed in your mind and your heart right now,
The future for all right now, 
Depends on what we start right now, 
The path that we walk right now
Leads to the light or the dark right now
  - Zubz (Listen to the interview to hear the full verse)

 Great fun during the iStart2 video shoot in Diepsloot 

Zubz understands his place in the big picture and he believes that every person needs to decide whether they are going to build or to destroy. He is a firm believer in the power of the human spirit and is committed to making a difference in creating a more sustainable world. We chatted to Zubz about his life, his contribution to the iStart2 Song and sustainability and he shares his advice with people interested in entering the iStart2 Challenge.

To listen to the wisdom and insights of this remarkable wordsmith and two of his songs "Only your love" (with Pops Mohamed & Ntsiki Mazwai) and "Time to Heal", just click play below.





Thought for the Day:

Tune in at 17h30 to the iStart2 Show on Radio Today 1485 AM in Jozi, Nationally on DSTV Audio Channel 869 or worldwide on www.1485.org.za. Show hosted by Pierre du Toit and the beautiful Keitu Gwangwa. The show is broadcast every Monday at 17h30 and repeated on Thursdays at 17h30 (SA Time). Please Visit our website: www.istart2.com and join our movement.