Collage painting with a central city skyline

About this image

A vibrant oil-inspired collage titled Hillbrow features a Johannesburg skyline at center, flanked by scenes of a cafe, a couple exploring outdoors, a bookseller at Estoril Books, and hands exchanging a coin. The warm, saturated colors and dynamic composition evoke urban life, travel, and human exchange in a cinematic mood.

Comments (10)

• @CaylaCatz · Feb 10, 2026

  Thank you for sharing. It sounds like a sad song but when I read the translated lyrics, the words don't sound sad. It sounds like an ode to Hillbrow. I really like how this line got translated: "Jou sente, jou drome, jou toekoms vol gate," to "Your pennies, your dreams, your future full of holes," . It's such a cool line. Of course, google might be wrong and it might have a different meaning for you. And this line is amazing to: "Kom ons drink op die een wat sy drome oorleef," translated to "Let's drink to the one who survives his dreams," . That is such a powerful line. I doubt google did justice to the whole song but it's nice to think I kinda of a got a flavor of Hillbrow.

• @DavidP · Feb 10, 2026

  Thank you. I think 'poignant' is the right word. It is a sad song, a moving song, and a perfect reflection of Hillbrow back in those days - Google translated both lines correctly in a literal sense, maybe a smarter translator would be more figurative, poetic. - As you say it is an ode to Hillbrow and if the rest was translated as accurately, then you got a snapshot of Hillbrow back then. - And I bought books from Estoril Books, ate food from Fontana, and saw all those sites. It makes the song so personal. - What a time to live thorugh, kind of like the time of Dylan and Woodstock in the US.

• @DavidP · Feb 11, 2026

  Exactly. I loved the times and places. It was an exciting time, though still a good few years before the release of Mandela etc. We still live in times that are interesting and remain difficult for those people.

• @DavidP · Feb 10, 2026

  Thanks so much. The rest of the album was more traditional bluesy rock n roll. And all quite satirical/political of the time. They were among the first Afrikaans singers to challenge the Afrikaans cultural norms.

• @CaylaCatz · Feb 11, 2026

  @DavidP That's very cool that you went to the places in the song, like you were living it. It sounds like it was an interesting time even if things were also difficult for some.

• @Sealine · Feb 10, 2026

  Fantastic image and I love this song has special meaning to you. Thank you for sharing. I never would have heard this song if not for this challenge. It is beautiful 🥰

• @CaylaCatz · Feb 11, 2026

  @DavidP This is the new song challenge blog post. The theme is drinks! I hope to see the wonderful creations you make! First Song day is Thursday. https://budgetpixel.com/blog/drinking-song-challenge-february-11-17-2026

• @DavidP · Feb 11, 2026

  Thanks for the link to the challenge. And I thought that it was just about the drinks, missed that it was still going to be songs 🤣

• @DavidP · Feb 12, 2026

  No doubt, I will find songs. Started with Thursday. Will probably go with trying to find Bands that I enjoy, or at least a song, like I did for the colour challenge - I suppose I may come across a band with a drink and a song I have played but would still rather link to the artist's performing for those who may want to discover a new song.

• @CaylaCatz · Feb 11, 2026

  @DavidP lol, hope you can find a few drinking songs. If you did a cover of one on yt, you can link that too. mim sings great so i'm encouraging her to upload her singing sound clip but I don't think she will.

Sign in to join the conversation.