News
A live reading of A NIGHT WITH THE ELEPHANT and launch of “The Revolutionary Thoughts of Kwame Nkrumah”
Following the CIA-backed military coup of February 1966 in Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah makes a strategic retreat to Conakry, where the leader of the Guinean Revolution, Sekou Toure, appoints him “co-President”. Conakry is also home to Amilcar Cabral, leader of the PAIGC. The three leaders meet regularly at Nkrumah’s residence, Villa Sily, to plot the return of the Osagyefo to power in Ghana and reflect on the struggle vs apartheid, colonialism and neocolonialism. Also present at these reasonings are the likes of Miriam Makeba and Kwame Ture (who moved to Conakry in 1968), Julia Wright (daughter of Richard, and editor of Nkrumah’s ideological mouthpiece, The Spark) and Fodeba Keita (poet and chief-executioner of the Guinean regime). The sessions feed into Nkrumah’s prolific writing from Conakry (pamphlets like “The Spectre of Black Power”, “Handbook of Revolutionary Warfare” etc) and his monthly radio broadcasts on the Guinean “Voice of the Revolution”.
It is these “Conakry Dialogues” that the great Nigerian playwright Femi Osofisan dramatised into the diptych “Nkrumah-Ni, Africa-Ni”, of which “Night with the Elephant” is the 2nd part.
We are delighted to present a live reading of “Night with the Elephant”, on Thursday 26 September 2024, as rehearsal for a radio play, and to launch “The Revolutionary Thoughts of Kwame Nkrumah”, a new collection published by Inkani Books (Jhb) and edited by Efemia Chela and Vijay Prashad – Efemia will present this new collection before the reading.
Please join us. Or listen in via PASS.
Category: News, Pass Blog
Tags: Amilcar Cabral, Efemia Chela, Kwame Nkrumah, Sekou Toure, Vijay Prashad
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IZIMPABANGA ZOMHLABA – a listening session with Nombuso Mathibela
Early 20th century translation of Western texts into African languages by African writers for African readers was the invention of new worlds. Following the literary tradition established by the likes of Sol Plaatjie and Masizi Kunene, Makhosazana Xaba offers a conversion of Frantz Fanon’s classic ‘Wretched of the Earth’ into isiZulu. Thursday 22 August, 6pm, we host a close reading of Xaba’s text, Izimpabanga Zomhlaba, directed by Nombuso Mathibela LIVE in studio. Join us at the Chimurenga Factory (157 Victoria …
MSAFIRI KAFIRI – a conversation and listening Session on the roots and routes of Tanzanian hip hop with Seth Markle
We are pleased to be hosting Pan African scholar and educator, Seth Markle. In session, Markle will take us through the underground hip-hop scene of Tanzania, tracing the movement through a key selection of music, interviews and insights from his current project with on-the-ground artists-activists for whom hip-hop has long been a form of survival, expression, and cultural way of being. Thursday, 01 August, broadcasting live from 6pm. Tune in at www.panafricanspacestation.org.za Don’t miss out. Who no know go know
Category: Liberation Radio, News, Pass Blog, Pass Radio
Tags: Bi Kidude, hip hop, James Wamba, Julius Nyerere, Juma Nature, KBC, Kikosi cha Mzinga, King Kiki, Kwanza Unit, Langa Kileo, Mejah Mbuya, Seif, Seth Markle, Sista Carrolla, Squeeza, taarab, Tanzania, Ujamaa, Wamaba dia Wamba, zeze
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SANKOFA – a conversation and listening session with KING THA
We were honoured to host royalty at the Chimurenga Factory on 22 July 2024 – our revered King Tha, the earth-acclaimed singer-songwrioter and bandleader Thandiswa Mazwai joined us for groundings pon her new LP and our long march back to total liberation. King Tha was in conversation with our sister-comrade-poet-theorist Uhuru Phalafala. Listen to the session here: We retreat forward, always.
