“I think the world is a dead carcass and I think the purpose of human beings is as maggots”. Alison Moyet Existence deals us many varying and varied cards, for some: people, creatures and organisms—their Life scripts are ushered in by a clarion call birth song of states of ugly or deficit feeling. Rats know…
For the past five years, Masego has been travelling the world, headlining major world festivals and spreading his neo-soul, R&B, and jazz-infused sounds across the globe. The pandemic has put a crushing holt to all of that, however, it has also given him a lot of time to think and create music. Study Abroad is…
Idols is one of the longest-running reality TV shows in the country and it still holds cultural currency with South African audiences. Therefore, winning the competition is not just a major accomplishment, it can be a life-changing experience. And that’s what it was for Zama Khumalo. The 19-year-old was crowned the winner of the 16th…
There is no need to beat around the bush, 2020 was one hell of a year. Somehow simultaneously the most and least eventful year I can recall. It didn’t even take all that long for all the drama to start. Cast your mind back to January where there was genuine concern that a US-airstrike on…
This time last year, DJ Big Sky commanded South African dance floors with his hit single, “Fire”. The world was so different then and so was he. “I’ve been in the industry for such a long time and ‘Fire’ put me in the spotlight. It changed me. It changed how I work. Everything is different…
In the age of Tik Tok, the formula for making a hit viral record includes: having a catchy and simple hook, a standout melody or beat — preferably one easy to-do dance. “John Vuligate” has all three elements and is one of the biggest records to come out this year. So far, it has amassed…
Manana captured the ears and hearts of many with his soul-stirring and sentimental song, “Distance”. That song, and others that he has subsequently released have solidified him as part of a class of young artists revitalising and moulding the new era of R&B in South Africa. The 26-year-old singer has officially released his first EP,…
Coming off the massive success of her debut album, This is Me, which featured her 2017 summer smash hit single, “Maradona”, Niniola has catapulted to international stardom. The song would later be interpolated by Beyonce on the Grammy-nominated song, “Find Your Way”, that was part of the Lion King: The Gift soundtrack. Now, Niniola returns…
Gqom has undergone a massive transformation in the last ten years. The genre has swept dance floors across the country and made its mark on the international stage — and Griffit Vigo has been around to witness it all. As one of the standing pioneers, he was present when the sound was still burgeoning and…
Picós [have] served as communal entertainment for Colombians in coastal areas, where a majority of the country’s black population lives. The culture of the sound systems have always embraced and promoted African music and, as FACT Mag points out, ‘played a vital role in building a collective diasporan identity for many Afro-Colombians living in a…
Up-and-coming rapper Costa Titch is a polarising musician to say the least. He has been at the centre of a cultural appropriation debate on the Twitter hemisphere, as many have accused him of using Black South African culture and aesthetics to further his career. It doesn’t help his case that he has admitted on his…
Black history is as rich and vibrant as its subjects are. Much of its richness and vibrancy, can be drawn back to the knowledge that Africans are not a monolithic people. With enslaved African people kidnapped from various groupings of people from the Biafara, to the Mende and the Jola. As a result of these…
