In an article titled The Jazz Side of Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika, Don Albert writes: “Long before Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika was translated into the 13 official languages of South Africa, Charlie Haden and Carla Bley rendered it to the language of jazz.”
Jazz On the Fringes of Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika
14 June 2010
Jazz Column: Scratching The Surface
19 April 2010
The Manhattan Brothers were arguably the first signpost of jazz’s fruitful beginnings in South Africa. A vocal quartet, which, at some point, roped in a poor tap dance routine into the fray of their stage renditions to improve on their monotonous singing performances.
Bongeziwe Mabandla: Going Back To His Roots
23 November 2009 | 2 comments
If SABC 1’s Live and Music Lounge shows are anything to go by, it’s pretty clear that young people are repulsed by traditional music. They’d rather listen to Rihanna, Keri Hilson, Teargas or Winnie Khumalo. We speak to 24-year-old musician, Bongeziwe Mabandla, about his passion for African music.
CD Review: Umlilo – Bongeziwe Mabandla
11 November 2009
Bongeziwe Mabandla delivers contagious afro-folk tunes with a contemporary edge on this eccentric 6-track album. Umlilo, “Fire” or “The Cry”, has a serenity that makes one want to retreat to the tranquil hills of the Eastern Cape to take a break from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Emile YX: Hip-hop Romanticizes Poverty
8 November 2009 | 1 comment
We speak to the godfather of South African hip-hop and founder of Black Noise, Emile YX, about the romanticizing of hip-hop, his career as a musician and a teacher, and how coloured musicians are still marginalized in post-apartheid South Africa.
Malawian leads French-based hip-hop band The Latitudz
27 July 2009
The Latitudz lead vocalist, Edash Quata, wowed Malawians during his visit to Malawi recently. It’s been almost 12 years since Edash last set foot in Malawi, and many of us were worried he wouldn’t be able to connect with the audience.
Gig Review: Zamajobe - More of the same
30 May 2009
Smoky lights illuminate the swanky cavern called The Blues Room. The crowd is restless; some look bored, fidgeting with the stems of their glasses while others take the opportunity to swarm the bar till the very last minute. Mostly swish to look at, the Blues Room clientele looks for the most part as if they’ve all, to the man, landed the biggest tender in the room.
Gig Review: UK Deep House DJs Set Pretoria On Fire
11 May 2009 | 5 comments
I was fortunate enough to see U.K deep house duo Tom Lynch and Chris Feinmann, not once but twice, during their recent whistle-stop tour of South Africa. Their first performance at Bar9 in Midrand was a little unsatisfactory, the turnout was disappointing, and I felt the gig didn’t reveal the duo at their best. So being the party-animal that I am, I decided to follow them all the way to House 22 in Pretoria for their next performance.