contributors
Malaika wa Azania
is a Masters candidate in the Department of Geography at Rhodes University and the author of bestselling, internationally acclaimed Memoirs of a Born Free: Reflections on the Rainbow Nation
Baloji
is an artist in motion, a musician, poet, film director, a man of images and ideas. He’s in motion like the inhabitants of Avenue Kaniama in Lubumbashi. In motion like the synthetic afro beats he produces, the fruit of an unlikely alliance between rockrumba and futurist funk. Baloji means “man of science” in Swahili, but during the colonial period, that meaning shifted as a result of Christian evangelisation, to signify “man of the occult sciences” and then “sorcerer”. Baloji was born in Lubumbashi (DRC Congo) and grew up in Belgium.
Michael Blake
was born in 1951 in Cape Town and left South Africa in 1977 to settle in London where he continued his studies and formed the alternative new music ensemble London New Music. Returning to South Africa in 1998, he established the ISCM South Africa, the New Music Indaba and Unyazi festivals and the Sterkfontein Composers Meeting. Largely self-taught as a composer, his work is associated with conceptual art and the beginning of an experimental music movement in South Africa in the 1970s. He currently divides his time between his home, in France, and South Africa where he is Honorary Professor of Experimental Music at Africa Open Institute, University of Stellenbosch.
Azola Dayile
is a writer and social activist from KwaZakhele, Port Elizabeth. His interests straddle between poems, politics, philosophy, the media and cultural studies. He currently lives in Johannesburg where thinks and writes for a living.
Sazi Dlamini
musicologist and composer in the South African township tradition – lectures in Music at UKZN. He composes and performs on Nguni musical bows such as ugubhu, umakhweyana, umqangala, uhadi and builds musical instruments including flutes, harps and horns from bamboo, reed, horn, calabash and recycled materials/objects. In 2009, he was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree by UKZN for his thesis South African Blue Notes: Bebop, Mbaqanga, Apartheid and the Exiling of a Musical Imagination.
Aryan Kaganof
is a project of African Noise Foundation. He is also Conceiver, Curator and Editor of herri.
Antjie Krog
was born on 23 October 1952 on a farm in the Free State. She completed her BA degree with Afrikaans (cum laude), Philosophy (cum laude) and English at the University of the Orange Freestate and then she went on to obtain a Masters degree in Afrikaans at the University of Pretoria. She also completed a Teachers diploma (cum laude) at the University of South Africa. Antjie has published nine volumes of poetry, two volumes of verse for children, a short novel published by Heinemann and a book, Country of my Skull, on the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission published by Random House.
Dave Langemann
is a Cape Town based recording engineer with 27 years live and studio experience. He has a strong interest in recording acoustic based instruments. World music, jazz and classical styles are among his favourites. Dave has, amongst others, engineered and/or mixed Abdullah Ibrahim, Jonny Clegg, Freshlyground, Cape Town International Jazz Festival, Tony Cedras (Paul Simon band), and Medicine Boy.
Patrick Lee-Thorp
is a pro-democracy activist turned music business player. He has been an active music publisher for over 40 years. He is also a music producer of concert and recording studio productions and owner of award winning record label, Mountain Records. The former Capetonian now lives and works in Hamburg, Germany.
Tshepo Madlingozi
I am a senior lecturer in the Department of Jurisprudence, University of Pretoria. I am also an extra-ordinary senior lecturer in the Department of Public Law, University of Stellenbosch. I read for my PhD degree at Birkbeck, University of London. Member of the Editorial Committee of the African Human Rights Law Journal. Member of the Management Committee of the Pretoria University Law Press. Research Collaborator for the research project ‘ALICE: Strange Mirrors, Unsuspecting Lessons’ coordinated by Prof. Boaventura de Sousa Santos at the Centre for Social Studies, University of Coimbra, Portugal
Motlhabane Mashiangwako
one of Azania’s most neglected artists Motlhabane Mashiangwako was part of the Mamelodi-based group mentored by the late Geoff Mphakathi which included Lefifi Tladi, Winston Saoli and Fikile Magadlela. Known affectionately to those who loved him as Bra Si, this first issue of herri is dedicated to his memory.
