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/ 26 March 2004

Rising spirit

It is hard to imagine a person in a greater state of elation than an artist who has just released an album. This is probably because, as this month’s hottest pop exponent, Thandiswa Mazwai puts it, it is a "labour of love". Mazwai is leaving kwaito behind her to explore her Xhosa genealogy, writes Thebe Mabanga.

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/ 26 March 2004

Full of tricks

‘I am not a one-trick pony," Nelly Furtado sings on <i>One-Trick Pony</i>, the opening track of <i>Folklore</i> (Universal), the follow-up to her hit debut album Whoa Nelly!. And one has to agree wholeheartedly, writes Riaan Wolmarans.

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/ 26 March 2004

Ben loves Bob

"Bob Marley was great, but we all know that. Even if you don’t like reggae, you can’t ignore the fact that his music had an uplifting effect upon the music-loving world". Benjamin Zephaniah has worshipped Bob Marley since childhood. But as another ‘best of’ is released, he says it’s time to leave brother Bob alone.

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/ 26 March 2004

Ticket to heaven

Mel Gibson’s Jesus movie, <i>The Passion of the Christ</i>, is stirring up, ahem, passions all over. But, more than anything, it demonstrates the way communal myths can be reworked again and again. Gibson’s version is just the most single-mindedly gory and reactionary to date, writes Shaun de Waal.

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/ 26 March 2004

Fright club

Chuck Palahniuk is in town to give a reading of <i>Guts</i>, the latest instalment in his gore-fest celebration of all things unAmerican. The author of <i>Fight Club</i> hopes his new short story will make people pass out. Dan Glaister met him in Las Vegas.

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/ 26 March 2004

$500m bid for Energy Africa

Irish oil company Tullow Oil plc on Friday confirmed that it has made a $500-million bid for South African oil exploration and production company Energy Africa. Tullow Oil has entered into an exclusivity agreement with Engen and other shareholders who in total hold more than 90% of Energy Africa’s issued share capital.