Manana Mends
My lash lady layers another 12mm extension onto my natural ones as the last notes of Little Things lower into silence. When I’m ill, you’re what I take/Breath of fresh air when I suffocate… Manana and his stack of vocals taper off. My eyes are closed, ears are open and I sense, from the stillness in […]
Sjava SZN
Bad Hair has a good run. Thandiswa makes jazz, bringing her mother into public consciousness. Anatii barely loses his composure to respond that, actually, the beat is 150. ‘Ngud breathes new life into quarts. Mandoza dies, reportedly from cancer. Black Coffee bags a BET and SAMA back to back. Politics goes pop when Mabala Noise […]
Zoë Modiga’s nomthandazo
By the time we’ve shuffled past a pack of patrons and plonked ourselves into our seats, Zoë Modiga is already on stage. I ask my friend, who was saving our seats way ahead of showtime, if what Zoë is singing now is her first song. She shakes her head no, her eyes looking sorry for […]
Happy birthday, Thebe
Even before I knew Thebe had relocated to my hometown, the Vaal, I always thought he deserved his flowers. The man is a music maverick. So, in 2018, I gave him his flowers, while he could smell them, my way. My interview with him became the very first i(m)bali episode. It opened the door for […]
Jah Seed’s Story: an i(m)bali stem
People tell me all the time how they’re waiting for another i(m)bali episode. I never make promises but I know i(m)bali is important to me so I have to gift it to you in a way that honours it. So… the new season of i(m)bali will premiere this month. Until then, I thought this special […]
Everything you’ve heard about Pheko is true
It’s common for people to wax lyrical about someone who has passed. You know, not speaking ill of the dead and whatnot. But, if everything you’ve heard or read about Pheko Kgengoe since we lost him to the coronavirus this week seems really good, you can trust it. It’s all true. You’d be hard pressed […]
The Writers S02E01: dumama + kechou
I started The Writers series back in April 2019 as my way of showing my love to some of the songwriters I respect in black music. From one writer to another kind of writer. What I hadn’t anticipated was how often the creating process in general and the lyrics in particular would be a reflection […]
A Year Later: 5 Things I’ve Learned Since Quitting My Job
It’s taken me five days to actually write this post. To be honest, I thought I’d be publishing this post somewhere far from South Africa’s borders, having just sat down for an amazing video interview with an artist I really enjoy. But I am definitely in South Africa. And I haven’t sat face to face […]
Pearl Thusi is Queen Sono
Pearl Thusi, the star of Queen Sono, talks to Helen Herimbi about directing and dealing with trauma Pearl Thusi places her right hand under her chin and regards me suspiciously. One of her fingers sports a gilded Minora blade ring but she doesn’t look like she’s about to cut me. She’s actually tickled that I remember […]
On: The #CottonFest2020 Bowling Invitational
“Nah,” Twiggy’s gloss shimmers on parts of her lips as she shakes her head. “I only want winners on my team.” A mischievous smile is drawn on the face that’s helped to bring attention to a variety of brands from K-Way to Corona. The content creator whose real name is Tshepang Mollison is sitting with […]