Polokwane Observer Editor Yolande Nel recently launched her second photographic book, Red Hot Homebrew, during a gathering under a thousand stars on the water’s edge at Bolivia Lodge in Polokwane.
During the occasion she presented guests with a 250-page book containing close to as many photos taken on a continuous soul journey through the province Nel fondly calls home. The book, with a message by Premier Stan Mathabatha, was funded by Limpopo businessman, Kgosi Modise, who approached Nel towards the end of August last year with the challenge of producing another photographic title.
As a follow-up to her first book launched in mid-2010, Red Hot Limpopo, it marries contrast, culture, colour, setting, pattern, texture, fashion, endemic elements and the modern day in a fresh take on a place with a heartbeat unlike any other.
With the book Nel takes the reader on a journey of discovery of energetic street scenes, vibrant political interaction, exterior influences, soulful sounds, artistic impressions, defining aromas, glorious nature scenes and discoveries on a road trip particularly personifying her Africa.
Fourteen chapters centre around an indigenous homebrew of native elements, a personification of the continent, an addiction to the earth, story trees, visual encounters on the open road, preferences for worship, customary undertakings, politics and protests, a local display of a love for football, soul sounds, bold artistic impressions, culinary indulgence, images of laundry drying in the sun and big cats in their habitat.
Her affair with the camera started at a young age and decades later she still shoots from the heart. Having produced Red Hot Homebrew afforded her another opportunity to reflect on having archived Limpopo, its landscapes, natural resources and human capital the past almost 15 years, Nel says.
Story: BARRY VILJOEN
>>barryv.observer@gmail.com
Featured photo: Tanya Coetzer, left, proposed a toast to Yolande Nel and Kgosi Modise, funder of the book.
nyi, ANC Member of Parliament, looks on as Yolande Nel, author of Red Hot Homebrew autographs his copy.
