HemelBesem
(South Africa) os the stage name/nom de plume of rapper, writer, poet, actor and activist Simon Witbooi. He grew up impoverished in Capetown, where rap and hiphop became his outlet for the social inequality he saw all around. Although he began in English, Afrikaans quickly took over as his chosen langauge. HemelBesem (Heaven's Broom) calls himself an edutainer or educator because he wants to build bridges between communities and address African social issues. In his 2017 book God praat Afrikaans (God Speaks Afrikaans), he passionately defends the Afrikaans language. He is an ambassador for the Afrikaans Language and Culture Society (ATKV) and visits schools on a yearly basis in collaboration with the University of Stellenbosch for the Woorde Open Wêrelde (WOW) project. He is a descendant of Hendrik Witbooi, one of the greatest 19th-century resistance heroes during the genocide by the German colonizers in Southwestern Africa, now Namibia.
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Archive available for: HemelBesem
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VPRO O.V.T. Live
With: Abdelkader Benali, Asis Aynan, Conny Braam, David Van Reybrouck, Ellen de Bruin, HemelBesem, Jos Palm, Nelleke Noordervliet, Paul van der Gaag, Wim Berkelaar
THIS PROGRAMME WAS SOLD OUT - Every Sunday morning, the topicality of history is the focus of one of the most popular radio programs in the Netherlands. Sunday morning 20 January 2019 OVT was broadcast, as usual, live from Winternachten festival in Theater aan het Spui.
Guests included writers from the Winternachten Festival, such as Nelleke Noordervliet, the Flemish culture historian David Van Reybrouck, and writers Ellen de Bruin and Asis Aynan. Writer Abdelkader Benali read his column and Wim Berkelaar reviewed newly published history books. Conny Braam discussed the book she wrote on the 19th century Namibian freedom-fighter Hendrik Witbooi. A decendent of Hendrik is the African writer and spoken word artist HemelBesem, who performed in the programme as well. Hosts: Paul van der Gaag and Jos Palm. Program in Dutch.
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Rap & Spoken Word with HemelBesem, Raj Mohan and Djani
With: Cansu Eroğlu, Djani, HemelBesem, Raj Mohan
Telling their stories via spoken word, rap, beats and songs -- this is what HemelBesem, Raj Mohan and Djani do better than anyone. For young and old, Winternachten and the Schilderswijk Library staged an encounter between three very musical word artists. HemelBesem is from South Africa, a famous performer, artist and MC who has four self-produced hiphop albums to his name. He often performs with other artists, hosts a radio show, and stands up for the binding force of the Afrikaans language. Raj Mohan translates his own Surinamese-Hindustani music and sung poetry from the original. He has released five albums and two poetry collections. The young Hague rapper Djani founded the group FDG with two friends in 2015, for which he composes songs, beats and a portion of the texts. He also works solo. His favourite styles are trap, dancehall, afro and old-school hiphop.
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Words Become Meaning - Winternachten Edition
With: Aafke Romeijn, Akwasi, Elfie Tromp, Elzahra Elkawafi, HemelBesem, Jennifer Muntslag, Mr. Winter, Quin Kempees, Roos Dickmann, Roza Lozica
During this special Winternachten edition of Woorden Worden Zinnen at Paard we enjoyed performers, poetry, punchlines, music, exhibits, beer & bites in a feel-good setting. The lineup included storyteller and rapper Akwasi; writer and columnist Elfie Tromp; writer and singer-songwriter Aafke Romeijn; actress Roos Dickmann; rapper, radio host and writer HemelBesem from South Africa; and singer Roza Rozica. Plus: verses to take home by Quin Kempees, your favourite host JNM The Naked MC, and tasty tunes by DJ Winter.
Woorden Worden Zinnen is a low-threshold platform and stage night for word art in the broadest sense. It takes place on and at stages and festivals throughout the Randstad and was founded in 2010 by spoken word artist Elten Kiene and literary organizer Wesley Loos. -
Imagine Africa is the Future - International Storytelling Symposium
With: HemelBesem, Jan Pronk, Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi, Kees Biekart, Lamin Kuyateh, Otieno Ong'ayo
Africa is often in the news with regard to wars, drought, famine, poverty and migration to Europe, as we see in the images of boating tragedies in the Mediterranean. But even though many problems remain to be solved, Africa is going through a process of socio-economic transformation. 'Africa is the Future' is more than just a slogan on a T-shirt. During this storytelling symposium organized in collaboration with the International Institute of Social Studies, academics, writers, poets and politicians from Africa and Europe speak to and with the public. They shared their stories and ideas about the future from and about the African continent, interspersed by muscial performances by Lamin Kuyateh. English spoken.
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Book of My Life: HemelBesem
Writers told us about their favourite book: the book that inspires or touches them, that set their artistic, moral or intellectual compass. In short, the book they would recommend to everyone.
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Who Wants to Live Forever?
How did they express our (near) future in words or sound? In this literary and musical performance, seven festival authors each presented a new text or poem commissioned by Winternachten, with musical contributions by Syrian-born ud player Jaber Fayad. You saw and heard Ayelet Gundar-Goshen from Israel, HemelBesem from South Africa, Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi from Uganda, Arshia Sattar from India, Leni Zumas from the United States and, from The Netherlands, Auke Hulst and Aafke Romeijn. Their inspiration was the festival theme Who Wants to Live Forever? The authors performed in their mother tongue or writing language with simultaneous projection of the English and/or Dutch translations.
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Spot On Young Poets
The literary future performed for you! Francis Broekhuijsen presented the students of De Vrije School, ISW Hoogeland and Edith Stein College reciting their own poetry, the result of the Spot on Young Poets workshops given at the schools by members of the Hague Poets Guild. Appearing with them were poet Derek Otte, singer-songwriter Lounar, and rapper, spoken-word artist and writer HemelBesem from South Africa. Sumai Yahya, a participant from last year and winner of the 2018 Young Campert Prize, also performsed. DJ Socrates took care of the sounds and beats.
One or two finalists for the 2019 Young Campert Prize were selected during the Spot on Young Poets on Friday and Saturday. The finalists recited their poems once more on Sunday during the Writers Fest. One of them will be chosen by the public and will immediately afterwards received the award of being the best Hague student poet. -
Spot On Young Poets
The literary future performed for you! Francis Broekhuijsen presented the students of High-school students from Dalton Den Haag, Edith Stein College and Chr. College De Populier reciting their own poetry, the result of the Spot on Young Poets workshops and poetry lessons given at the schools by members of the Hague Poets Guild. Appearing with them were poet Radna Fabias, winner of the 2018 C. Buddingh Prize, and rapper, spoken-word artist and writer HemelBesem from South Africa. Sumai Yahya, a participant from last year and winner of the 2018 Young Campert Prize, also performed. DJ Socrates took care of the sounds and beats.
One or two finalists for the 2019 Young Campert Prize were chosen during the Spot on Young Poets programmes on Friday and Saturday. The finalists recited their poems once more on Sunday during the Schrijversfeest (Writers Fest). One of them was chosen by the public and receivde the award of being the best Hague student poet.
