Simphiwe Dana sings the room into stillness
Moya is her quiet insistence that excellence, faith and African high art can hold grief without spectacle
African Jazz
‘I Want People to Dance’: Tresor Talks Music, Legacy and Joy of Jazz
Tresor reflects on a decade of award-winning African pop, his groundbreaking collaborations with Drake and Hugh Masekela and the music that inspires him today
Musician Siya Charles is breaking brass ceilings
The 2025 Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz reflects on her beginnings, her inspirations and her vision for South African jazz
Lumanyano Mzi: From Cape Town to the world
Cape Town prodigy Lumanyano Mzi returns home to share the musical flair that carried him to global stages
Sun Xa Experiment: Merging ancestral rhythms and afrofuturism in Soweto’s music scene
The avant-garde music transcends boundaries, blending healing sounds and community roots
Bridging the black Atlantic in jazz
The collaboration between Thomas Mapfumo and Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith, broke new ground and should have grown cult status
A repository for jazz historians
In the face of dwindling writing about South African jazz, bassist and composer Carlo Mombelli’s new offering is a repository for future historians.
Drummer Ayanda Sikade unearths the lost gem ‘Movements’
It took years for Ayanda Sikade to release the album Movements, which secures his place in the jazz idiom
Dr Malombo fought to keep his music in a genre of its own
One thing Philip Tabane left us remains definite: that it is possible to influence others as much as it is possible to learn from them.
Folly to call mastery arrogance
A chance comment about Nduduzo Makhathini reveals the ignorant disdain in which many people hold those who succeed
Keep walking: Mulatu Astatke remains a musician in motion
The Ethiopian jazz master continues to attract attention with his very own blend of Ethio-Jazz
Farewell to my childhood
The distinct voice full of charm and realness is gone. But there is still so much music, enough music to heal us and teach us for lifetimes to come.
Print, publish, distribute
Coming to grips with this moment of disillusionment means finding new ways to use our voices
Letta and Caiphus: Still watering the tree of uhuru
Letta Mbulu and Caiphus Semenya are finally signing off on a project that’s been in the making for 20 years
Many rivers for Phiri to cross
Stimela’s beloved storyteller constantly indulged his thirst for learning and his quest for meaning.
How SA jazz saved my spirituality
I discovered that, for me, the genre is a blood-deep belief that links me to an ancient lineage.
Thandi Klaasen: Defying tragedy to do it her way
From being a starlet in Sophiatown through to a disfiguring assault, Thandi Klaasen’s capacity for resilience meant she just kept on singing.
Sello Galane and Nono Nkoane talk afrophonics and all that jazz
The kiba champion has helped singer and composer Nono Nkoane redefine the position of her music in relation to jazz, writes Kwanele Sosibo.
Bra Hugh blows in at 73
It has been a huge week for Hugh Masekela. Not only did he celebrate his 73rd birthday, but he also launched a new album and a record label.
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Where has all the music gone?
International festivals aren’t the only music in Cape Town. In Gugulethu, a trade union is leading efforts to keep community sounds alive.
Sheer hard work brings its rewards
With the launch of his third album, <i>South African History !X</i>, 25-year-old Kyle Shepherd has grown up.
Notes from the heart
Despite finding global fame playing bass for Paul Simon and a host of other artists, local record labels ‘don’t know what to do’ with Bakithi Kuma.
Saul sings a rare treat for jazz lovers
The <em>Guardian</em> in London called her "the Queen of African Jazz" and composer Pinise Saul more than merits the title.
Win tickets to see Asanda Bam
We have two double tickets to give away to see Asanda Bam perform at the Old Mutual Jazz series in Jo’burg.
Riding the new wave of SA jazz
Bokani Dyer’s sound is a strong, individual one and an emblem of the rise of a new wave of contemporary South Africa jazz voices.
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Washington comes to Jo’burg
Salim Washington chats to Percy Mabandu about South Africa’s creative wealth.
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Southern inflection
Two new jazz instrumentalists are taking inspiration from their Zimbabwean experience, writes Percy Zvomuya.
