News
ZAMROCK EXPRESS – a four-part documentary series on the liberatory sound of Zambia
Chimurenga, in collaboration with Zambian folk singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Stanley Sibande, presents ‘Zamrock Express’ – a four-part documentary series on the liberatory sound of Zambia of the early 1970s.
Born out of the conditions of the copperbelt mining province in northern Zambia, Zamrock’s fusion aesthetic of traditional music blended with psychedelic rock, blues and funk visualises – sonically – the urban boom following Zambia’s independence in 1964, and is a response to Kenneth Kaunda’s nationalisation of music content on the Zambian airwaves under the slogan “One Zambia, One nation”.
Tune in via Pan African Space Station to listen.
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Episode 1 – Pali akantunse (Once Upon a time): A journey through Zamrock’s most influential bands Musi-O-Tunya, WITCH (We Intend To Cause Havoc), Ngozi Family and more.
Thursday August 7 from 18:00
Episode 2 – Ulupwa lwaba Dobson: Tribute to Ngozi Family
Friday 8 August from 18:00
Episode 3 – Ilyashi Muma sevente: A view into the political and economic happenings that were unfolding in the periphery of the decade of Zamrock.
Saturday 9 August from 18:00
Episode 4 – Ulwambo lwa kalindula (the birth of Kalindula)
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We are proud to present ‘Dialogues on Soil II’, the Johannesburg edition of After Extraction, a publication and research-based initiative by Mpho Matsipa in collaboration with Chimurenga, exploring intersections between creative practice and environmental science. It extends the African Mobilities archive of pan-African voices as a layered text that holds multiple perspectives on African futures and deep pasts. After extraction delves into the legacies of extraction and proposes speculative futures rooted in indigenous knowledge systems and artistic response. The project features the …
Category: News, Pass Blog
Tags: African Mobilities, Kutlwano Ramphele, Miliswa Ndziba, Mpho Matsipa, Senzeni Marasela
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A GATHERING – for Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o
We’re honoured to broadcast a two-part memorial reading (Monday 30 June & Wednesday 2 July from 6pm) for the writer, educator and revolutionary Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o (1938-2025) – organised by our longtime comrades Serubiri Moses and Bwesigye Bwa-Mwesigire and structured around the chronology of Ngũgĩ ‘s publications. A major thread concerns the arrival of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o as a rebel theorist following his detainment, as well as his long preoccupation with the legacy of the Kenya Land and Freedom Army, as well as …
Category: News, Pass Blog
Tags: Bwesigye Bwa-Mwesigire, Ngugi Wa Thiongo, Serubiri Moses
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NGUGI WA THIONG’O – THE WRITER IN POST-COLONIAL AFRICA with an introduction by Ari Sitas
Following the popular success of “Matigari ma Njiruungi” the Kikuyu version of Ngugi wa Thiongo’s 6th novel in 1986, word got to then-President Daniel Arap Moi that a revolutionary called Matigari was going around the country asking awkward questions about truth and justice in postcolonial Kenya. Moi promptly demanded this person be arrested. After the infamous Security Branch reported that Matigari was a character in a novel, Moi demanded they arrest the book! At the time Ngugi was in exile …
FATIMA AND THE DUST – a listening session with Leila Bencharnia
Moroccan artist and composer Leila Bencharnia presents ‘Fatima and the Dust’, a new sound piece, and music selections at the Chimurenga Factory on Friday 6 June, from 6.30pm. ‘Fatima and the Dust’ delves into the spiritual world of Gnawa, rooted in Sufism and other African spiritualities, where music and rituals are pathways between the earthly and the divine. The piece is a tribute to the silent yet essential role of women—guardians of ancestral heritage, keepers of rituals, and weavers of …
FOREST NOTEBOOKS LAUNCH OF THE ECHO-LOGIES SERIES
We are proud to present Forest Notebooks by Mario Lewis, the first publication in the ‘Black Echologies’ series, an ongoing collaborative project between Chimurenga and Nyabinghi Lab, a Berlin based independent arts collective. The ‘Black Echologies’ series challenges mainstream ecological discourse—its coloniality and exclusion of indigenous knowledge. Forest Notebooks brings together a (mostly) unfiltered interpretation of Lewis’ year-long journey working in the forests of Trinidad through striking illustrations and elementary notes. Join us to celebrate the launch of the Black …
Category: Live Events, News
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SONGS FOR WINNIE – LAUNCH OF THE LATEST CHRONIC WITH A SEMBLANCE
Chimurenga presents the launch of the latest edition The Chronic – Brandfort: Liberation Capital with a special performance by A Semblance
Category: Live Events, News, Pass Blog
Tags: Asher Gamedze, winnie madikizela-mandela
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MBIZO! – a gathering for Johnny Dyani [8 March 2025 LIVE @ Constellation, Chicago]
On 8 March 2025, Chimurenga presented ‘MBIZO! a gathering for Johnny Dyani’, a LIVE concert performance at CONSTELLATION (3111 N Western Ave, Chicago) from 8:30pm (CST) / 4:30 (SAST). Conducted by Ben LaMar Gay and Adam Zanolini Featuring Dee Alexander (voice); Nicole Mitchell (flute, electronics); Adam Zanolini (woodwinds, bass); Fred Jackson and Ernest Dawkins (woodwinds); Ben LaMar Gay (cornet, electronics); Matthew Davis (trombone); Sharon Udoh (piano); Ivan Taylor (bass); Jovia Armstrong (percussion); Naydja Bruton (drums) By the time 39-year-old Johnny …
CHIMURENGA X SEPTOBER presents – BACKBREAKNOMICS! FRIDAY 21 Feb at Chimurenga Factory
Chimurenga and Septober Energy presents: “BACKBREAKANOMICS!” FRIDAY 21 Feb at CHIMURENGA FACTORY (157 Victoria Rd, Woodstock Cape Town) 18:00 til late The Joburg-based DJ/collector ensemble SEPTOBER ENERGY joins forces with kindred spirits CHIMURENGA in the name of all things groove! This collaboration brings together a massive B2B lineup of your favourite selektors from JHB & CPT in sonic conversation. All vinyl, no rules, no genre. Featuring: Dj Bubbles Riki Jenks Hypocrite Sound of Xee El Corazon Soul Br_th_r Gadaffi the …
KEENAN AHRENDS TRIO – LIVE at Chimurenga Factory
Join us on Saturday 15 February 2025 (from 20:00 – 22:00) for a live performance with Keenan Ahrends Trio – Keenan Ahrends (guitar), Benjamin Jephta (bass) and Jonno Sweetman (drums). Pre-sale tickets available for R150 via Quicket and R200 on the night. After a successful tour in New York, Keenan Ahrends is set to tour South Africa in February. With his trio, he returns home for his second stop at Chimurenga Factory, Cape Town. The performance features compositions from his …