african musicianslatest news & developments
Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse performs on the Kippies stage during the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. Photo: Armand Hough

Forty years of fire: Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse ignites Cape Town Jazz Fest

Witnessing his fans dancing to ‘Burn Out’ proved to Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse his enduring power. The legend talks about his energy-filled performance at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, his spiritual foundation and the evolution of South African jazz.

  • Busi Lethole
7 min read
Powerful presence: Fatoumata Diawara performing at the CTIJF 2026. Photo: Armand Hough

Fatoumata Diawara channels ancestry and activism in Cape Town

Blending Malian heritage with high-energy pop, Fatoumata Diawara used the CTIJF stage to honour her roots and confront FGM, proving that heritage and modern activism are inseparable

  • Busi Lethole
8 min read
British multi-instrumentalist and seven-time Grammy winner Jacob Collier performs on the Kippies stage at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival in Cape Town. Picture / Henk Kruger / Independent Media

Reinventing the Cape Town International Jazz Festival without losing the jazz

Co-director Georgia Jones says the festival’s future depends on championing African artists, drawing younger audiences and making space for genres like amapiano without losing its core identity

  • Busi Lethole
10 min read
Frame of mind: Apiwe Bubu, who hails from the Eastern Cape, and now has his own studio in Los Angeles, came back to his home country to record his debut album. Photo: Ofentse Moatshe

10 Hours, 8 Tracks, 1 Lifetime: Apiwe Bubu’s 20-year journey to his debut album

Apiwe Bubu’s debut album is the culmination of a decades-long journey across continents, studios and genres — finally coming home to piano

  • Eyaaz
8 min read