Text Messages | Covid-19 and the rise of AI
EM Forster’s 1909 story about a world controlled by the Machine is eerily prescient as governments turn to artificial intelligence to monitor, track and control citizens during the coronavirus pandemic.
Culture
The expansive art world of Banele Khoza
Offering virtual gallery tours during Covid-19, the artist and gallerist continues to break walls and widen access, turning the white cube into a colourful prism.
Album Review | Mathambo’s ‘Tales from the Lost Cities’
Spoek Mathambo’s latest album offers an audio-documentary on the present state of South Africa. It is a social commentary in the form of music, Spoek’s voice and skits from reality.
Text Messages | The trickery of time
We tend to think of time as progressive. But when stretched or reversed, it can lead to powerful plots and rich writing.
Book Review | Khamr: The Makings of a Waterslams
Jamil Khan’s memoir is a resonant debut that explores his life and the society that shaped it, while inverting power dynamics in writing.
Of drumming, Tony Allen, Charles Mungoshi and my cousin
Drummers have the power to allow Zimbabweans to commune with their ancestors, and none more so than those with elevated talent on the skins.
Jazz for the struggle and the struggle for jazz
The Rainbow is one of many art spaces struggling to survive the Covid-19 lockdown. The venue’s place in the history of South African jazz and the struggle against apartheid is extraordinary.
Text Messages | Dissecting life
Michel de Montaigne refined his thoughts and words for more than 20 years to produce his now 440-year-old Essays. It is Book III that offers riveting reading for our coronavirus-ridden times.
The poetic power of Idir
Through lyrical depictions of Kabyle culture at a time when Algeria was ravaged by civil war and repressive rule, musician Idir exemplified the role of the artist in society.
Tony Allen: the man who brought Afrobeat to the world
Dubbed the world’s greatest drummer, the Nigerian musician who died in April co-created the Afrobeat genre and went on to collaborate with artists across the musical spectrum.
Irrfan Khan, the quintessential cinematic genius
Khan was among the few South Asian artists who achieved global acclaim through his seamlessly humanistic portrayals of enigmatic characters, adding a considerable theatrical flourish to his roles.
Text Messages | V is for victory
Though overlooked in celebrations, the Soviet Union helped win World War II – but what the Nazis didn’t accomplish, the European Union did, pushing countries into debt slavery.
Celebrating the lost past with Masekela and Allen
Rejoice, a long dormant collaborative album between Hugh Masekela and Tony Allen, was released just before Allen’s recent death. It’s a reminder of how much the artists mean to so many.
Chiwoniso Maraire’s ancient voice muffled too soon
The Zimbabwean mbira player and chanteuse died tragically young at 37, before she had fulfilled her vast potential. Her legacy, however, lives on.
Text Messages | Dust to dust
Humanity’s tenuous connection to what makes us human is severed after a mysterious global plague breaks out in Mary Shelley’s other great novel, The Last Man.
Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi’s fine line
The US-born painter has the penetrating vision of the outsider, with roots in four countries and two histories of exile.
Covid-19 an opportunity to reinvent arts education
The coronavirus pandemic is forcing many forms of education online, but for the Market Theatre Lab it’s a chance to rethink the way training for a career in the arts is perceived.
Text Messages | After the apocalypse
As we navigate a world that suddenly has become uncharted, solace can be found in After London, published in 1885, a remarkable science fiction novel that speaks to our Covid-19 condition.
Mandla Mlangeni album marks rebirth of As-Shams
The historic South African record label’s new release highlights its work as an archive for the country’s jazz scene since the 1960s.
Text Messages | Endings, and beginnings
There can be no happy ending to the Covid-19 pandemic. But like the best literature, an ending can provide solace and much to contemplate – and perhaps, a glorious new beginning.
Nazar translates Angola’s recent history into sound
As a way of coping when a child, Nazar would express his loneliness and fear in sound. So it was only natural that this would progress into his style when he began making music as an adult.