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South African rapper, producer and musical artist, Sam Turpin

Sam Turpin’s notes on grief

The legacy of photographer Gisèle Wulfsohn echoes through her son’s music as Sam Turpin confronts sorrow through art

Becoming: Bongeziwe Mabandla’s Ndingubani has been gestating for years, waiting for the courage to come into being. Photo: Christopher Saunders

Bongeziwe Mabandla is ready to be fully present

With a new album on the horizon and sold-out shows across the globe, Bongeziwe Mabandla is stepping into the artist he was always becoming

Intentional: Billy Monama quotes Nelson Mandela on the power of
music to elevate and liberate, to unite people in a shared voice.

Billy Monama is staging a revival of memory

The Rebirth of Ubuntu returns with a focus on legacy, as Billy Monama pushes for music that remembers, questions and resonates beyond the stage

Upward trajectory: Nanette Sphesihle Nobethu Mbili Jolobe has come a long way from Durban where she was born and grew up listening to the R&B legends that would come to influence her later sound. Photo: Supplied

Nanette is going to keep showing up

With a deluxe edition of her latest album on the way and a milestone performance only days away, Nanette is ready to step into the next stage of her ascendancy

Set for the stage: Ndumiso Manana is preparing for the first leg of a nationwide tour that begins in Johannesburg before moving to East London, Makhanda for the National Arts Festival, Durban, Cape Town and Pretoria.  Photo: Supplied

Manana and the art of trusting the process

Fresh off his Standard Bank Young Artist win, Manana reflects on growth, collaboration and creating space for alternative sound in South Africa

As two major jazz festivals converge in the Western Cape, what seems like competition may reveal a deeper story of collaboration, resilience and creative possibility

Jazz in Sync: Why Festival “Competition” Could Be South Africa’s Greatest Collaboration

As two major jazz festivals converge in the Western Cape, what seems like competition may reveal a deeper story of collaboration, resilience and creative possibility

J. Cole announces Johannesburg return as ‘The Fall Off’ tour heads to FNB Stadium

A decade after his last SA show, J. Cole returns to Johannesburg with a chart-topping album and a tour billed as his final chapter.

For Manana, touring is about more than performance. It’s about truth. “Live is the last real thing in music,” he says.

“Live is the last real thing”: Manana enters a warmer era

With live instruments and honest energy, Manana proves the stage is still where music tells the truth

Before the move to the South African State Theatre in 2023, Black Labone events were hosted down the road from the theatre at African Beer
Emporium. Photo: Black Labone

Pretoria’s creative renaissance

Black Labone continues the legacy of the city’s iconic arts sessions, blending nostalgia, collaboration and resilience

One in a long line: Songbird Thandiswa Mazwai says she’s merely a conduit in the tradition of using their
voices that was started by her forebears and will continue into posterity. Her upcoming Sankofa Music Fest
will showcase this tradition. Photo: Supplied

Thandiswa Mazwai: Still speaking for future generations

Thandiswa Mazwai celebrates 50 years and 30 years in music with the Sankofa Heritage Festival, blending heritage, innovation, and generational continuity

Art of protest: Vaal Generationperformed at Artists Against Corruption’s show. Photo: JS Design

Fighting corruption through the arts

United by poems, plays and passion, artists tackle corruption head-on at a Joburg performance

Wheel fun: Whether you’re a petrolhead or just love a good vibe, the Auto Fest promises to be a day of ente

Diary: Auto festival, Live jazz, Contemporary dance

Your essential dose of art and culture

Diary: Jazz in the Lights, Dance for all, Street art in Maboneng

Your essential dose of art and culture

Mixing it up: Untitled Basement is the underground live music venue that belongs to Artivist in Braamfontein, Joburg, which provides a blend of food, music, art and performance.

Versatile venue strikes the right chords in Joburg

The founders of Artivist and Untitled Basement speak about their journey and the future

Joburg City Theatres brings Spring to Zoo Life with live music and a picnic affair

Sensational live performances from a stellar lineup of local artists – and loads of kiddies activities

Pandemic problems: South African outfit The Brother Moves On’s tour of Europe earlier this year was marred by cancellations. Photo: Lisanne Lentink

On the difficult pandemic road

The arrival of Covid-19 exacerbated the challenges of touring for the African musician. Tseliso Monaheng explores the interrelated factors affecting music tours

Legendary jazz pianist’s New York City concerts show he is unstoppable. Photo: Supplied

Abdullah Ibrahim — a tribute to a living legend

Legendary jazz pianist’s New York City concerts show he is unstoppable

Celebrating music: Urban Village (above) return to the Fête de Photos: Bantubahle Mahlangu, Pierre Merimee & Oupa Bopape/Gallo Images
 Musique Joburg and promise a new sound.

Fête de la Musique Joburg is doing things differently

The free festival Fête de la Musique Joburg makes a return post-lockdown with performances at four venues in the city

Beautiful puzzle: Msaki has found the lockdown difficult, but has also been turning her hand to mastering new production skills, like sound engineering and video editing. (Tseliso Monaheng)
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Msaki sings, and we heal

Msaki views her singing as a space from which to gather strength and courage

Responding to provocations: (from left) Artwork from season seven at the Centre for the Less Good Idea (Stella Oliver)
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Old artistic forms find new mediums in uncertain times

Music, art and theatre are moving online as cultural workers adjust to lockdown