Craig Bishop: National Festival of the Arts The astonishing art of two-tone singing is practised by just three cultures: Tibetans, Mongolians and by a small group of Xhosa-speakers in the Lady Frere district of the Eastern Cape. Lady Frere’s Ngqoko Choir practises a singing art so special that it has been recorded and studied by […]
Lower interest rates and a consumer-friendly budget are sure to put extra money into the pockets of consumers – which should bring smiles to the country’s retailers and value to their shares. While some of the bigger South African stores have had a difficult time in the last year with low levels of consumer spending […]
Andy CapostagnoCricket If this is the beginning of a new age, then it’s particularly appropriate that South Africa will go into the Newlands Test against opponents who are, in the best sense of the word, old fashioned. Sri Lanka may be the world champions in one-day cricket, b ut their approach to Test cricket, if […]
Krisjan Lemmer The management at the Dorsbult Bar had to send out for fresh supplies of sickbags this week, what with all the heaving going on among patrons over the Robert McBride story. Our old friend “Suiker” Britz rushed to Maputo and announced it was his considere d and unbiased opinion that the young diplomat […]
Alex Duval Smith reports on the United States president’s visit to a continent reborn as a trading partner Bill Clinton’s six-nation tour of Africa next week – the first by a serving United States president for almost 20 years – will reward good book-balancers and strategic friends. But it will also lay bare mixed African […]
Charlene Smith As U2 “rattle and hum” their way through their second South African concert this weekend, a bitterly divided music industry argues for the crumbs from a financially squeezed R1-billion entertainment industry. While Computicket managing director Jeff Carel says big acts like U2 bring in small takings (but large credibility for concert promoters), Howard […]
David Beresford: Tribute to Basil Coetzee It’s hard to say a last goodbye to a musician; harder still when his gaunt face is in a coffin on a linoleum floor, his tenor saxophone – its silver patina worn through by his once-busy fingers – resolutely silent in its place of honour up on the stage. […]
Shopping mall development in the townships is about to undergo a revival – thanks to Richard Maponya, reports Charlene Smith Shopping mall developments have, in the past, failed in townships because they were targeted at a race group rather than people, says township retail guru Richard Maponya. That is set to change, he believes. In […]
Charl Blignaut: On stage in Johannesburg It is no doubt extremely uncool of me to not to gush about Ben Elton’s Popcorn. I mean, I ask you, how can a ”Generation-X West End smash hit” that uses terms like ”Tarantino-esque” in its publicity material possibly be anything but deadly hip? Actually, the answer is simple; […]
Marthali Brand The Internet is set to be the next advertising goldmine, if the number of online South African newspapers is anything to go by. A search for newspapers on the South Africa Online search engine gives more than 30 hits, including obscure publications like Die Padda and Colin’s Family Focus. But the really serious […]