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Mail & Guardian
simphiwe danalatest news & developments
Dear, Mom: Mombathise is an ascension song. Simphiwe Dana says it is for her late mother: ‘a song to tell her to go and rest and be at peace.’ Photo:
Supplied

Simphiwe Dana sings the room into stillness

Moya is her quiet insistence that excellence, faith and African high art can hold grief without spectacle

Unknown place: Simphiwe Dana says that the album she is working on could be the final one she writes but that she will carry on performing and collaborating.

Simphiwe Dana reflects on two decades of music

The musician talks about her long career, her legacy and the spirit guiding what could be her final album

Thandiswa references Black Consciousness leader Steve Biko, who was murdered by apartheid police in 1977, on her latest album.

The sonic soul of Steve Biko

Musicians have carried his ideology forward – but what would he make of today’s politics?

Expressive: Simphiwe Dana on stage with projections of her late mother in the background. Part of the inspiration for ‘Moya’ was healing after her death. Photo: Arthur Dlamini

Simphiwe Dana’s latest performance promises to be a ‘healing circle’

Award-winning musician Simphiwe Dana brings ‘Moya’ to the Joburg Theatre, reflecting on the power of music to heal

(John McCann/M&G)

The danger of well-meaning men using the term ‘our women’

History shows that women have long been considered property by various social groups. These words perpetuate the idea

“Drain our dignity”.Masixole Feni’s images of Khayelitsha capture the way people have been able to exist and have meaningful lives under oppressive conditions.

Artists must strive to reimagine ways of portraying and inhabiting ikasi

An overemphasis on ‘escaping’ the township robs us of the nuanced account of its spirit and a chance to create a habitable space in the margins

VideoAudio

A ghostbusting care package

A multimedia care package of reading material, series, movies and music to indulge in if you’re ghosted

I never thought that I could be on TV: Television mogul Diliza Moabi reflects on his journey.

Staying sane in a trying industry

Diliza Moabi is passionate about TV and has spent the greater part of his life making his dreams come true

‘Her discography is divisive

Simphiwe Dana readies her wings once more

The songstress is hesitantly making her comeback and her treasured audiences hope to see her soar

Observer: Teju Cole has the ability to read closely and make sense of a writer’s ideas.

A case for curiosity and generosity

Many good writers appear to be solipsists, selfish and even competitive, and unkind. These writers will remain good but will never be great.

Lau has been in Johannesburg promoting his new album.

​’Examples’ shows us the musical law of Eric Lau

With talented friends around him, the electronic music producer is recrafting instrumental rap with his latest album.

Peter Makurube’s funeral will be held on Saturday

Tribute: Peter Makurube, the gentle revolutionary

Nicky Blumenfield writes about her friend and mentor, the late Peter Makurube whose dedication to South African arts made a significant impact.

Following Simphiwe Dana’s scathing tweets about a photo of the star holding women by hair leashes

Rapper Tumi Molekane – ‘I knew the video would offend people’

Following Simphiwe Dana’s scathing tweets about a photo of the star holding women by hair leashes, Molekane says the imagery aims to tell a story.

Don’t Miss This: November – December

The M&G’s weekly round-up of the country’s hot-ticket events.

Mourners in Pretoria will be treated to a concert in honour of Nelson Mandela on Wednesday night.

Mandela memorial concert planned in PTA

A concert has been planned at the State Theatre in honour of Madiba as mourners flock to the Pretoria city centre to pay their last respects.

Thula Sindi had a fresh take on the ubiquitous peplum trend.

SA’s finest pull out the stops at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week

Sthembile Gasa rounds up some of the collections that were on show at this year’s Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Johannesburg.

Zero tolerance for Zille’s barb

Zero tolerance for Zille’s barb

The DA leader’s labelling of musician Simphiwe Dana as a ‘professional black’ smacks of racial insensitivity and cheap political point-scoring.

Talking in mother tongues

To campaign for the primacy of one language by negating another is exactly how to kill the cause.

Vuvuzela Blues: Wynton blows it

Vuvuzela Blues: Wynton blows it, Simphiwe soars

At what point are promoters going to realize that fading international stars don’t need to headline our festivals when we’ve got our own talent?

According to Mariette Liefferink

Zille responds to Twitter furore

After a public spat with singer Simphiwe Dana, DA leader Helen Zille says that the social platform Twitter can be as troublesome as it is useful.