ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT - The African Mirror

Jan

10

2025

A special treat: Kaytranada in South Africa on Timeless Tour

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

FRESH off a warm reception in Cape Town, Haitian DJ Kaytranada will continue his Timeless tour at the second leg of the US-based Milk and Cookies Festival, at Huddle Park, in Johannesburg on January 11. The Grammy award winning producer returned to the southernmost tip in Africa as a headliner for the debut of the Milk & Cookies Festival, a new festival from the city of Atlanta, United States. The festival has a two-leg run in South Africa, which started in Cape Town on January 6, and will conclude in a sold-out show in Johannesburg, whereafter Kaytranada heads to Australia…

Nov

27

2024

By KARA BLACKMORE

Dakar Biennale: Senegal’s big art show shines a light on a bruised planet

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

ONE of Africa’s most important art shows, the 15th Biennale of Contemporary African Art in Dakar – also known as Dak'Art – is currently on in Senegal. A biennale is a major international exhibition held every two years. The theme for 2024 is The Wake – L’Éveil and this year there’s a strong focus on trauma, people and the planet. Kara Blackmore is an anthropologist and curator who specialises in community-driven exhibition-making. She’s also an associate curator – one of the team of women who are responsible for artist selection and exhibition making – at this year’s biennale. She told…

Nov

21

2024

By SIFISO NDLOVU

Esther Mahlangu: how the famous South African artist keeps her Ndebele culture alive

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

ESTHER Mahlangu’s retrospective of her world-famous art was first shown in Cape Town and has now opened in Johannesburg. The 89-year-old South African visual artist is best known for her colourful large-scale murals in the traditional patterns and colours of the Ndebele people of South Africa – once famously displayed on a BMW as part of a global advertising campaign. But how is she regarded by her people and what does her work represent? We asked Sifiso Ndlovu, an expert in the art and identity of the Ndebele people, to tell us more. Who is Esther Mahlangu? Esther Nostokana Mahlangu…

Nov

14

2024

By The African Mirror

Zkhiphani marks 15 years of cultural impact with unforgettable event this December!

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

ON December 1, 2024, Zkhiphani celebrates 15 years of championing urban youth culture with a major event at 1Fox in Newtown, Johannesburg. A pivotal platform for the latest in music, fashion, and art, Zkhiphani’s anniversary festival promises an all-encompassing cultural experience alongside four powerhouse partners—The Sobering Podcast, $TREETFE$T Underground, Happyville, and Partytime’s Playroom to create an immersive experience for South Africa’s youth. In the lead-up to this event, Zkhiphani hosted the ZK15 Live Sessions at the Fresh AF offices in Sandton. This three-day event offered intimate discussions with friends of Zkhiphani and featured live performances by top artists, including Khuli…

Nov

13

2024

By The African Mirror

A star rises from the south and conquers at the MTV EMAs

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE lights of Manchester's arena sparkled like the stars over the African savanna as a young South African sensation stood on stage, tears gleaming in her eyes. Tyla, draped in a dress that paid homage to her idol Aaliyah, could barely contain her emotion as she clutched her third award of the night – a feat never before achieved by an African artist at the MTV EMAs. "I'm just as shocked as you guys," she managed to say, her voice trembling with genuine surprise and joy. The journey from South Africa to this glittering stage in England seemed almost dreamlike,…

Nov

12

2024

By The African Mirror

Joy Dancer: dance documentary shows the power of movement to give a voice to the silenced

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

IN 2018, when visiting the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, South Africa, choreographer Gregory Maqoma came across the multimedia installation The African Choir 1891 Re-imagined (2017). Created by composers Thuthuka Sibisi and Philip Miller and curated by Renee Mussai, the installation tells the story of a group of South African singers who toured Britain, Canada and America between 1891 and 1893, raising money for a missionary school back home. Moved by the work, Maqoma reached out to Sibisi and the pair decided to collaborate. The result was Broken Chord, another performance piece that tells the story of this group of singers,…

Nov

09

2024

By The African Mirror

Celebrating a borderless existence with the Feather Awards

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE Feather Awards are back for their sixteenth edition, and this year, the spotlight was on “Borderless Existence,” a theme that embraces the concept of unity without boundaries, celebrating the ever-expanding diversity within the LGBTQIA+ community and beyond. And what a night it was!!! As the Feather Awards continue to grow in prestige and influence, this year’s event takes a bold step forward by not only celebrating the resilience and creativity of LGBTQIA+ individuals but also extending its embrace to include differently-abled people and minority groups who have traditionally been marginalized within mainstream conversations. With a focus on inclusivity, the…

Nov

06

2024

By LEIGH CARRIAGE

‘I can make a band play like a singer sings’: Quincy Jones shaped our listening for seven decades

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

THE legendary composer, musical arranger and producer Quincy Jones has died at 91. Over his long career, Jones arranged and produced for a broad range of genres. His work blended the traditions of jazz, popular, world music and Western classical music. This was perhaps most present in his 1989 album Back on the Block. It features jazz improvisation, Zulu language, gospel and rapping. The album won seven Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. But even more than his own albums, Jones will be familiar to listeners across decades of popular music, for his work as a producer and arranger…

Oct

26

2024

By The African Mirror

Introducing Joburg’s newest luxury destinations OKIO & Bellucci Lounge

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

NESTLED in the heart of Africa’s richest square mile, a game-changing nightlife destination has arrived: welcome to OKIO and the Bellucci Luxury Lounge. This meticulously designed venue invites you to indulge your senses and elevate your evenings into a world of unparalleled luxury and energy. Offering two distinct and elegant spaces, OKIO Nightclub and Bellucci Luxury Lounge, this destination stands out for its unique ambiance and attention to detail. OKIO Nightclub From the moment you step into OKIO (pronounced Awk-Key-Oh), the modern luxury nightclub and event venue, you will be mesmerized by its striking design—an artistic fusion of rich colours and textures. With opulent lounge…

Oct

12

2024

By ALABA ILESANMI

From Fela Kuti to Jimi Hendrix and The Grateful Dead – the story of music manager Rikki Stein

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

RIKKI Stein, born into a regular, middle-class home in the UK, has had what must have seemed an unlikely career. As a music manager, he has toured the world in the company of music legends – from the late Nigerian Afrobeat star Fela Kuti to American rockers The Grateful Dead and Morocco’s Master Musicians of Joujouka. The stories of the people working behind the scenes supporting great artists rarely get the spotlight they deserve. But Stein’s recently released autobiography Moving Music is as colourful and compelling as the artists he’s worked with. It serves as a time capsule of sorts,…