Wamuwi Mbao
is a literary critic and cultural studies scholar. His short stories have been published in various collections. He lectures at Stellenbosch University on the practice of literary criticism and post-transitional South African subjectivities.
Mbe Mbhele
is a writer based in Joburg. He is a member of an art collective called Black Thought Symposium. “My dabbling with theory is nothing but a lousy excuse to run away from the brutal reality of my work of fiction.”
Jurgen Meekel
is a multi media artist who studied audio-visual art and sculpture at the Rietveld Academy of Fine-Arts in Amsterdam where he graduated cum laude in 1989. In 2018 he recieved an MAFA with distinction from Wits University. He works and collaborates on contemporary art installation pieces, sculptures, animation, motion graphics, film and video work that he exhibits/broadcasts nationally and internationally. He currently teaches Post Production at the Wits School of the Arts in Film & TV in Johannesburg. He is also part of the design team of herri.
Patric Tariq Mellet
was born and grew up in the working class districts of old Cape Town – Salt River, Woodstock and District Six. His family were poor working people from what was regarded as a grey area community of people who came to be classified during the Apartheid years, as ‘coloured’ and ‘white’ but defiantly contradicted the official segregationist paradigm and did not neatly fit into these labels. Patric Tariq Mellet is a heritage activist, storyteller and educator specialising in Cape slavery studies.
Vulane Mthembu
born in Mpumalanga Hammardsale KZN. A photographer, musician, producer, blogger, DJ, remixer. Co-founder of the alternative group BIG FKN GUN (have performed at TEDxSoweto, Design Indaba etc). Member of the Red Bull Music Academy affiliated Touch is A Move collective. One of the organisers and co-coordinator of the Durban International Film Festival, JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience, Poetry Africa and Time of the Writer Festivals. Coder Dojo mentor, Mathematics and Science educator. A Pneumatic and industrial technician and ordained Dudeism priest. Have worked with Madala Kunene, Spoek Mathambo, Moonchild Sanelly, Busiswa Gqulu, OkMalumkoolkat, MXO amongst other. At your service
Neo Muyanga
was born in Soweto. He studied the Italian madrigal tradition with choral maestro, Piero Poclen, in Trieste, Italy. In the mid 90’s he co-founded the acoustic pop duo, BLK Sonshine with Masauko Chipembere, garnering a following throughout Southern Africa and Internationally. Neo writes music plays, chorus songs and has a variety of works for chamber and large ensemble (his operetta, “the Flower of Shembe”, premiered to critical acclaim in 2012). Neo co-founded the Pan African Space Station in 2008 with Chimurenga’s publishing editor, Ntone Edjabe, as a continually evolving host of cutting-edge Pan African music and sound art on the internet and across stages in Cape Town and other parts of the globe.
Pakama Ncume
works as a Sound Archivist at Africa Open Institute for Music, Research and Innovation, Stellenbosch University. After completing her B.A (Music Education) degree at the then University of Transkei, she enrolled for Postgraduate Diploma in Library and Information Science (PGDIPLIS) at the University of Cape Town. It was during her time as an educator that Pakama decided to further her studies and enrolled with the University of Transkei for an honours degree in Library and Information Science, a degree she completed in 2004. In 2013, Pakama started working at Walter Sisulu University where she was appointed as a Music Librarian and Sound Archivist. In 2017, she joined AOI for the role of a Sound Archivist, mainly responsible for digitizing a wide collection of sound records including reel to reel tapes, LP’s, tape cassettes etc.
Malika Lueen Ndlovu
is a Durban – born poet, playwright, performer arts project manager and mother of three, with a wide range of experience in the Arts and Arts Management arenas. Her poetry books include Born in Africa But and Womb to World: A Labour of Love, Truth is both Spirit and Flesh, which includes a selection of South African tribute poems entitled Let’s Not Wait To Praise You When You’re Dead and her poetic memoir Invisible Earthquake: a Woman’s Journal through Stillbirth published by Modjaji Books in March 2009, marking the beginning of her awareness-raising campaign on this underexposed aspect of many women’s experience across the globe. Malika is a founder-member of Cape Town-based women writers’ collective WEAVE, co-editor of their multi-genre anthology WEAVE’s Ink @ Boiling Point: A selection of 21st Century Black Women’s writing from the Southern Tip of Africa. In 2004 Malika joined The Mothertongue Project, a women performing artists, writers and visual artists collective, scripting for their highly successful Grahamstown Festival 2004 production – Uhambo! : Pieces of a Dream.
