Africa
Joburg
South Africa
Greatest AfricansAfricaJoburgSouth AfricaGreatest AfricansThe transformation of the arts in South Africa has been on the cultural agenda since the dawn of democracy in 1994. Prior to that the apartheid government was deeply vested in advancing and funding the performance of Western European art forms.More inclusive performance arena and funding models have emerged in the past 30 years. Arguab...
The uprising in Sudan has been vocal – and musical. “Tasqut bas!” – just fall, that’s all – was a commonly-used slogan by Sudanese as they revolted against military dictator Omar al-Bashir’s 30-year rule. The uprising, which began in December 2018, intensified over the following weeks, forcing Al-Bashir to step down on 11 April 2019.Su...
Ever misplaced a compact-sized yet enormously important device or gadget that has you in a panting frenzy at the thought of having lost it? In a kind of delirium, you try almost hopelessly to retrace your steps to find it, pacing in and out of every room in your house. Perhaps, all around your yard and almost dramatically, at the umpte...
Popular musicians in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), like many of their compatriots, have often been forced to depend on political patronage networks for their livelihoods. It dates back to colonial times, but has lived on through the country’s nearly six decades of independence.The nature of the networks may not change after t...
Musician Oliver Mtukudzi, who died at the age of 66, was a great cultural ambassador for Zimbabwe. Known to his fans as Tuku, he was a cultural icon for the southern African country. His aura and presence had a global resonance with fans around the world, yet the man remained humble and magnanimous.I once boasted to some international ...
Jazz has a long and rich tradition in South Africa, having produced some of the best artisans in the world. The new millennium would see jazz music suffer an apparent steady decline, but over the last several years we have seen it levita...
Music stars R.Kelly and Mampintsha have recently come under fire for sexual and physical abuse. These recent events cast a shadow over the entertainment industry in which debates around whether we should looking at muting these artists. ...