A master of the Sax and a fine gentleman.. the `exspensive` Olufemi, a Nigerian born, South African based artist who took care of the brass duties on the first of several of our Magic Thumb album track recordings..thanks for your patience and time Femi.. please check Femis link to his official home page below right…Aunty Aura also guests with her distinct vocals.. coming to you all very soon!! (check out Finney)

Whilst staying in the vibey Yeoville, Joburg we had the fortune of staying right in the heart of the action at Thavens house. A melting pot of activity streamed through those doors and one character in particular caught our attention, the graceful Aunty Aura! A folk, reggae artist who has a very interesting history and the abundant energy to drive her new project forward into our conciousness – Afrikan Child, her 3rd album to date is a proud South African collection of songs which cover Auras experiences over the years! We love it. Independently produced, this album is a heart felt and feel good collection of well crafted compositions. Please check out Aunty Auras website through our links section..There is also a very interesting short feature on Rocky St, Yeoville posted below which M`Aura presents (please follow other parts on youtube ).

As the Final of Finals loomed the Thumb did all it could to try and get tickets, we settled for a fanpark in the CBD of jburg…we perished in the cold along with thousands of fans, this did nothing to deter what was an excellent carnival atmosphere. Spain were obviously triumphant  worthy winners as is South Africa for hosting one of the most memorable of World Cups…a truly magnificent effort that myself and the rest of the worlds football fans who made the journey revelled in… South Africa is a truly stunning country, i advise all to come and have a gander at its splendor.

     Now the Thumbs journey certainly does’nt end here…we ve been busy little bees getting up to a whole host of shenanigans.
We have been kindly put up by the gracious Thaven who is a resident of the vibrant Yeoville …

(Chilling at Thavens place!)

We have been collaberating with some of jburgs finest musicians  all great stuff for the soundtrack to the film.Theres lots to tell, the Thumb has carved itself an excelent passage home…so stay tuned, i will have a a more detailed account of our last week comin up in the next couple of days…

Della: Cameroons finest singer song writer!

Thaven. The Don of Yeoville, JoBurg!

Whilst in Pretoria musing on the Thumbs next plan of action, i totally forgot about a good old friend of mine from the homelands of South Shields whose been living in these parts for the last 6 years…the Finnmeister, fiinney…one of the mad surfers who used to brave the baltic conditions of the north sea back in the halcien days of youth in the North East. Twas a pleasure to meet his wife Danie and the 2 new editions to the family…Jack and Heidi, as Finney and i caught up on each others exploits….the Finnmeisters done very well for himself , on the cusp of opening up a fine family ran establishment in Sandton (a plush suburb of jburg)…a gorgeous tasteful hotel which will undoubtedly be successful due to the love and preperation which has gone into every aspect of the project….
So with one of the semi finals kicking off in 2 days we managed with considerable ease to convince Dani to let us hijack her husband to escort us on a mini jaunt back down south to Durban…

(Durbans best sand castle craftsmen!)

……where the Moses Mabhida Stadium was playing home to the droves of Germans and Spanish fans willing there prospective teams on to the Final. Finney had some contacts in Durban, so after a night drive of 800km we found ourselves occupying a plush palatial apartment right on the beach, with dolphins and whales splashing around right on our doorstep for eye candy. Its winter down here in South Africa yet thankfully Durban dishes out weather the same as our UK summer…which was stark contrast to the freezing evenings one was having to endure around the rest of the country.
Given Durban is home to a huge Indian contingent in SA, seemed only right that we devoured a curry before making our way to the fanpark on the beach, a stones throw away from the magnificent Moses Mabhida Stadium..amidst the thousands of fans we witnessed the Spanish pick away at the Germans and walk away with their slot in the Final.
The drive back from Durban was stunning…such diverse landscape on a very dramatic scale, around every bend it seemed there was a veretable feast for the eyes to marvel at, a truly stunning backdrop which made the long trip back up to jburg more than worth it.
After a sound sleep at Finneys twas time to activate some plans for the thumb. All down Africa I had been hearing about this show ‘Carte Blanche’…obviously a huge show around the continent which peeps adored, inturn demanding i contact them when i’me in jburg because the Thumbs story is right up there street. After a quick phone call a meeting was set up the same day in a coffee shop at Hyde park shopping centre where i later learned Xoli the lovely journalist who I’de spoken to earliar on the phone made sure the main man behind the show came along also….unheard of within Carte Blance world. After a lovely chat and waves of positive feed back from Xoli and George the Thumb will be featuring in this award winning worldly acclaimed show…great stuff.

Jo burg still pulses away but at a noticeably slower pace. Street vendors are quietly peddling the last of their colourful supporter scarves and hand crafted world cup memorabilia hopefully clings to the corners of sun drenched avenues.

