The late afternoon sun illuminated the unusually serene courtyard of Rosebank’s Universal Studios as I walked across it to meet and interview Mandisi Dyantyis, a pivotal figure in contemporary South African music, known for his fusion of jazz, Western classical, and African indigenous music. The multi-award-winning artist has a reputation for operating with a quiet…
Ngomgqibelo, uMadala Kunene wayedlala isigingci nesitweletwele sakhe emkhosini obizwa ngokuthi yiFolklore Festival, owa ubanjwe eConstitution Hill, eWomen’s Jail. Ugubha iminyaka engama shumamantathu enkululeko, kwakuwusuku lwezizukulwane zalelizwe, kugcwele yonke iminhlobo yemindeni. Eminye yayingajwayelekile, eminye eyendabuko, eminye midala, eminye mincane, eminye inemithunzi eminingi. Yonke ihlanganiswa yilelizwe lethu elihluphayo. Elilashwa ngomculo. Ngabantu abafana noMadala Kunene. Abadlala iziginci kube…
Filah Lah Lah, a talented singer-songwriter from Pretoria, South Africa, is an artist whose expression of music is shaped by introspection, perched at the intersection of nostalgic soul and futuristic R&B. Her sound has sirened the attention of many brands attuned to the pulse of culture—most recently, Heineken Silver, otherwise known as the “Surprisingly Smooth”…
Tonight, Johannesburg’s music scene reaches a crescendo with the final concert of the Hidden Spaces Winter Music Series. In partnership with Rayna Music, the Goethe-Institut invites audiences to an immersion in a spectacular evening that brings the city’s fiercest talent to life in one of its most unlikely venues. This concert isn’t just the culmination…
The other day, I had a quick call with a prominent feature BubblegumClub, South African singer, songwriter, and dancer best known as Moonchild Sanelly. Born Sanelisiwe Twisha, you’ll easily recognise her for her bold, blue hair and “Future Ghetto Funk” sound. Having already released albums like Rabulapha! and Phases, she first came to prominence in…
If you’re at all keen on the South African live music scene, you’ll know very well who Muhammad Dawjee is. In addition to heading the Dawjee Trio whose roots are enmeshed in South African jazz and original compositions by Dawjee and his bandmates, the saxophonist is involved in several significant projects, including but not limited…
Recently, Nando’s launched Mix It Up Vol. 3, an EP executive produced by Grammy-nominated South African artist Musa Keys. The project brings together international talents A$AP NAST, Teni, and Unknown T, alongside South African producers like Duppy, Nkulee, and Toby Franco. The EP celebrates Amapiano, blending it with diverse music styles, recorded between Johannesburg’s Flame…
SOUTH SIDE! SOUTH SIDE! This is what you hear whenever PhilaBoi is on stage. It’s his war cry & lets the audience know that he is here to entertain with his & THAT$hYHOMIE’s song titled MFO which would go on to be the lead single to their debut album. WE THANK YOU… is the debut…
Though I was not at all invited nor prepared, I found myself rushing from one media event to another at the behest of my fellow culture-loving writer friend, Edward Tsumele. Upon arrival, we reckoned that rushing was futile as we waited quite some time before the show began. The poor timing did however turn out…
The award-winning vocalist, composer, and arranger, Gabi Motuba, has a unique presence in South African jazz, but even as I met her for a cuppa at 44 Stanley’s Black-owned St Germain, I got a familiar feel for her famed calming and graceful demeanour. With a career spanning over a decade, her latest project, The Sabbath,…
On the 25th of July, there was a relaunch of the seminal book by Sam Mathe, From Kippie to Kippies and Beyond (2021). This second edition expands on the evolution of jazz and other musical genres, illuminating the lives and legacies of influential musicians from the 1920s to the present. Held at the Anthropology Museum…
When it comes to the South African hip-hop scene, few names ring out louder than the rapper and poet, Stogie T. Recently, we had the chance to catch up with the man himself, and what followed was a raw, enlightening conversation about his latest EP, the effects of the pandemic, and the complex social conditions…
