There are very few top female DJs in the official charts, but things are changing; being a DJ is no longer a boy’s club. For Women’s Month, Zethu Gqola speaks to two Cape Town trailblazers, DJs Sideshow and DJ Ruthy Pearl, on what it means to be female on the decks.
Zethu Gqola
Feature | 28 August 2014
Young Xhosa men are welcomed back by the community after spending a month undergoing initiation and circumcision in the open veld in Philippi. It was on a Friday and mostly older brothers and young children cheered on the three young men at New crossroads, Nyanga. The women waited patiently at the family home, preparing food and peeling vegetables, while the elders chatted and drank African beer waiting to share words of wisdom with the new men.
Masixole Feni and Hugo Bobeheman
News | 21 August 2014
72-year-old Nomzamo Mbete is determined to do her bit to help young township girls through dance.
Pharie Sefali
News | 21 August 2014
Young Xhosa men are welcomed back by the community after spending a month undergoing initiation and circumcision in the open veld in Philippi. It was on a Friday and mostly older brothers and young children cheered on the three young men at New crossroads, Nyanga. The women waited patiently at the family home, preparing food and peeling vegetables, while the elders chatted and drank African beer waiting to share words of wisdom with the new men.
Masixole Feni and Hugo Bobeheman
News | 21 August 2014
From Miami’s supercharged Ultra Music festival to Rocking the Daisies, Cape Town has become home to some of the highest grossing music festivals in the country. Our music journalist, Zethu Gqola, takes a look at how, if at all, four of the biggest festivals have benefitted struggling communities in and around Cape Town.
Zethu Gqola
Opinion | 20 August 2014
Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT) has staged a photo exhibition at its head office in Observatory, Cape Town, aimed at the ignorance and prejudice that comes with being labelled a sex worker.
Simbonile Mkwambi
News | 20 August 2014
Thanks to a successful woman, people in Khayelitsha don’t have to go to a mall to buy pizza - they can go to a pizza stand in Litha Park.
Pharie Sefali
News | 20 August 2014
If you live in Masiphumelele you will know Nongoloza’s Braai Place, or Kwa aunty, as some call it. You probably know the owner and she probably knows you too by name.
Zintle Swana
News | 18 August 2014
Zethu Gqola wonders if with high levels of poverty and most people unable to afford legal music downloads which cost up to R20 per song, are illegal music downloads really morally wrong?
Zethu Gqola
News | 13 August 2014
Zimbabwean Afro-soul music artist Shamie Mabvudzi will release his first video for 2014, Haruwe, on 13 August. He has established his own band, AfricentiQ, made up of five men and one woman. Mabvudzi is also launching a website this month, which will enable people to buy and listen to his music, see the latest news, interviews and tour information.
Tariro Washinyira
News | 12 August 2014
The Western Cape Bodybuilding Union held a competition in Bellville on the weekend of 9 and 10 August to select athletes to represent the province nationally in Port Elizabeth. The divisions ranged from under 15 to heavyweight athletes.
Siyabonga Kalipa
News | 12 August 2014
Muffin runs, a pop up shop, a new range of coffee beans and now training volunteers to be baristas -- Khayelitsha’s first coffee shop, the Department of Coffee (DOC) is growing and showing no signs of slowing down.
Mary-Anne Gontsana
News | 11 August 2014
This past weekend (18-19 July) saw the first ever Cape Town World Music Festival take place at the City Hall. The successful event brought artists such as Thandiswa Mazwai, The Brother Moves On, Beatenberg and more, all on to one stage.
Zethu Gqola
News | 24 July 2014
For many South Africans, the practice of traditional circumcision is vital for males if they wish their community to regard them as men and no longer boys. For most it is a significant experience, but for some it can be unbearable.
Pharie Sefali
News | 23 July 2014
The past two weeks have been an exciting time for all music lovers, with album releases of many genres making their way onto local airwaves. You can support local artists and listen to their fresh new sounds by buying their work. Below are five exceptional albums you definitely need to get your hands on!
Zethu Gqola
News | 17 July 2014
Thabani Marhanjana is growing a vegetable garden in an unusal place - on the roof of a two-story building in Makhaza, Khayelitsha.
Mary-Anne Gontsana
News | 15 July 2014