The 2010 tournament went out with a bang! Fireworks, vuvuzelas and a wonderful energetic crowd right across the city made sure of that!
The Thumbs journey does not stop with the lifting of the world cup though. Through various encounters with interesting local people we have networked a few golden opportunities for the coming week. South Africa’s Carte Blanche culture show is taking the Thumb in for a chat and we have some very interesting links with various pan African immigrant musicians and artists based in the city. With the ultimate goal of the Thumbs Journey achieved then it is time to reflect and think a little before we get back to basics with the talented rhythmic sound of Africa and bring the streets back to life once again! ……

With a 3km walk to the Engen service station which would  lead us the 400km to jburg we arrived just before the other quarter final kick off, god bless Ghana for their truly wrong exit so i was left with the harsh choice of supporting the Argies to hopefully knock the Germans out in the comfort of yet another Wimpys,the thumb would have to wait. Hats off to them…how, why, what, they just walk over everything in their path.

       The thumb was out for no more than 10 mins when we had the pleasure of meeting Euach and PJ….wonderful fellas on their way back from the Dutch v Brazil game in Port Elizabeth. During the trip PJ found a new term in his mind whilst we were  waiting for yet more burgers….we are WORLDIANS he said…and so a new order was established, we set about covering the ethics of PJs new approch to how man should go about on the edge of this planet…PJ will be donning a purple robe as the figure head of this movement…keep an eye out on facebook.

    With a quick pint in Pretoria the capital city of  jburg Euach and PJ dropped us off at some cheap lodgings as we prepare to cover the delights of Soweto and hopefully try to get some tickets for the semis in Durban and the final in the glorious Soccer City which I caught a glimpse of last night.

Leaving bloemfontein took slightly longer than expected. In Short, blom is the capital of the Free State province of South Africa a largely rural area so it was surprising to come across a training ground within the local university campus that had a remarkable history of athletic success. We later found out that this was also the home town of the famous Zola bud!

We met a promising young lady by the name of Thandie who is training for the 2012 Olympics. Her speciality being the 3000 metres!

Thandie is in the red coat! A lovely lady with her coaches and the magic thumb.

The current crop of young S.African athletes under the guidance of Bloemfontein’s finest coaches believe they have at least five potential Olympians within their camp. The thumb was very grateful to the staff who made us feel more than welcome to interview and film the future stars of Londons 2012 olympic games whilst one of their own countrys quater finals of the world cup was being played in their trophy hall…as i quickly popped my head in to check the score i was astounded to see the dutch had dusted Brazil.

      Heres to Thandie and the rest of the Vrystaat athletes and coaches…we ll be cheering you on in London in 2 years time.

As soon as the kind arm of the law dropped us off at Cradock , I noticed a van in the garage opposite with the registration plate for Johannesburg…6 hours later after getting to know Theo senior and his 2 kids theo junior 13, and Llana 11 who there Dad had taken down to port elizabeth to experience the world cup whilst delivering some cargo. Theo snr had decked the back of the van out with a makeshift double bed for the kids which was all very sweet…great kids, Theo jnrs collection of world currency got a boost as we handed him all our loose change from our journey. We promised to take them to their favorite theme park if we get to Jburg and Llanas waving the flag for Ghana with her new braclet…we arrived at Bloemfontein at midnight.

Whilst booking into Reyneke park to get some kip before the big game a fellow brit Warrick actually recognised me from the thumbs story and offered us 2 spare beds in their room.

Well i woke up the following morning with one thing in mind…..secure tickets as soon as possible, on our approach to the Free State Stadium i was awash with waves of all sorts of feelings. Dont really want to say too much, got the tickets, watched the game, felt dejected…realigned the mind, congratulated the Germans and spent the evening enjoying ultimately what the World Cup is about and revelled  in the  celabrations again late into the night, enjoying  what was a great carnival spirit.

Met some wonderful locals who have made us feel very comfertable as we had a couple of days much needed rest. Obviously England are out of the World cup,as great as it would of been to have England hold aloft the cup as an ending for the film/docu that is not what the Thumbs story is about, given the people we have met and the oppertunities which have been presented, the Thumb has a lot to consider on its next move….Ghana is our team now, and the story certainly doesnt end here…off to jburg and where trying to get in touch with Ginger Baker, the worlds greatest drummer who lives in South Africa….if anyone has got his no then please forward it in,  C mon Ghana.

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We must give a special mention to many people on this trip but as our minds are constantly on the road, with rucksacks the size of small houses and the fact that we are always coming across the most amazing people I can only update today’s blog with the most current kind folk in our immediate consciousness. When the Thumb has had time to digest the bigger picture then every beautiful person we have encountered on this trip will get the credit they truly deserve!!

MR LATEEF. A very kind bloke who gave us unrivaled access to the fastest internet we have recieved to date as he respected the thumbs mission statement.

Many thanks to Aerosat net cafe at the Boardwalk in Port Elizabeth!

Mr Peter Buckley. A kind English gent who just happened to be popping into the services for a coffee at the same time as we arrived to attempt our first hitch out of Port Elizabeth heading 900km North to the Free State and Blomefontein . He informed us that we were in the wrong place to get out of town. With the crunch  Germany match looming on the horizon we had less than 24hrs to get there with the thumb. After a quick chat in the sun he gave us a lift 53 km out to the main highway. Thank you Peter we wish you all the best!!

Our first hitch out of PE. Jason and Martin, two off duty police men who had finished their 4 wk stint of Police duty in Port Elizabeth. They had not seen their family’s for what seemed like an eterninty to them  and they couldnt wait to get home to a small town named Cradock which was on the N10 highway, 500km from our destination! Cheers Gents!