Bass culture is as old as Zimbabwe itself
He died before I could share with him my growing interest in the wonders of South African music
Film has all the hits, none of the misses – and very little of the miss-e
South Africa and Jamaica share a history marked by colonisation and slavery
‘Time Come’, a collection of essays, speech, reviews and other forms of prose by the dub poet, Linton Kwesi Johnson, makes for compelling reading
Christianity tells us to worry about hellfire; Bob Marley tells us ‘Don’t worry about a thing’. Drew Forrest looks at the Jamaican singer’s timeless appeal
A master of a sparse, propulsive style, Robbie Shakespeare’s bass spoke volumes
A master of feel, Robbie Shakespeare’s
bass spoke through the silence
An extract from the biography ‘People Funny Boy’: how the maverick producer transformed the sound of reggae and its number-one group
Not as commercially successful as his bandmates, Bunny Wailer was a consummate songwriter
The photographer got his first big break touring with The Wailers in the 1970s, after skipping school to meet the band
Sixteen bullets and 27 operations later, Tanzania’s main opposition leader has recovered from a brutal assassination attempt – and is now in the middle of an even bigger fight
Having missed the chance to form a coalition, a so-called ‘endorsement’ may be the next-best step
The iconic concert to celebrate independence in Zimbabwe would prove to contain a warning
Gibson Mandishona on how he helped
compose a reggae classic
No one knows how many Ethiopians are in South Africa — but Abiy knows he needs their support
"To deny the contributions of black bodies to what is currently Brazil would be like denying the majority of your family".
Letta Mbulu and Caiphus Semenya are finally signing off on a project that’s been in the making for 20 years
"The promised land wasn’t all it was promised to be."
Family dynasties of musical legends allow us to vicariously indulge our nostalgia – but, surely, there’s a purpose beyond that.
Hooliganism haunts SA – from the ANC’s 2007 conference to last week’s chaos in Parliament.
Forty years ago, West Indies cricket and reggae music launched a dual assault on the citadels of the West.
Twenty-five years after his murder, Jamaica’s government has honoured the contributions of firebrand reggae artist Peter Tosh.
Reggae immortal Bob Marley has joined Barack Obama and Elvis Presley in the elite club of those who have biological species named in their honour.
No stone is left unturned in this biopic on the reggae star, but his private life remains elusive.
No image available
/ 13 February 2012
A documentary on Bob Marley has premiered to cheers at the Berlin film festival, tracking his journey from bullied biracial Jamaican boy to superstar.
Bob Marley’s 67th birthday provides an opportunity to reflect on reggae’s love affair with Africa.
Bob Marley’s legacy may be waning 30 years after his death as Jamaica’s youth prefers dancehall to reggae, but the singer remains a cult figure.
According to African tradition women are emotionally weak — tears are not only okay, they are expected.
No image available
/ 26 November 2007
A rising tide of travellers seeking out the new frontier of Egyptian tourism is threatening priceless rock art preserved for millennia in one of the most-isolated reaches of the Sahara. In Egypt’s south-west corner, straddling the borders of Sudan and Libya, the elegant paintings of prehistoric man and beast in the mountains of Gilf Kabir and Jebel Ouenat are as stunning in their simplicity as anything by Picasso.
No image available
/ 19 October 2007
Johannesburg police were on Friday looking for three men driving a blue Volkswagen Polo believed to have been involved in the murder of reggae star Lucky Dube (43). The musician was shot dead in a botched hijacking in Rosettenville at about 8.20pm on Thursday night, said a police spokesperson.
No image available
/ 18 October 2007
Reggae musician Lucky Dube was shot dead in a hijacking on Thursday in Rosettenville, Johannesburg police said. Captain Cheryl Engelbrecht said the incident took place at about 8.20pm when Dube (43) was driving in the Johannesburg suburb. He was dropping off his son in the area when he was attacked.