Knuckle City: Fisticuffs & Redemption in Mdantsane

Culture Reporter Television 2020-02-10 22:00:00

Set in the poor, rural town of Mdantsane, known as the boxing mecca of Mzansi, Qubeka’s film follows the anarchical descent of the two brothers into a hellish life as they are driven to the brink by an all-too-familiar toxic masculinity that breaks them down. Over and above a tale of men and boxing, ‘Knuckle City’ is in fact the story of a family’s ability to maintain some sort of unity in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

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Modes of Communication: Letters From The Underworlds

Culture Reporter Culture 2020-02-04 22:00:00

Following his standout performance at NYC Winter Jazzfest earlier this month, the visionary South African pianist and composer Nduduzo Makhathini has announced an April 3 release date for his Blue Note Records debut Modes of Communication: Letters from the Underworlds, an expansive album anchored by Makhathini’s expressive piano in which lyrical, plaintive horns mingle with percussion, pained yelps and urgent lyrics. The album is available for pre-order on CD and digital formats.

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Pilani Bubu’s Folklore - Chapter 1

Culture Reporter Culture 2020-01-22 22:00:00

Generations of African history is undocumented or destroyed, the preservation of our culture and beliefs is an important asset, as we define and redefine our own identity. Through the technology of music and art, we find ways to capture what is left of our folklore and re-imagine the Africa we want to be.

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Bôna by Thabiso Sekgala

Culture Reporter Culture 2020-01-21 22:00:00

The exhibition’s title, Bôna, is a Sesotho word with a double meaning. As a verb, Bôna means to “see”. When used as a pronoun, the word translates to “them”. Sekgala’s photographs evoke this title through the responses they elicit from the subjects in the work and in turn us, the viewers.

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Boyz II Men In Mzansi

Culture Reporter Culture 2020-01-20 22:00:00

With timeless soulful ballads including End of the Road, I’ll Make Love to You and Motownphilly, the trio hold the distinction of being the best-selling R&B group of all time, with an astounding 64 million albums sold worldwide. Their list of accolades includes 4 Grammy Awards, 9 American Music Awards, 9 Soul Train Awards, 3 Billboard Awards and a MOBO Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.

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Blessing Ngobeni | Study Song of Chicotte

Culture Reporter Culture 2020-01-12 22:00:00

Four years later, Ngobeni has revisited that powerful series and reproduced the artworks from that seminal show in the medium of print. The linocuts offer a graphic reinterpretation of Ngobeni’s large, bold, and complex collages on canvas – rendering the familiar images in softer tones of blues, purples and greys. The linocuts offer an intimate conversation with the artist, a quiet moment to reflect on his past statements, future ambitions and immediate realities.

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Dada Khanyisa – Good Feelings

Culture Reporter Culture 2020-01-12 22:00:00

“I took a lead from people just telling me what they see in the works. It made me comfortable in not just sticking to one narrative or pushing what I wanted them to see. I’m not precious about how people interpret the work so that’s why I’m shuffling the characters, seeing how they communicate next to each other and what narratives can be born from that.

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How Blacks Had the British Breathing Through The Wound

Culture Reporter Culture 2020-01-06 22:00:00

Those who follow the history of South Africa will know about this historic victory of the nation. In the shadow of an imposing rocky outcrop called iSandlwana, the bloodiest defeat inflicted on the British Army during the Victorian age took place.

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