Delta Center for Culture and Learning assists film crew from South Africa

Dr. Luther Brown, Director of the Delta Center for Culture and Learning at Delta State University, recently worked with a film crew from South Africa on a television documentary featuring South African music star Juanita duPlessis, “the darling of Afrikaans Pop.”  The documentary will include stops throughout the southeastern United States.  In the Delta, the program focused on the Blues, with stops at Dockery Farms, Po’ Monkey’s Lounge, and the Delta Blues Museum, among others.  The show features Brown describing the Delta’s heritage to duPlessis, and includes live performances by the All Night Long Blues Band (Sean “Bad” Apple, Martin “Big Boy” Grant, and Dixie Street), and Terry “Harmonica” Bean.  Roger Stolle, of Clarksdale’s Cat Head Delta Blues and Folk Art, also appears.  The documentary will eventually be broadcast in Afrikaans, with English subtitles.  Its Afrikaans title is “Country Hart met Juanita.”  

Juanita duPlessis’s official biography includes this information about the star:  “Juanita du Plessis is a South African singer, born in Windhoek, Namibia. She became known for her big hit“Ska-Rumba” and since then has followed it with constant hits.  Her singing career began in 1998 with her debut album "Juanita". That year she won numerous CMA (Country Music Association in Namibia) awards, including as best singer, best songwriter and the Association’s Award for outstanding achievement. Juanita writes all of her own material, if not covering existing songs. In 2010, she received the award for most popular South African artist. Out of the eleven CD’s and 5 DVD’s she has released, she received two platinum, 6 double platinum, five triple platinum, two 4x platinum and one 5x platinum awards, a total of 44 platinum awards. Due to her achievement she is known affectionately as ‘Die Platinum Princess.’”

Delta Center assists Canadian film crew

PHOTO: (L to R) Award-winning Country musician and TV personality Jason McCoy, Terry ”Harmonica” Bean, and TV producer Joel Stewart of CMT Canada, all at Po’ Monkey’s Lounge in Merigold, Mississippi, prior to shooting part of Jason McCoy Eats America.

The Delta Center for Culture and Learning recently helped the television company CMT Canada film part of an episode of their popular show Jason McCoy Eats America at Po’ Monkey’s Lounge in Merigold.  The cast and crew interviewed Bluesman Terry “Harmonica” Bean, and their star, Jason McCoy, later performed with Terry Bean.  Jason McCoy is a Canadian singer/songwriter who is best known for his country music. In 2001 he won Male Vocalist of the Year at the Canadian Country Music Awards, and he has also had 3 SOCAN Song of the Year awards, 19 CCMA nominations and 5 Juno nominations, all for Best Country Male Vocalist.  Other parts of this episode were filmed in Clarksdale, and other episodes of the series have been filmed throughout the Southeastern US.

Delta Center assists in music video production

Manu Lanvin in Kossman’s 1972 LeMans convertible at historic Dockery Farms, known around the world as the birthplace of the Blues.

The Delta Center for Culture and Learning at Delta State University recently helped French Blues singer Manu Lanvin film a music video for his latest release "Sur la route sixty one" ( On Highway 61).  Manu (who goes by his first name) and his producer/photographer, Alexandre Villeret, spent over a week filming in the Delta.  Highlights of their visit included an evening of live Blues at historic Po’ Monkey’s Lounge, during which Manu performed with Mississippi’s own Terry “Harmonica” Bean.  Bean has recently toured in France, and also been featured in the French Blues Magazine called “Blues” as well as in Living Blues Magazine.   Kossman’s automotive, in Cleveland, provided access to their 1972 LeMans convertible, which appears in the music video.