ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT - The African Mirror

Jun

25

2025

FEYA FAKU: The Trumpet that sang Africa’s soul

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE golden brass is silent now. On June 23, 2025, in the distant mountains of Switzerland, Feya Faku drew his final breath, and with it, one of Africa's most luminous musical voices fell quiet. But even in death, his trumpet continues to sing - echoing through the townships of New Brighton, reverberating in the jazz clubs of Durban, and soaring across continents where his music touched souls and transformed hearts. In the vibrant township of New Brighton, Port Elizabeth - a crucible where South African jazz was forged in struggle and hope - a young Feya Faku discovered magic in…

Jun

24

2025

By RACHEL AMA ASAA ENGMANN

Kwame Akoto-Bamfo: the Ghanaian artist using work about slavery to find justice and healing

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THOUSANDS of sculpted heads – captive African men, women, and children – meticulously created by the artist Kwame Akoto-Bamfo, emerge from the soil at the Nkyinkyim Museum, as a sacred gathering of ancestors. Together, they form a powerful monument to the horror, violence, and resistance to enslavement, as well as the ongoing work of remembrance and healing. Kwame Akoto-Bamfo is a Ghanaian multidisciplinary artist who engages with the histories and legacies of the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism at home and, increasingly, internationally, on both sides of the Atlantic. As an archaeologist who works in the field of critical heritage…

Jun

24

2025

By The African Mirror

Leleti and Anand receive the prestigious Golden Nymph Award

HEADLINES, ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

SCREEN legends Leleti Khumalo and Anant Singh have once again placed South African storytelling on the global map with their triumphant win of the prestigious Golden Nymph Award at the Monte Carlo Television Festival in Monaco - one of Europe’s most esteemed honours in television and film. This victory marks a significant milestone for the veteran actress and acclaimed producer, whose collaboration on the short film Don’t Give Up powerfully captures the harsh realities faced by a mother living on the streets of Johannesburg. Don’t Give Up tells a deeply moving story without dialogue, using the timeless language of silent…

Jun

18

2025

By KIM GURNEY

5 indie art spaces in African cities worth knowing more about

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

INDEPENDENT art spaces are collectives of artists (and others) who club together to set up a communal space – often in former industrial sites and more affordable parts of the city – to further their practice. These spaces are DIY art institutions, if you like, that operate largely under the radar. In art world lingo, “offspaces”. Designed for purpose over profit, they encourage experimental work and creative risk-taking. They also favour art in public space, which provides an intriguing lens on the city. My Africa-wide research took me to five such spaces, each at least 10 years old, so that…

Jun

13

2025

By BONGEPHIWE DLAMINI-MYENI

Shaka iLembe: finally, a TV series on the Zulu king that’s true to language and culture

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

SHAKA Zulu is one of the most storied figures in South African history. Believed to have been born around 1787, the man also known as uShaka kaSenzangakhona is regarded as the founder of the country’s Zulu nation. Shaka has been the subject of numerous novels, poems, films and TV series. Many have offered distorted versions of Zulu culture. But the award-winning 2023 drama series Shaka iLembe seemed different. It was lauded by both critics and viewers for its epic storytelling and cultural authenticity. A second season of the series is now set to air. https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ald8QvDEgmE As scholars of isiZulu (the…

May

31

2025

By The African Mirror

Cinema’s revolutionary voice falls silent: Mohamed Lakhdar-Hamina, Africa’s only Palme d’Or Winner, dies at 91

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE lights have dimmed forever on one of Africa's greatest cinematic voices as Mohamed Lakhdar-Hamina, the legendary Algerian filmmaker who shattered barriers and rewrote the rules of global cinema, died at his home in Algiers at age 91. In a moment of poetic symmetry that would have suited one of his own films, Lakhdar-Hamina's death on May 23 coincided with a special Cannes Classics screening of his masterpiece Chronicles of the Years of Fire—the film that made him the first and only African director to claim the festival's coveted Palme d'Or nearly five decades ago. From Desert Warrior to Cinema's…

May

31

2025

By TINASHE MUSHAKAVANHU

Mbare Art Space: a colonial beer hall in Zimbabwe has become a vibrant arts centre

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

IN southern Africa, townships were built as segregated urban zones for black people. They were created under colonial and white minority rule policies that controlled movement, confined opportunity, and kept people apart. I grew up in a different historic black township in Zimbabwe, but Mbare was the first of its kind. It holds a unique place in the nation’s imagination. Mbare was originally named Harare. But in 1982, that name was reassigned to the capital city that houses it. In its storied past, it was once the heartbeat of black urban life. At its centre is Rufaro Stadium, where Bob…

May

31

2025

By RICK DE VILLIERS

Waiting for Godot has been translated into Afrikaans: what took so long

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

AT last, the most infamous latecomer in all of literature has arrived – not in the flesh, but in South Africa’s Afrikaans language. Irish playwright Samuel Beckett’s best-known drama, Waiting for Godot, now also lives as Ons Wag vir Godot. Published and staged in 2024, the translation was inspired by the official centenary of Afrikaans in 2025. As a Beckett scholar, I think it’s worth asking why Afrikaans is so late on the scene – and why it matters. Godot in many tongues First written in French, En attendant Godot was published in 1952 and debuted on stage the next…

May

30

2025

By JOVIAL RANTAO

A Tribute to Chicago Mike: The Voice That Moved a Continent

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE rhythm has quieted. The stage lights have dimmed. And somewhere across the vast continent of Africa, from the townships of South Africa to the bustling streets of Lagos, from the highlands of Kenya to the markets of Morocco, hearts are heavy with the loss of a voice that brought pure joy to millions. Michael "Chicago Mike" Sumler wasn't just a hype man - he was a bridge between cultures, a conductor of celebration, and the embodiment of music's power to unite people across oceans and continents. For forty years, his voice carried the infectious energy of Kool & the…

May

28

2025

By ADEDIRAN KAYODE ADEMIJU-BEPO

Seven Doors: sweeping Nigerian Netflix series masters the art of storytelling

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

FROM the opening credits of the new Netflix six-part series Seven Doors, the viewer is poised for a captivating cinematic experience. An array of sculptures dot the landscape as a montage of scenes unfolds, establishing the back story of the historical epic that is about to be played out. Femi Adebayo, the actor turned director and producer, had a huge hit in 2023 with the film Jagun Jagun (The Warrior), a historical epic love story that he produced. Now he’s back on Netflix acting in, producing and co-directing Seven Doors. As a theatre professor, author, playwright and film scholar, I…