TalkWard with Matthew van der Want

TalkWard with Matthew van der Want - episode 10. My talk with Rian Malan and Renée Montagne. Rian is a humble genius and Renée Montagne's reputation at NPR in the US speaks for itself. Renée and Rian shared a mic. Please direct mail to [email protected]

Matthew talks to musician and songwriter John Ellis about all sorts of things, including his new album "Native", and how 9/11 messed up his band Tree (63)'s shot at international stardom.

Gail Schimmel is the CEO of the Advertising Regulatory Board in South Africa and also a prolific author and respected colleague and friend. We had a very good talk, some weeks before the ARB's court victory in the Supreme Court of Appeal this past week. Her father, Fred Schimmel was a very talented artist. 

On this bumper end of year episode of TalkWard with Matthew van der Want, I talk to journalist, writer, screenwriter, author and media expert, Gus Silber. We discuss media, social media, the army, Kris Kristofferson, satire, his experiences with the law, and many other things. It was lovely to  meet and have a conversation with Gus, who is as friendly, sensible, intelligent, witty and wise as he appears to his enormous social media followers. The show contains excerpts of the track "Psychotropic" off my album "play my way" (2001) and my song "Comeback" off the Koppies ep (2021)

Back with a talk with an exceptional, civil, civil engineer. My talk with Stephanie Simpson. 

Back already with a new episode, featuring my conversation with personal trainer, hiking partner and friend, Asanda Buza, who grew up in Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape, moved to Jhb, waitered and waited around for a while, then pursued his goal of helping people to look and feel better, while practicing what he preaches. We discussed fitness, motivation, the law, boundaries (I learned that he trains a female Judge, but won’t say who). We discussed music too: Nas, Snoop Dog and Ye’s album “Donda”. Then we moved onto how it was to be a trainer during lockdown, zoom training and why “come to your home” trainers are not our type, unless you’re Asanda, in which case you will always be welcome.

Welcome back! Finally, some Finlay. In this episode, I catch up with my long-term friend, poet, academic, journalist and media analyst, Alan Finlay, who has recently released a new anthology of poetry. Respect!

In episode 3: I stop just short of begging you to subscribe (to what is now a defunct link) and not just listen via the website, I talk about being single for the first time in ages, and I give an update on Jackson the rescue dog who mostly seems to have forgotten his traumatic past and is becoming a gentle, lovely dog. With sleep apnoea. Then I talk to award winning comedian, actor and voice artist Martin Evans, who is currently taking a break from stand-up to work out how best to express himself and his quite serious thoughts about the delusional stupidity he encountered in his formative years in the documentary he is making. I was so glad to meet him at last after what has been a long and genuine (possibly one sided) social media bromance. We had a really enjoyable and entertaining talk, which I hope you enjoy.

In episode 2, Jackson the rescue dog takes out some of the frustrations of a miserable childhood on a packet of sanitary pads and a cell phone and I have an important parenting breakthrough. Then I have a conversation with Deep Fried Man (Daniel Friedman), who used to come and listen to me play my music when he was a schoolboy and who is now an established South African comedian,  satirist and TV star. Nice guy, fun talk.

In the first episode of Talkward, I say hello, tell you how I evaded a home inspection for my new  rescue dog, and avoid talking about why I am single again. Then I talk to Lloyd Ross, the South African music producer and filmmaker who co-founded Shifty Records and who was responsible for finding, recording, supporting and releasing the best South African songwriters, under almost impossible circumstances. Enjoy.