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Mad about music: Sudanese musician Jantra, whose name translates as “craziness”, with his trusty blue Yamaha keyboard, playing at a party in DarGoog in Sudan recently. His album Synthesized Sudan was released by Ostinato Records earlier this year. Photo: Janto Koité/Ostinato Records
SYNTHESIZED SUDAN

The hidden music of Africa is a whole ‘nother reissue

Record labels that bring us sounds which fly under the radar This content is restricted to registered users and subscribers. Get Your Free Account The Mail & Guardian is…

  • Charles Leonard
1 min read
Helping hand: The Strut record label relaunched the career of Ethiopian musician and arranger Mulatu Astatke, who is considered the father of Ethio-jazz. Photo: Alexis Maryon
AFRICAN MUSIC

Move over, Indiana Jones

The reissuing of African music is far more than merely an exercise in nostalgia and ‘retromania’

  • Charles Leonard
6 min read
Off air: Count Basie appeared on the BBC in 1968, but that’s unlikely to have been allowed at the SABC. Photo: David Redfern/Getty Images
JIM REEVES

Inside the minds of the censors

Decisions about what music to ban at the SABC were inconsistent, and – what’s worse – random This content is restricted to registered users and subscribers. Get Your Free Account…

  • Charles Leonard
1 min read
Record time: Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness bring the excitement of their performances to their records, including the latest, ‘Millions of Us’.
AHMED BEN ALI

Records that got me in a spin

Short reviews of some of the recent vinyl purchases that have made me smile

  • Charles Leonard
8 min read
Few can confidently ignore the culture reset that happened when Compton-born emcee Kendrick Lamar released his critically acclaimed and creatively ambitious concept album ‘good kid, m.A.A.d city’ a decade ago
HIP HOP

The vinyl countdown

Enhance the festive feeling by choosing from this carefully curated vinyl collection, courtesy of Tseliso Monaheng

  • Tseliso Monaheng
8 min read
AUB DRIVER

Streaming killed the Musica star

The rise of music platforms such as Spotify spelled the end for the last music chain store standing, but music enthusiasts say vinyl isn’t dead yet

  • Tshegofatso Mathe
5 min read
To date, Matsuli Music has resurrected sixteen important recordings for a new and growing audience of vinyl collectors.
ARCHIVING

The Portfolio: Matsuli Music

Independent record label Matsuli Music is passionate about finding and re-issuing South Africa’s historilcal music moments on vinyl

  • Matt Temple
  • Chris Albertyn
2 min read