Launching The Breathers – THE LATEST IN THE CHIMURENGANYANA SERIES
We are pleased to be launching the latest addition to the Chimurenganyana series, The Breathers, a collaborative long poem by Daniel Borzutzky and Stacy Hardy. The Breathers is an attempt to experiment with ways to document both the suppression of breath caused by capitalism, and the liberation of breath, or, the mere act of breathing as a form of political resistance to those forces that confront our bodies with what cannot be said, what cannot be seen, and what cannot be …
Category: Live Events, News, Pass Blog
Tags: Bongani Kona, Daniel Borzutzky, Fred Schmalz, Stacy Hardy, The Breathers
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Heliacal Rising of Sothis – a celebration of Kelan Phil Cohran
Chimurenga proudly presents “Heliacal Rising of Sothis“, a celebration of the late great musician and educator Kelan Phil Cohran on his birthday 8 May 2024, also the 59th anniversary of the founding of AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians). Cohran was a co-founder of AACM as well as the founder of the Afro Arts Theatre. His seminal group the Artistic Heritage Ensemble generated numerous recordings and offshoots, including groups such as Earth, Wind and Fire and The Pharaohs. …
BHEKI KHOZA TRIO
We are pleased to host veteran guitarist, composer and mbaqanga jazz revivalist Bheki Khoza at the Chimurenga Factory. Bheki is a graduate of the legendary collective African Jazz Pioneers and has played with masters like Victor Ntoni, Winston Mankunku, Barney Rachabane, and more. He also wrote the music for Zola Maseko’s award winning film Drum (2004). For this session, he is accompanied by Allistair Gibbs (bass) and Nicholas Dlakavu (drums). Friday, 26 April 2024, 7pm Chimurenga Factory – 157 …
AFRICAN DAY – a listening session with Tete Mbambisa
We are delighted to host our elder, the pianist and composer Tete Mbambisa at the Chimurenga Factory on 27 March 2024 from 7pm, to celebrate the arrival of African Day, his latest LP. The album was recorded during the heyday of the As-Shams label in 1976, but never released. It features the cream of South African jazz, including: Sipho Gumede (bass), Gilbert Matthews (drums), Dennis Mpale (trumpet), Duke Makasi, Basil Coetzee, and Barney Rachabane (reeds). Bra Tete’s musical journey began …
Category: Live Events, News, Pass Blog
Tags: African Day, As-Shams, Barney Rachabane, Basil Coetzee, Dennis Mpale, Duke Makasi, Gilbert Matthews, Sipho Gumede, Tete Mbambisa
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SESASEDI SA TSODIO / SA KOŠA KE LEROLE: a screening of two film-essays
We are delighted to present a screening of two film-essays by Rangoato Hlasane – Sesasedi Sa Tsodio and Sa Koša Ke Lerole. Sesasedi Sa Tsodio delves into the kwaito DNA and its multiple umbilical cords searches for and celebrates the musicality of leleme la MaAfrika – sonic and phonetic aesthetics of black world making. The character of Tsodio as lyrical fiction/mythology travels through orature and storytelling in black musical and sonic histories of the past, present and future. Traveling banners, …
Category: News, Pass Blog
Tags: kwaito, Mahikeng, Mamelodi, Meadowlands, Rangoato Hlasane, Sa Koša Ke Lerole, Sesasedi Sa Tsodio
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Ubuhle Bendalo Community Arts Festival
We are proud to announce the 2nd edition of Ubuhle Bendalo,“the beauty of creation/nature”,an annual community arts festival organised by multi-disciplinary artist Breeze Yoko in collaboration with pan-African arts platform Chimurenga from 16 – 18 February 2024. Consisting of exhibitions, talks, workshops, performances and more, this year’s edition aims to bring our arts community together by providing a platform for engagement, collaboration and play. It features some of the country’s leading radical creators, including Mzwandile Buthelezi, Loyiso Mkhize, The Ninevites, …
Category: Live Events, News, Pass Blog, Pass Pop-up, Pass Radio
Tags: Breeze Yoko, Community Arts Festival, Ubuhle Bendalo
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