MAGAZINE
The most recent of these obnoxious and false misconceptions about Biko is the statement made by journalist and author, Pieter Du Toit in his book, ‘The Stellenbosch Mafia’, that Johan Rupert “struck up a relationship with Black Consciousness leader Steve Biko”.
Ukugrumba, which means to “dig up” in isiXhosa, is a body of work motivated by my family’s trauma as a result of activism in South Africa's struggle against apartheid, liberation and reconciliation effects within present day South Africa.
The music of the mountains – which is ‘music of the day before yesterday, for a people of the day after tomorrow’ is a thrust of this Naga ya Fsa series of performances. Because as black artists who create, free within our minds, free within our heads, to free the land and acknowledge that we plan to make it more human between now and the day after tomorrow.
Asked by a grade 9 pupil why I would open every one of our poetry classes with a guided meditation session, I told them that it was to show them that I am not trying to instill stillness into them but rather make them aware of the stillness they are made up of.
I am Azania land of black folks/ Grain grown when stones were/ still as soft as butter./ I am Azania land of Zenji/ Truth made redundant/ by the tyrant´s gang
“Jazz musicians and their audiences are feeling the decline of Jo’burg City’s iconic jazz circuit and it is imperative to create new spaces where artists can let their riffs run wild and audiences can revel in the sound.