Picós [have] served as communal entertainment for Colombians in coastal areas, where a majority of the country’s black population lives. The culture of the sound systems have always embraced and promoted African music and, as FACT Mag points out, ‘played a vital role in building a collective diasporan identity for many Afro-Colombians living in a…
Up-and-coming rapper Costa Titch is a polarising musician to say the least. He has been at the centre of a cultural appropriation debate on the Twitter hemisphere, as many have accused him of using Black South African culture and aesthetics to further his career. It doesn’t help his case that he has admitted on his…
Black history is as rich and vibrant as its subjects are. Much of its richness and vibrancy, can be drawn back to the knowledge that Africans are not a monolithic people. With enslaved African people kidnapped from various groupings of people from the Biafara, to the Mende and the Jola. As a result of these…
“Thor Rixon injects a freshness into the world of dream/pop…” Acid Stag Born and raised in Cape Town but currently living, working and immersed in the heart of Berlin’s cultural creative scene for the past five years, Thor Rixon dropped another one of his groovy dance floor burners titled “Dark Side”. The track featuring Deep…
So much has changed for DJ Lag and for the sound of Gqom. The Clermont-born producer has been able to travel the world and collaborate with pop mainstream royalty thanks to the explosion of the genre. However, despite the changes happening in his professional circumference and within the music landscape, DJ Lag’s artistic integrity remains…
It starts with a feeling. And that feeling becomes a lighthouse for creating music. Langa Mavuso’s debut album, LANGA, is his attempt to translate those feelings into words. The 12-track LP is a deep dive into his heartbreak – the avoidance of it, the losing of identity in it, and the reckoning with it. “I’ve…
With the release of his debut album, Umthala, Orlando East based producer xSipping is introducing the sound he has dubbed nguni energy to the world. Having begun producing in 2008 when a friend gave him a copy of the production software Fruity Loops, his early efforts were experimental featuring indigenous sonic and hip hop elements….
Creating off the cuff – that was Angel-Ho’s approach to making music for her latest EP, Alla Prima. The title of the project is inspired by the Italian painting technique where artists apply wet on wet paint without letting the layers dry. The process has given Angel the ability to express herself and her creativity…
While Burna Boy is undoubtedly one of the most well known — if not the most well known — featured and globally recognised Nigerian musicians, the African Giant artist is by no means and in no way the only musician blessing us with sonic tapestries woven from this particular expression and genealogy of music. As…
While Amapiano runs supreme on South Africa’s dance floors and charts, Gqom is still an ever-present force in the country’s music landscape. The sound is global and several major international artists have experimented with the sound and collaborated with some of the most prominent figures of the genre. It is no longer is an exclusively…
COVID-19 flipped the world upside down and left many people and businesses scrambling to hang tight. The music industry is no exception. It has had to adapt to the new conditions now that the possibilities of touring, doing live events, throwing album release parties, and having real physical time with fans have been taken off…
It is no secret that South Africa dances to the beat of its own drum, especially with Mzansi being the birthplace of a number of distinct genres that fall under the umbrella of electronic music. While music has been a distinct export for decades for South Africa, in recent times international attention has shifted towards…
