Take 2: Tutu Puoane has returned from Belgium to perform in the country’s major cities in August.
Tutu Puoane’s ‘Wrapped in Rhyth’ comes alive
Jazz vocalist Tutu Puoane returns to the country this winter for a six-date tour that brings her award-winning double album, Wrapped in Rhythm, to life. Rooted in the poetry of Lebo Mashile’s In a Ribbon of Rhythm, the project is a powerful musical interpretation of post-apartheid identity, longing and connection.
Raised in Pretoria and now based in Antwerp, Belgium, Puoane performs with her full band in Johannesburg (1 August) and Pretoria (2 August), and in an intimate duo setting with Belgian pianist Ewout Pierreux in Durban, Cape Town and Gqeberha. Fans can expect a soulful blend of jazz and storytelling, with limited edition CDs and vinyls of Volume 2 of Wrapped in Rhythm — featuring the Metropole Orkest — available ahead of its September release.
Puoane invites audiences to sit still, listen deeply and feel the pulse of Mashile’s words, wrapped in rhythm, memory and sound.
Cold Chinese Food to release ‘Vital Ital’
Joburg-based underground hip hop duo Cold Chinese Food is ready to serve up their long-awaited debut album, Vital Ital, on 30 July. The 13-track offering is a genre-bending sonic journey through food, sound, people and place — rooted in the global experiences of childhood friends and collaborators Sam Turpin and Illa N.
Raised on a diet of Rastafarian values, anti-apartheid legacy and an eclectic record collection, the duo channels that heritage into an experimental blend of hip hop, jazz, Afrobeat and fusion. Vital Ital is both an ode to the vitality of clean living and a lyrical celebration of travel and cultural memory, featuring Boskasie, Sipho the Gift, ByLwansta and UK-based drummer Joshua MckNasty.
With two singles already out — Ethiopian Coffee and Airport Yaoundé — fans have had a taste of what’s brewing: textured, thoughtful, boundary-pushing sound.
The Capitec handmadeAfrica Pavilion at Decorex
Africa on display: Aaliyah Makoni’s homeware is distinctive and bold. Photo: Daniel Webber
The Capitec handmadeAfrica Pavilion debuts at Decorex from 24 to 27 July 2025 at the Sandton Convention Centre. Curated by Alan Hayward and Garreth van Niekerk, the event brings together the best of contemporary African design.
Creative works range from BambiZulu’s Chela broom to the beadwork of Monkeybiz and LRNCE’s ceramics. Highlights include the debut of Luminaire d’Afrique’s high-end lighting collection, sculptural furniture by Leatile Mosime and oversized 3D-printed chrome sculptures from Kind Kid.
The Pavilion expands into the two-floor Design MRKT, where a curated retail experience, African DJ sets and the Rising Star Awards promise a celebration of African innovation.