New Books | Now You Know How Mapetla Died
Mapetla Mohapi, a member of the Black Consciousness movement, died in detention in 1976. Historian Zikhona Valela teases out the threads that led to his death.
Stories by: Zikhona Valela
The profound instrument: Sibongile Khumalo’s voice
Listening to the vocalist who elevated the traditions of South African music and refused to be confined to one genre is to appreciate the nuances of the voice as an instrument.
The magic and meaning of Dolly Rathebe
Despite being a pioneer of the film and music industry, her career output lacks a proper archive, reflecting the difficulties of life as a black performance artist during apartheid.
From slave to major composer – then erased again
Like most contributions made by black people to the classical canon in Britain, Ignatius Sancho’s work has been overlooked, even though he had a hand in shaping musical culture.
Remembering Zindzi Mandela, the writer
Her poetry anthology Black As I Am, published towards the end of the Black Consciousness era, is a window into the life of a child in apartheid and remains painfully relevant today.
Album Review | Inganekwane by Zoë Modiga
With her second album, a marvel that has been three years in the making, the singer-songwriter takes her place in a storytelling tradition in which black women are the vanguard.
‘Tom Tom’ takes its place in the operatic canon
Shirley Graham Du Bois’ ‘lost opera’ tells the diaspora story of African-Americans. Originally performed in 1932, it is being reproduced and restored to its rightful place in history.
The fantasy and freedom of Lebo Mathosa’s ‘Dream’
Lebo Mathosa’s debut offering bent genres and freed the imagination. Twenty years after its release, the album and its legacy deserve to be taken far more seriously.
Review | From Bongo With Love by Bongo Maffin
Despite a hiatus of more than a decade, Bongo Maffin has released an incendiary new album full of fresh sounds, tough political questions and odes to love and life.
Winnie’s fashion and politics
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela chose her outfits strategically, allowing them to speak when she could not, letting them become both acts of resistance and nodes of African pride.
Beyoncé divides and unites with her ‘love letter to Africa’
Whether or not you agree with the American pop icon’s statement about her Lion King-inspired album, The Gift is a symbol of ‘an artist at her most potent’.
John Singleton’s place in black history
The death of the film writer and director has highlighted that critics and the movie awards establishment have neglected black narratives
Lauryn Hill begat this
‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ is as attractive to hip-hop fans 20 years after the album’s release as it was in 1998.
Pretty Yende evokes and invokes the classics
The young soprano’s vocal range, dedication and hard work have won her global success.