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…
Sanelisiwe Twisha, originally from Port Elizabeth and famously known as Moonchild Sanelly is occupying different states grounded in the specificity of the femme experience and she is not holding back. Moonchild Sanelly has proved herself to be a master of heterogeneity. She flows between various — even seemingly contrasting — musical genres like R&B, Pop,…
It’s odd to consider the purpose of dance music during lockdown. The thought of music made to get everybody on the floor when those floors are currently banned stirs feelings of uncertainty and worry than they would have two years ago. Or what we say is two years but really feels like a different lifetime….
As an artist with three studio albums, six mixtapes, and over a decade in the music industry; Ghetts is a pioneer in the United Kingdom’s grime and rap scene. That is undeniable. It seems hard to imagine that an artist with such an extensive sonic track record could still embrace the process of evolving. Conflict…
“Self-described “Diaspora children” connecting with historic land and seeing firsthand what happens when a simple idea connects music fans who are 6,000 miles apart”. #UBUONTOUR The Ubunifu Space is a YouTube channel and online platform launched in 2017 to celebrate sounds coming from African artists in the continent and diaspora. From day one, the concept…
Living, working and playing in France, Dj Zazu recently compiled the first of her series of mixes specifically and uniquely curated for Bubblegum Club under the name Bubblegum Mix Vol 20. True to the multiplicity of Dj Zazu’s own embodied experience and the wide cast net of her artistic and sonic influences, the mix’s cup…
It is fitting that the first AFROPUNK Festival to be held in South Africa took place on the historically significant Constitution Hill in Johannesburg. The festival, inspired by the documentary ‘Afro-Punk’, which spotlighted black punks in America, was first held in 2005 in New York City’s Brooklyn. Originally aiming to help black people build a…
Converse fans are well aware that the Chuck Taylor All Star is the brand’s iconic silhouette. However, for those who appreciate the anti-hero, the Converse One Star encapsulates the spirit of those who operate against the rhythm, living fearlessly on the edge. Launched in 1974, and built for the basketball court, the sneakers were pulled…
There is a New Year’s Eve I remember vividly like the afterglow of a fireworks display. I was very young, barely five, enjoying the newfound victory of staying up until “Happy New Year”. I stood in the fog created by the multiple braai-stands, mystified by the happenings of black joy that intensified with every song…
I know pretty much fuck all about Reggae and Dub other than the UB40 tapes my mom would play in her Uno Fire, and nights out at Cool Runnings. I also saw Damian Marley live in a haze of smoke at Blue Lagoon for Zakifo. That’s about it. Other than that, they’re not really genres…
“My mom has special powers, she sees stuff before it happens. So she’s an inyanga [healer in Xhosa]. Inyanga also means the moon, so instead of being a child of a healer I choose the moon. It’s about being the child of someone with a special gift,” explains Moonchild Sanelly when asked about her stage…
The work of Swiss photographer Georg Gatsas has been published by magazines such as Wire, Dazed, i-D and Beat. Georg has been operating between London and Zurich for the past couple of years. He recently spent some time in Johannesburg as part of an artist residency organized by Pro Helvetia. I caught up with him…
