As South Africa passes the anniversary of 20 years of democracy it is important to reflect on both the failures and successes of democratic South Africa. South Africa in 2014 is a markedly different country. it enjoys a pluralistic political system; freedom of speech...
musicians
Carol Martin talked with France-based author Maxine McGregor over the phone, 1 Oct 2013
CM: Towards the end of the book, you mention Chris's alignment with Buddhist philosophy. What was his spirituality like? MM: Chris was very spiritual. He had no problem with ego, and read a lot, particularly of Alice Bailey's works. He was also very interested in...
EMOTIONAL EBBS AND FLOWS by Carol Martin
Who would ever think that an award-winning young South African jazz bassist, with impressive collaborations in Europe and the USA, and past scholarship opportunities that helped grow his music, would divulge some inner personal turmoil in his first CD album,...
Chris McGregor and the Brotherhood of Breath
The morning of our father's 82nd birthday dawned with the news of Chris's death. We had known for some time that he was desperately ill and so had already booked a flight to France to go and visit him – ironically the flight was due to leave that very evening. Chris...
Listening to Miles in New Brighton | by Nkosinathi Jikeka
Growing up in New Brighton meant becoming passionate about music regardless of style, whether it be jazz, soul, dance or whatever. We in the Eastern Cape have a proud history in music, politics, arts, culture, and sports. Add fashion, good times and just plain old...
Film reviews
The Noise of Cairo Director Heiko Lange (2012) This film looks at the explosion of creativity in the 18 days that shook the world in Egypt 2011 and led to the fall of the Mubarak regime. It gives us the perspective of dancers, street musicians, poets, graffiti artists...
Information is not knowledge | by Andy Wilson
David Stubbs, Fear of Music: Why People Get Rothko But Don’t Get Stockhausen (Zero, 2010), £9.99_ The Tate Modern is one of the biggest cultural attractions in the UK, welcoming over five million visitors a year.1 Thousands flocked to see its recent Futurist and...
Jazzin’ Cape Town | by Carol Martin
There are a growing number of music venues in Cape Town that promote a higher level of musical consciousness. Not only with the audience development in listening for appreciation that they promote but also with the space that they provide for musical exploration and...
World music: myth or reality? | by Andre Marais
It is not unusual these days to walk into any music store and find a category called ‘World Music’ – most commonly displayed alphabetically, according to country and not artist, quite unlike the other products in the shop. The term has become a marketing ploy and a...



