A nighttime haunt in the backstreets of Orlando run by a well-known bootlegger should have been a prime zone for nefarious underworld activities. Instead, it nurtured an underground of a different kind
The history of clubbing in Jo’burg is less about physical space and fading memories, but about the sheer, frightful necessity of dancing
In 1998, Sibongile Khumalo and other musicians recorded an odyssey through SA’s musical landscape. Decades later, it helped Thandi Ntuli find her way to self
The cultural shifts in post-war Germany led to truly distinct forms of pop music, particularly in Berlin
A drummer’s contribution to one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll bands
Watching several of Coltrane’s harmonic and melodic experiments at the cusp of the 1960s, Amiri Baraka emerges frightened, yet energised
‘I never looked at it like it was my work’: Justin Nomad says his mural at The Orbit ensured the musician never left the building, even when the music stopped
Steve Dyer reflects on jazz musician Bheki Mseleku’s contribution to the canon
‘Beyond the Stars’ forces us to think about Mseleku’s solo piano practice as an approach to inhabiting sound
Neil Gonsalves was formally taught, unlike his colleague Bheki Mseleku, but he was in awe of the genius the of multi-instrumentalist
Bheki Mseleku, or ‘Mr Bruce’ as he was known, roamed the globe but was at home in mantra mode
Fancy figuring how a torn-up shoe inspired Sechaba Morojele’s new film? Or sipping cocktails while listening to Tefo Mahola? Whatever your tastes, we’ve got you covered this long weekend
The collaborative album Indaba Is, facilitated by Siyabonga Mthembu and Thandi Ntuli, is greater than the sum of its parts
Well versed in many styles, the producer drew on vintage drum ’n bass to win an international remix competition
In this extract from But Beautiful, the writer Geoff Dyer reflects on how photographs ‘work on you’
The trombonist’s music-making was inextricably tied up with South Africa’s struggle for freedom
‘Amandla’s’ status as a cultural rallying point during apartheid is captured in this Sounds review, republished in Chimurenga’s book ‘Festac 77’
Siphiwe Mhlambi spent several years photographing his friend Jonas Gwangwa as he performed. Mhlambi spoke to the Mail & Guardian about their relationship
Gwangwa’s love for the struggle was genuine and deep, never cosmetic – and he couldn’t have written an unattractive tune if he tried
Mpumie Moholo (1947-2021), who passed this week, was the engine driving the success of her husband, jazz drummer Louis Moholo-Moholo
A builder of networks and a tactical freedom fighter, Violet Molebatsi Gwangwa nurtured not only the liberation movement, but also the creative spirit within her family
Writer and visual artist Percy Mabandu talks about the energy of his portrait of Bra Winston Mankuku Ngozi, entitled ‘The Bull’
Cascading between moods and styles, the nine tracks on NLite’s album offer a lightness of spirit
From art exhibitions to live jazz, we’ve got your weekend programming sorted
From the virtual Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival to live theatre back on stage at the Baxter in Cape Town, we’ve got you covered
Poet and activist Myesha Jenkins (1948-2020) took her craft, including her teaching, extremely seriously
Naftali has just released his debut single, ‘Kea Shwa’. He tells us a bit about his music-making journey.
Thandi Ntuli’s new album, ‘Live at Jazzwerkstatt’, is a radiant turn, with dark a darker meta-narrative
Several jazz offerings at the virtual festival focus on journeys and identity
The guitarist’s book, Introduction to South African Guitar Style: Volume One is due to be published at the end of the year
Here’s a look back at how the annual International Jazz Day, now in its 9th year, has been celebrated across the world.
Oyama Mabandla explores the idea that artistic success has spiritual bliss at its centre.