I had the opportunity to catch up with Petite Noir, a singer, songwriter and record producer whose work is a beautiful blend of influences, with an uncanny sound and heartbreaking lyrical depth. The enigmatic artist took the time to give us a glimpse of his artistic process and the influences that result in what we now…
Travys Owen is a Johannesburg-based photographer and film director with a passion and relentless enthusiasm for light and colour. He has worked with major international brands and publications: Fader, Honore Magazine, adidas (South Africa), Elle Magazine and artists including Nigerian singer and record producer Davido, visual artist Esther Mahlangu and musician Petite Noir amongst many…
“I spent a lot of time by myself so I never really engaged in what was happening” explains RRA of his childhood in Rustenburg. While his older brother lay his rap foundation by introducing him to hip hop in Primary School, his attraction to alternative sounds and artists came from scouring the internet discovering music…
“With this album, I’m saying ‘welcome to my house’”. On call from London, Congolese born, SA raised Yannick Ilunga is describing the meaning behind the title of his new EP/Visual album. “The title La Maison Noir/The Black House is a play on the White House. In the same way that the White House is the…
South African musicians are enjoying more hard-earned international exposure than ever. After getting an email from Drake’s camp, DJ Black Coffee was featured on the superstar’s More Life project. A Twitter DM, brought Petite Noir’s magisterial voice to Danny Brown’s Atrocity Exhibition. But the actual grind of getting passports, tickets and winning fans through touring…
Get out your diaries. Here is our list of not to miss film, music and art events for 2018: Inxeba (The Wound) is on circuit in South Africa When: From 2 February Where: Throughout the country Inxeba (The Wound), South Africa’s official entry to the 2018 Academy Awards for best foreign language film, will be…
Now in its 4th year, the Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival is a celebration of technology, creativity, collaboration and innovation from across the African continent. The festival includes a range of seminars, talks, exhibitions, workshops, hack-a- thons, films, artists, games, innovation riots and music. With highlights including the Fak’ugesi Conference, Making Weekend as well as…
Gabrielle Kannemeyer is a Cape Town based art director and stylist who dabbles in every component of the projects she works on. Establishing herself as an unforgettable and irreplaceable brand in the creative industry she has collaborated with Rharha Nembhard, Petite Noir, Lukhanyo Mdingi, Orange Culture, Rich Mnisi, Nicholas Coutts, Wilton Dawson, 2Bop, Bevan Davis…
If you’re tired of going to music festivals with 37 different versions of Shortstraw, or if you’re tired of 40 straight hours of trance being called a music festival, you should check out Zakifo, an actual music festival. Now in it’s third year, Zakifo has found it’s feet and it’s voice as a uniquely curated…
The media coverage of last weekend’s South African Music Awards has been dominated by Riky Rick and AKA’s petulant responses to not winning any awards. Basically, they feel that they were snubbed. Shame. Unfortunately this has overshadowed how another of the night’s winners- Petite Noir’s La Vie Est Belle/Life is Beautiful (which won in the…
The Drone Goddess is on a mission to live her truth, using her gifts to obliterate boundaries and silence stereotypes. The curator of NoirWave, one RhaRha Nembhard, is home in South Africa on a break from her Masters degree in museums, galleries and contemporary culture. But to her a break includes so much work and…
