South Africa
Live Gallery: Karen Zoid in Sydney 17.03.2024
Karen Zoid’s debut show in Sydney is a riveting experience as she takes the audience on a nostalgic and heartfelt journey
Premiere: Ashton Nyte shares ‘Something Beautiful’ and announces new solo album for August
It’s always good to hear from prolific South African songwriter Ashton Nyte, who’s released an impressive 18 albums between his work as leader of The Awakening and his eponymous solo venture. Based in the U.S., he’s focused on the full-band project over the last few years, in addition to being temporarily sidelined by the pandemic, …
PREMIERE: Nick Leng is at his most vulnerable in clip for ‘My Mind is a Mess in the Morning’; new album next month
Six weeks out from the release of his new album, Nick Leng shares a glimpse of him at his lowest, with the title of ‘My Mind is a Mess in the Morning’ speaking for itself. It’s an emotional sucker punch detailing Leng’s struggles with his mental health and being amazed people still care about him …
Album Review: Almon Memela – Funky Africa : a South African soul-jazz classic revived.
Call off the search! The chroniclers at We Are Busy Bodies continue their significant excavation of the rich seams of seventies South African jazz with the release of Almon Memela’s ‘Funky Africa’ (remastered by Noah Mintz and available from May 6th). This classic slab of soul-jazz rare groove, hotly pursued by crate diggers, turntablists and …
Droppin’ Knowledge: 03CAS, Hip Hop’s Monet, Creates Painterly, Impressionistic Music That Defies Easy Categorization
When the musician and experimental hip hop iconoclast 03CAS emigrated from South Africa to the United Kingdom, he landed at London’s Heathrow Airport with little more than the clothes on his back. “It was the first time I was on a plane,” recalled the artist, born Caleb Mateus, as he recently recounted his early days …
Track: Abdullah Ibrahim – Jabula
Legendary South African jazz pianist Abdullah Ibrahim has shared a track ‘Jabula’ from his forthcoming album ‘The Balance’, out via Gearbox Records on June 28th. At the grand old age of 84, and able to look back over a lifetime in jazz which has included playing with everyone from Duke Ellington to Max Roach, John Coltrane …
Album Review: Gumba Fire: Bubblegum Soul and Synth Boogie in 1980s South Africa
There was a time where music from the Africa fell under the catch-all phrase of “world music”. Despite trendsetters such as Fela Kuti creating such lavish works which to this day still influences an incredible number of musicians, to explain tropicalia or afro-beat was to be met with heads cocked sideways and an utterance of …
See: Prism Tats releases new video for Dagger
Prism Tats is the moniker for South African native Garett van der Spek, now based in LA. Today, in anticipation of his album “Mambo”, due out on 2 March, Prism Tats has released a video for the song “Daggers”. It’s a slightly unhinged and menacing video but it cannot undermine the indie-pop power of the …
News: New Ibiza club Hi Ibiza announces Black Coffee as first resident DJ
If you’re heading out to the party Island this Summer, be sure to check out Hï Ibiza (Space), the brand new club by Ushuaïa Entertainment. Launching this summer, they’ve just announced Southbound African DJ and producer Black Coffee will take up a weekly Saturday night residency at the new superclub, which opens this May. South …
See: Nozinja releases video for Baby Do U Feel Me, plus Summer dates
After releasing his new, and brilliant, album Nozinja’s Lodge on Warp Records last month, South Africa producer Nozinja himself is back with a new video for album cut ‘Baby Do U Feel Me’. It propels along at a breakneck 190bpm, and is scattered with percussion everywhere that ripples away. Underneath, there are these female vocal …