Kojo Baffoe

The I In Writing

Nov 6, 2017 | Commentary

As the cliche goes, I remember the night like it was yesterday. It was the mid-2000s. I was standing outside the Johannesburg City Hall smoking a cigarette with a friend, Zee. I don’t know if he remembers the night but I do, although I don’t quite remember why we were there on a nondescript Joburg night, other than that there was a gala event of sorts to celebrate South Africa’s literati. I also remember that Professor Kgositsile Keorapetse was being named South Africa’s poet laureate. There was a time when I dabbled in the poetry world?—?well, dabbled isn’t quite it but my efforts often...

Playing with the HiSense C30 Rock

Sep 22, 2017 | Technology & Innovation

Been meaning to post this for a minute. The smartphone market is a highly contested one, particularly within the Android segment, considering from a mobile OS perspective, the ecosystem is basically the same. We hear about the ones that make the most noise but that does not necessarily imply that they are the best ones because, let’s be honest, best is subjective. The campaigns and sponsorship are necessary to build awareness around products and brands, but when we are looking to buy a smartphone, the reality is that we look at features and functionality, we look at aesthetics and design,...

Reading To Write

Aug 25, 2017 | Commentary

Reading Zadie Smith’s essays on authors like Nabokov and Eliot and Kafka, I am plagued by a question that, as an aspiring writer, I am a bit embarrassed by. And yes, I do call myself an ‘aspiring writer’, not because I haven’t written or I have just started writing, but more because I haven’t written the things that I want to that would enable me, at least in my head, to consider myself an established writer. Like an actual book. Anyway, I distract easily. The question that that bothers me, when it makes its distant presence felt is: do I really want to read the books she references to get...

Zubz x Lavabeast = Birth of Wav_One

Aug 21, 2017 | Sound

It is always interesting when one is a fan of a friend’s work, particularly in the creative spheres. The basis of a friendship, for me, is about personal connection outside of work yet the work can create an element of discomfort, if it does not resonate. Fortunately, with Zubz, this is not the case, and with his new project, Wav_One, he continues to demonstrate why I enjoy his music. Wav_One is a collaborative project between South African hip-hop legend Zubz The Last Letta and acclaimed producer, musician Peach van Pletzen. Both artists have made their individual mark on the musical...

Playing with the Acer Spin 7

Jul 13, 2017 | Lifestyle, Technology & Innovation

I have been writing about technology for some years now – granted, not as much in the last couple – but one of the challenges I have always had is the jargon. My approach to most products, experiences, etc. is generally based on two things, namely functionality and aesthetic/design. The reality is that I do not consider myself an expert on anything so to write about anything as the ‘final authority’ feels uncomfortable. Plus, a lot of things are subjective, opinions formed on the basis of our own experience, understanding, interests, etc. For these reasons, and more, I have always tried to...

Eating Right With FitChef

Jun 4, 2017 | Lifestyle

Although a slight oversimplification, there is some truth to the adage, “a six-pack is made in the kitchen.” As well as the idea that “you are what you eat”, which came to us, as per www.phrases.org.uk “via quite a tortuous route.” They go on to describe how “Anthelme Brillat-Savarin wrote, in Physiologie du Gout, ou Meditations de Gastronomie Transcendante, 1826: Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es. [Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are].” “And, in an essay titled Concerning Spiritualism and Materialism, 1863/4, Ludwig Andreas Feuerbach wrote: Der...