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Quartet: The group creates music that feels both grounded and exploratory. Photo: Supplied

Diary: A Million O Clock Live at the Centre for Jazz and Popular Music, Vumaala releases Show Me and Live Music Lab 2026 calls for entries

Your essential dose of art and culture

One of us: Born Darren Jason Watkins Jr in the US, IShowSpeed is being claimed by Gen Z in Africa as one of their
own.

IShowSpeed is avatar of Africa’s Gen Z

He embodies the raw, unfiltered, chaotic rhythm of youth, a generation unwilling to be scripted by the old guard, impatient with hierarchy, hungry for immediacy and determined to…

Frame of mind: Apiwe Bubu, who hails from the Eastern Cape, and now has his own studio in Los Angeles, came back to his home country to record his debut album. Photo: Ofentse Moatshe

10 Hours, 8 Tracks, 1 Lifetime: Apiwe Bubu’s 20-year journey to his debut album

Apiwe Bubu’s debut album is the culmination of a decades-long journey across continents, studios and genres — finally coming home to piano

Maverick: South African music sensation Moonchild, born Sanelisiwe Twisha, performed a record-breaking 10 shows at Glastonbury this year, but admits that radio hosts are cautious of her, because she refuses to censor herself on air. Photo: Grace Pickering

Moonchild taking over the world, one festival at a time

Moonchild taking over the world, one festival at a time

NFI: The South African musical legend Miriam Makeba. Photo: James Andanson/Getty Images

Lies, damned lies and statistics: The many perils of ranking musical taste

Apple’s list of top 100 albums has caused a stir on social media with many unsettled by the ranking

Growing season: Beyoncé and her daughter Blue Ivy perform on stage during the Renaissance World Tour in Atlanta, Georgia, in August. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Beyoncé: A complex apparatus

Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé opened last weekend around the world and grossed $27 million at the global box office. We sent two Mail & Guardian writers to watch it This content…

Red that right? Beyoncé and Taylor Swift onstage during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards in New York. Some question the validity of having reporters dedicated to celebrities when media budgets are constrained. Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Tayloring stories for fans

Jobs ads for journalists to cover celebrities have stirred up a Beyhive of controversy

Trip to New York: DJ Lag, who hails from Durban, says recording bests for Beyoncé was ‘surreal’. Photo: Courtesy Mixmag

Dj Lag: Music was my ticket to the world

DJ Lag, also known as the King of Gqom, has grown from strength to strength in his career

The sensual Kamo-Sutra Porcelain collection. Photo: Supplied

Objects of Desire | Upgrade you

Objects to for your self-care rituals and glow up era

Beyoncé’s Ivy Park collection. Photo: Supplied

Are celeb crossovers like Ivy Park and Yeezy so last year?

As sales of Kanye West’s Yeezy brand and Beyonce’s Ivy Park plummet, we ask if fashion collaborations are still desirable or have become a liability

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 05: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Beyoncé accepts the Best Dance/Electronic Music Album award for “Renaissance” onstage during the 65th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 05, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by JC Olivera/WireImage)

Grammys: Beyoncé, music’s golden girl

The singer surpassing classical conductor Georg Solti’s long-standing record of 31 lifetime trophies

Andre-leon-talley-vogue-may-2018: Andre Leon Talley wearing custom Tom Ford Caftan by Jonothan Becker

Remembering fashion icon Andre Leon Talley

A year after the death of the king of caftans, we remember the first black man to be a creative director at Vogue magazine

Hakuna Matata may be the motto, but the iconic Disney film is full of life lessons.
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The best moments of ‘The Lion King’

Hakuna Matata may be the motto, but the iconic Disney film is full of life lessons

Renaissance

One Album, Two Takes: ‘Renaissance’

Beyoncé’s album is a disco dazzle made for the dance floor

With a music career spanning 30 years, the Texas-born artist has made us cry, dance and fall in love

A countdown of Beyoncé’s 10 biggest tracks

With a music career spanning 30 years, the Texas-born artist has made us cry, dance and fall in love

Beyonce and Jay-Z perform during the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 at FNB Stadium on December 2, 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100)

The Carters Top 5

Will Beyoncé be featuring her billionaire husband on her new album, Renaissance? We don’t know – yet – but here’s our top five collabos with Jay Z

Beyonce performs onstage during the ‘On The Run II’ Tour at Rose Bowl on September 22, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Larry Busacca/PW18/Getty Images for Parkwood Entertainment)

What you think of Beyoncé doesn’t matter, so enjoy the music

Beyonce takes no sit-down interviews and responds to no one on social media. The goal? To have us focus on the music, which we should all do

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Renaissance – The album drop of the year

Queen B fans are used to her usual surprise album drops at midnight, but this time the announcement has us looking back at her body of work

WizKid performs on stage at The O2 Arena on October 19, 2019 in London, England.  (Photo by Joseph Okpako/WireImage)
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Afrobeats conquer the world

From Grammys to sold-out concerts, the West African music phenomenon is going mainstream

Darkest moment: Robert Liensol is the unnamed protagonist in Soleil Ô

These are not our names. These are not our stories. These are not our gods.

Cinema struggles to tell stories that reflect a contemporary Africa and remains hamstrung by self-serving voices