Arts And Culture

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Tribute to the late South African music icon Babsy Mlangeni

A heartfelt tribute to the late South African music icon Bernard 'Babsy' Mlangeni, whose timeless melodies like 'Iphupho Lami' gave voice to hope, dignity, and liberation.

Indelible storyteller: Pilani is a singer-songwriter, poet and TV presenter with seven albums behind her and an eighth on the way. She has a Sama on the shelf, four Netflix syncs to her name and performances in more than 25 countries across Europe and Africa.  She also founded the Folklore Festival. Photos: Supplied

Pilani Bubu is defying gravity

Award-winning musician Pilani Bubu has spent 15 years writing her own playbook. As she releases her introspective new single 'Caged Heart', she reflects on creative independence,…

Musical life: Miriam Altman started by playing classic music, opera . . . then corporate. Now she’s into jazz. Photos: Supplied

Miriam Altman is finding a voice beyond the boardroom

Known for her leadership in economics and business, Miriam Altman makes an unexpected pivot to jazz with her debut album, The Butterfly Project, exploring themes of renewal and…

Exhibition: Sabelo Mlangeni turns our gaze towards the architectural heritage of South Beach . . . his camera does not disguise the attraction. Photos: Niamh Walsh-Vorster

Black folk frolicking - on Sabelo Mlangeni’s ‘Honeymoon’

In 'Honeymoon. The happily ever after?' at KZNSA Gallery, photographer Sabelo Mlangeni captures black joy, leisure, and desire alongside Durban's contradictions, scars, and…

Gig Guide: Sun Quintet return with Winter Sun, Olefied Khetha features Big Zulu on iStep Father Remix, 20 years of Back To The City and Vuyo Viwe is holding up a mirror of reflection

Back To The City marks 20 years with an all-star hip-hop line-up, alongside fresh releases from Sun Quintet, Olefied Khetha featuring Big Zulu, and Vuyo Viwe.

Perspective: Sol Plaatje was the righter of the wrongs of Western literature’s view of black people. Photo: Sol Plaatje Papers, Historical Papers Research Archive, University of the Witwatersrand

Mhudi’, a novel ahead of its time

Published in 1930, Sol Plaatje’s epic Mhudi challenged colonial perspectives and societal gender norms, establishing a pioneering milestone in South African and African literature.

The forgotten ANC poet-activist who warned the party about power

Long before the ANC took power in South Africa, activist-poet and lawyer Munzhedzi 'Zorro' Ramovha foresaw the dangers of liberation leaders succumbing to corruption, arrogance,…

Tributes pour in for Babsy Mlangeni who died at age 83

Tributes are pouring in for legendary South African singer, guitarist, and songwriter Babsy Mlangeni, who has passed away at the age of 83 following a short illness.

Finding her footing: Zolani Mahola says the joyfulness and sense of reclamation so evident in her upcoming album are the product of years of internal work, during which she investigated her own identity and purpose. Photo: Aron Halevi

Zolani Mahola wants to shatter your idea of her

Former Freshlyground lead singer Zolani Mahola opens up about her joyful upcoming album 'People Power', healing after divorce, reconnecting with her ancestors, and reclaiming her…

Gig Guide: SA Fashion Week is upon us, Kayla Praise has released Inhliziyo, Poetry Africa reveals full programme, Origins Centre presents Henrietta Scholtz in Planetary Cognitive Ecologies: Gondwana and Espacio Dios returns with I Am You

Stay updated with South Africa's vibrant arts and culture scene, featuring SA Fashion Week highlights, Poetry Africa's 30th festival programme, new music from Espacio Dios and…

Dance queen: Lethabo Monametsi is grateful that the discipline that she put in every single opportunity ended up allowing her to eventually find herself on a platforms this big. Photos:
Supplied

When dance finds you: Lethabo Monametsi on making it to ‘Strictly Come Dancing’

From falling in love with dance at 13 to balancing a law degree at Wits, South African dancer Lethabo Monametsi shares her journey to the international ballroom floor on Strictly…

Redirect: Danica De La Rey Jones is Tessa Ensler, a rising barrister who defends men accused of sexual assault and wins. She believes in the justice system until she is sexually assaulted. Photos: Quaid Jones

‘Prima Facie’ turns the spotlight on rape and the law

Suzie Miller's acclaimed one-woman play 'Prima Facie' arrives at Johannesburg's Market Theatre, delivering an urgent and searing critique of rape, consent, and the patriarchal…

Exhibition: Sixty years after District Six was declared a white area, its former residents and their descendants still carry its street names, stories and relationships with them. Jimi Matthews’s photographs caught the landscape while that destruction was taking place.

The photographs that connect two histories of displacement

Veteran photographer Jimi Matthews pairs his archive of apartheid-era forced removals in District Six with intimate portraits of daily life and resilience in Palestine in a…

Joy of Jazz. Image supplied/Instagram

A weekend where jazz didn’t just play, but lived

The 27th Standard Bank Joy of Jazz delivered a transcendent weekend of music at the Sandton Convention Centre, bridging generations through standout international sets and an…

Living on: Busi Mhlongo's legacy is easy to hear in the voices of her descendants, the many musicians she inspired. Photos: Supplied

Three voices, one spirit: honouring Busi Mhlongo at Joy of Jazz

At the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz, vocalists Zawadi Yamungu, Xolisa Dlamini, and Buhlebendalo join forces to celebrate the enduring legacy and fearless spirit of music icon Busi…