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The largest South African survey of its kind has found that women in live music are often excluded from decision-making, receive unequal pay and face a range of aggressions.
Brenda Fassie was a rebellious black woman who blazed a trail.
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Released in 1997, Vulindlela reflects the optimism of a democratic South Africa – but Fassie’s ‘bad girl’ image also asks who is really welcome in this new society.
Mac McKenzie (1951-2024) took Cape Town’s unique carnival sounds and added punk.
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The composer, bassist and innovator Gerald ‘Mac’ McKenzie died on 29 April. He changed Cape Town’s unique music traditions forever.
Tutu Puoane’s Wrapped in Rhythm features words by poet Lebo Mashile.
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Wrapped in Rhythm powerfully uses the poems of Lebo Mashile as lyrics.
South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim in 2014.
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In his work Abdullah Ibrahim looks to the past to offer a vision of the future.
Miriam Makeba was the first African to win a Grammy, but only when she partnered with a US star, Harry Belafonte.
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African artists with major US industry support have the advantage - now more than ever.
Detail from the cover of the biography.
Gallo Record Company
The book tells the inside story of how they changed the sound of urban pop.
Cape Town Opera stages The Mandela Trilogy in Wales.
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A new book explores how Cape Town became a hub for African opera.
Opera meets vogueing in the production about the life and work of the late Simon Nkoli.
Mark Lewis/Nkoli: The Vogue Opera
A 26-member theatre ensemble aims to bring history to light in a fresh way.
Tsonga-inspired musician and writer Maya Wegerif AKA Sho Madjozi in Johannesburg.
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Costume, hair and dance allow her to modernise Tsonga culture – and help shape youth identity.
Sylvia Mdunyelwa in Langa township in 2023.
Screengrab/YouTube/Scene It
Not just a great jazz singer, Sylvia Mdunyelwa was also an activist, educator, broadcaster and actress.
The late Sathima Bea Benjamin, jazz singer and composer, has a track on As-Shams Archive Volume 1.
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The legendary As-Shams jazz label has released the first of several compilation albums recovered from its archive.
Rising amapiano star DBN Gogo performs in Dakar, Senegal.
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The annual South African Amapiano Awards will be held on 2 April, a tribute to the growing stature of the dance music genre.
Gloria Bosman in 2022.
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If you ever found yourself in the same room with Gloria Bosman, you were in for a lesson of a lifetime.
The late musician Madosini playing the umrhube mouthbow.
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Composers are keeping bow music alive through electronic music and other experiments.
Bosman won numerous awards, including the Standard Bank Young Artist award and two South African Music Awards.
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Her passing shocked the nation and drew praise for her unique vocal powers and musical mentorship.
AKA performing in 2015, at the height of his fame.
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A cold-blooded shooting is a common trope in gangsta rap - but a disturbing new development in South African hip-hop.
Madosini performing in Johannesburg in 2021.
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The queen of Xhosa music has passed away. She reinvigorated ancient Xhosa cultural traditions through performance and teaching.
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New survey shows poor earnings from music streaming made worse by the digital divide and a lack of policy.
Asake live in Atlanta in the US in 2022.
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The album Mr. Money With The Vibe, with its amapiano influences, is just 30 minutes long but it speaks volumes about Asake’s talents.