Articles
LISTEN: SONGS FOR WINNIE BY A SEMBLANCE
CHIMURENGA LIBRARY
Banished to Brandfort in 1977, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela noted that this act, carried out by the apartheid authorities, was intended “to bury me forever.” However, it was her presence that ultimately repositioned the small rural town in the Free State as a centre for black radicalism.
Lat year we published an edition titled “Brandfort: Liberation Capital (1977-86)”, an oral history of the town in the time of Winnie Mandela, through interviews with townspeople, collaborators and companions, re-examining her operation of a clinic, crèche and library in the context of the Black Consciousness Movement’s community programmes; the network of collaboration that facilitated her political work from the Free State and its impact on the broader liberation struggle; the modes of communication and speech-acts she used during her banishment, and more.
And to welcome this publication we invited A semblance, Asher Gamedze’s free-funk collective, to arrange an hour-long suite inspired by the immense body musical and literary work that honoured Winnie’s years in Brandfort, including Sathima Benjamin’s “Winnie Mandela, Beloved Heroine”, Gwendolyn Brooks’s epic poem “Song for Winnie”, Milton Nascimento’s “Lágrimas Do Sul (para Winnie Mandela)”, June Jordan’s “Every Night, Winnie Mandela”, and many more.
The A semblance ensemble performed the piece at the Chimurenga Factory on 24 April 2025.
We listen to the recording of this performance from 7pm tonight. Live on PASS, tune in!
Thursday, 14 May 2026 from 7pm
Live on the Pan African Space Station
Category: Articles, Liberation Radio, News, Pass Blog, Pass Replay
Tags: A Semblance, Asher Gamedze, winnie madikizela-mandela
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LISTEN: “MORE MORE MORE… FUTURE” BY FAUSTIN LINYEKULA AND STUDIO KABAKO
Category: Articles, Liberation Radio, News, Pass Blog, Pass Radio
Tags: Faustin Linyekula, Studio Kabako
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PASS Pop-up in Paris
From September 17 – 19 2015, the Pan African Space Station (PASS) Pop-up was installed inside the gallery of Fondation Cartier, Paris with live programming that explored the past-present-future of Congolese music cultures. This intervention was a part of the exhibition Beauté Congo – 1926-2015 – Congo Kitoko. Participating artists in the PASS Pop-UP in Paris included Ray Lema, Elikia M’bokolo, Syllart Records, Afrikaada Magazine, Baloji, Shenguen Shegue, Kongo Astronauts, Christine Eyene. Contributions will also be beamed in from New York, Montreal …
PASS Lagos Daily Runnings: Sunday, 26th June 2016
Pan African Space Station at Freedom Park in Lagos, 23rd -26th of June 2016 The PASS pop-up studio as an intimate, improvisatory live space becomes one for entangling different realities and experiences – with participants and listeners prompted by ideas of utopia and oppression, history and the future, borders, time, art and technology. Recordings from the live sessions culminate in an archive of experiments: speaking, listening, playing, partying and community. From June 23-26, PASS descends on Freedom Park in Lagos, …
Category: Articles
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Bantu Hour with Ade Bantu and guests: Show Dem Camp(SDC), Falana & Bez
Adegoke Odukoya, better known as Adé Bantu (born 13 July 1971 in Wembley, London), is a Nigerian-German musician, producer and activist. He is best known as the founder of the Afro-German musical collective and NGO Brothers Keepers and as the front man of the 12 piece band Bantu. He received the Kora Award (the Pan-African equivalent of the Grammy) for his album “Fuji Satisfaction” in 2005. On Sunday’s show, he features Show Dem Camp, Falana and Bez The Show Dem Camp duo, both born …
Lyricism and Lagos: Jumoke Verrisimo with Edoato and Awoko
Lyricism and Lagos with Nigerian poet and writer Jumoke Verissimo. Featuring a live performance with musicians Edoato (Afrogenius Band) and Awoko. Jumoke Verissimo is the author of two poetry collections. The award-winning I am memory (Dada Books, 2008), and well-received The Birth of Illusion (Fullpoint, 2015). Her novel manuscript was longlisted for Kwani prize in 2012. Verissimo has travelled performed her poetry at major world festivals. She currently works as a content strategist, writer and editor in a Public Relations Company. Agbeniyi Edaoto is the leader of …
Category: Articles, Pass Blog, Pass Radio
Tags: Awoko, Edoato, Jumoke Verrisimo, PASS Lagos
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Speed of Thought with Tam Fiofiri and Funsho Ogundipe
THE SPEED OF THOUGHT is a discussion that examines the mental process that triggers the mind into the realm of spontaneous creativity as well demonstrated during solo improvisations in jazz music and, in stream-of-thought literature as well. Using music, poetry and historical references the panel will explore the Sun Ra Cosmic Equation which philosophises that, “Imagination is a magic carpet/Upon which we may soar to different lands and climes/If we came from nowhere here/Why can’t we go somewhere there?” This …