Shield and Spear | DIFF 2014

by Matt Vend / 25.07.2014 Shield and Spear tells the story of the dreams and aspirations of local artists and musicians in post-apartheid South Africa. Mzansi is a country still torn and divided, still suffering

THE LOVE GOT ME BAD

by Marie-Claire de Villiers / 23.07.2014 Marie-Claire de Villiers dances herself crazy at the Cape Town World Music Festival. The sounds of Vieux Farka Touré, Los Tacos, Thandiswa Mazwai, Mix ‘n Blend and others left crowds

COSMIC SOUNDS

by Matt Vend / 21.07.2014 Entering the Pinetown taxi rank after dark is comparable to entering a post-apocalyptic warzone. Litter and debris is scattered throughout the streets as the last surviving humans loiter and wander

THE KOOLEST KAT

by Tseliso Monaheng / 18.07.2014 It was only a matter of time before a European label scooped Okmalumkoolkat. He tested international waters with 2010s collaboration with Hyperdub’s L.V (entitled Boomslang) and always projects the image

Roskilde Roaring

by Kevin Goss-Ross / Images by Kevin Goss-Ross & Christoffer Rosenfeldt / 17.07.2014 After giving Mahala the finger a few years back, I approached the Ed for tickets to Roskilde with my tail between my legs, a day before press accreditation closed, thinking

ROCK, ART, PHUZA

by Hugh Upsher / Images by Dirk Steenkamp / 16.07.2014 With the amount of sophisticated wine drinking going down, the First Thursdays art happening can now claim the title 'Phuza Thursdays For White People'. I carved out a manageable schedule

Talkin’ Desert Blues

by Matt Vend / 08.07.2014 Vieux Farka Touré, the Malian blues legend, will be back in South Africa next week after his sold out performances last year. He describes his latest album Mon Pays (My

Progress Through Plunder

by Hugh Upsher / Images by Stephen Bester / 04.07.2014 Releasing three full length albums as a South African rock band is generally reserved for legends like Springbok Nude Girls or Fokofpolisiekar. So how did The Slashdogs get three great

THAW THE COLD NIGHT

by Matt Vend / 03.07.2014 Cool Runnings, the old Rasta den never really changes… rude boys and girls are drinking and boogying as Bob Marley blasts through damaged speakers. “I wanna looove and treat you

The Music of Roots Grown Deep

by Tseliso Monaheng / 30.06.2014 JKE, originally hailing from the States (born in Kansas, raised in Indiana), has been living on-and-off in Limpopo for the past six years. He currently tills the soil in GaMphahlele