Chantel Erfort is a writer, journalist, co-founder of community arts project the COLOUR: spirit of the Flats, and co-owner of community-based record label, Dala Flat Music. Born in Cape Town, and based in the Cape Flats, South Africa, she explains how her writing and creative activities are breaking down barriers.

October 2007

Chantel Erfort

You are currently assistant editor at Cape Community Newspapers in South Africa. What made you decide to become a journalist?

It must be said that most journalism students do not have a job in the community press at the top of their list of goals. Most want to be on TV or work at the mainstream press. I was the same, until I found myself desperate for work while working at an NGO that was a fast-sinking ship. In 2001 I accepted a job at one of the titles published by our company. It must have been my destiny, because, a month later, after a series of serendipitous events, I was permanently employed on the Athlone News. It was during my stint on this paper that my passion for the community press was ignited, but I was also brought down to earth with a great big bump. Having, up until that point, lived a sheltered middle class life, the poverty, hardship and socio-economic strife of the people of the Cape Flats was like a slap in the face. It was then that I dedicated my life to bringing about social change through whatever work I do, and whichever role I find myself in.

How important is it to be a woman of colour within the media industry in South Africa?  

Firstly, as a young democracy, South Africa is new to the idea of accepting and celebrating the voices of people of colour in the media. We have always been around, but those who came before me had their voices stifled by an oppressive regime. Secondly, the fact that the media industry – as well as most business establishments – are traditionally male-dominated and based on patriarchal value systems, means that women have to work twice as hard to get where their male counterparts may get to with a lot less effort. This is not unique to South Africa, but one can see how, having something of a ‘double disadvantage’, important it is for women of colour to take the South African media forward.

What is Dala Flat Music and why was it established?

Dala Flat Music is a black-owned independent record label [co-founded with André Manuel], which aims to preserve and promote the musical heritage of the Cape. Our goal is to keep alive the rich musical heritage of the Cape, but also take it into the future by making it more ‘acceptable’ to the mainstream market. All of the work we do centres on restoring and maintaining pride in our heritage and identity as black (including all shades thereof) artists. While South Africa may be theoretically free of Apartheid, the legacy of that system remains – both economically, and psychologically. Apartheid was successful largely because of its divide-and-rule approach – which has left us with a generation of non-white people who continue to fight each other rather than work together. Through Dala Flat Music we aim to create a movement that encourages black artists and supporters of the art to unite – because when one gets close enough to the arts, culture and music scene in Cape Town, it’s evident that the white practitioners are still controlling the industry.

Your work has been published in Women Flashing, a compilation of Flash Fiction by South African women writers (2005) and last year was featured as part of the Women For Children project of Art for Humanity. In what creative forms do you write?

I write in every form, but creatively my focus is on short stories and poetry. I think people are more receptive to learning through poetry and stories than they are to the preachings or teachings in the media. I’ve always enjoyed using words creatively, and my fiction and poetry gave me that kind of outlet, while my journalistic writing had to be more structured and simple. Through my writing I like to lull people into dream worlds. That’s why, I suppose, even when I’m writing about violence in the townships, or alcohol-affected families, there is an always an element of beauty, fantasy or otherworldliness. I like to expose the beauty in the ordinary.

What creative projects are you currently working on - both as an individual and through Dala Flat?

As Dala Flat Music, we are working on two very exciting projects – the albums of two artists who fall into the broader hip hop and R&B/Soul genres. We’re also working on a ‘Bigger than the Ball’ project, which questions how much the ordinary man on the street will really benefit from South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 Soccer World Cup. Individually, I’m working on an audiovisual collection of poetry with the theme of movement. The collection includes recorded poetry against the backdrop of video clips that were taken while driving through various parts of Cape Town and its surrounds. I’m also still working on my long-term project – my anthology of short stories and poetry entitled The Maths and Meditation of Leaving, which is semi-autobiographical, loosely based on my experience with my dad’s alcoholism and my battle through depression.

What is the experience of black artists/writers in South Africa?

Cape Town is still ruled by white money. As a result, black artists find it much harder to get noticed unless they fit into a certain mould. However, there are a number of black writers who are going the route of self-publishing or working on lower-budget productions, and still getting their messages out there, loud and clear.

What creative professionals in the UK and South Africa inspire you?

Locally I am inspired by musicians like Hilton Schilder, singer/songwriter Trudy Rushin, activist, poet and story-teller James Matthews, playwright Peter Snyders and my friends and poets Mark Espin, Khadija Heeger, Toni Stuart and Gabeeba Baderoen. Creative professionals from the UK who I hold in very high regard include DJ and broadcaster Gilles Peterson who I think epitomises what it means to be a true music enthusiast – constantly digging, and listening with his ears and heart and not simply following hype and industry trends. Then there’s UK electronic music producer Matthew Herbert who proves that anything can be an instrument – including the sound of people biting into apples, as featured on his album, Plat du Jour. I have to include musicians like U2 and Sinead O’Connor, particularly during their ‘protest eras’. I’m also a fan of the writings of William Blake, Shakespeare, Christopher Marlow and JM Barrie, Irvine Welsh, VS Naipaul and Douglas Adams.

Do you envisage coming to England in the near future to perform your poetry and promote Dala Flat?

I’d love to! But there are no plans as yet. As an independent label, funds are always limited so we tend to prioritise projects over travel.

What advice would you give to new and emerging writers about retaining their cultural identity?

Speak with your own tongue, and in your own tongue. Do not be afraid to share yourself. And don’t be afraid to be honest about yourself. Use your words not only to challenge injustice, but also to celebrate beauty and express love.

Visit: Dala Flat Music

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