Ncebakazi Mnukwana
is a researcher of Nguni bow music specialising in Xhosa umrhubhe and uhadi. A music educator, she spends most of her days training teachers, and is lecturer in ethnomusicology and World music at the Konservatorium, at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. Miss Mnukwana was born in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. She began her education at St. Joseph Primary School, then went on to Kingswood College and St. Cyprian’s School. At the University of Cape Town Miss Mnukwana received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree and is currently reading for her PhD.
Njabulo Ndebele
I was born on Sunday July 4, 1948 in Johannesburg at Coronation Hospital. I published two books during my tenure as Vice-Chancellor of UCT: The Cry of Winnie Mandela (2004) and Fine Lines from the Box: Further Thoughts About our Country (2007). I like to think that they came out of the compulsions and resilience of the artist and thinker in me to stay alive.
Tšepo Ntsukunyane
is from Harrismith. He studied at Central University of Technology, Vega Brand Communications School and Varsity College Sandton.
Anele Nzimande
is a law graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand. In 2016 she joined the Centre for Applied Legal Studies as a Legal Researcher in the Business and Human Rights unit. Anele is a published author, content creator and communications specialist.
Henk Oosterling
born 1952 in Rotterdam, is a former teacher and Dutch champion Japanese swordfighting and associate professor of philosophy at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. He has been implementing his research on intermediality, intercultural and ecophilosophy in schoolcurricula in primary and secondary schools in Rotterdam. Next to receiving the Van Praag award for his oeuvre in 2013, he was rewarded in 2008 with the Laurenspenning, an honorary medal, from the city of Rotterdam and the Enligthened Society Award of the Shambhala Tibetan Buddists in 2015.
Rithuli Orleyn’s
meditations on race & racism have been published in Mail & Guardian, Reddit, The Dailyvox, The Con, Sunday Tribune (IOL) among others. He works for Blackhouse Kollective – a home for Black Consciousness and Pan Afrikanist activists in Soweto. He holds an M.A. (creative writing) from Rhodes University. He has also been invited to share his work on SABC Radio & TV.
Lwazi Pakade
is from Gcuwa, Eastern Cape. He studied Decision Making and Value Studeis at Stellenbosch University. He worked at South African Student Congress (SASCO). He lives in Cape Town.
Martijn Pantlin
is a full stack web developer specialized in making custom web experiences. He has more than 20 years of IT experience, working in the fields of 3D animation, art direction and executive management of video games before switching to web development 10 years ago. With roots in Amsterdam, Martijn is a free roaming world citizen and based everywhere the web goes.
Marietjie Pauw
is an Andrew W. Mellon-funded postdoctoral researcher with Africa Open – Institute for Music, Research and Innovation at Stellenbosch University where her research focuses on aspects of curating music in local contexts and on exploring alternative publishing formats. Her current music curations are inspired by the investigation of interventionist approaches that contemporary curating, artistic research and decolonial aestheSis bring when brought into orbit with classical (and broader than classical) sound installations. Marietjie completed the degrees BMus, BMus(Hons) and MMus at Stellenbosch University, and received the Unisa Teaching Licentiate in Music and the Unisa Performance Licentiate in Music (with flute as instrument) from the University of South Africa in 1991. As flutist she has played with chamber musicians, poets and artists that have premièred South African compositions, and performed on national festivals such as the National Arts Festival, the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees and the Woordfees.
Lesego Rampolokeng
humble as ever Papa Ramps says “maybe 3 novels, 9 poetry collections, audio recordings and films should do. plus collaborations across media with all sorts of insane creatures.” he forgot to mention Lesego Rampolokeng has won the University of Johannesburg Main Prize for his novel Bird-Monk Seding (Deep South Publishers), Rampolokeng wins prize money of R75,000.
Andrea Rolfes
achieved her degree in fine art through the Wits Technichon, South Africa and the Rietveld Academy of Fine Arts in the Netherlands . Rolfes is an artist, designer and curator who lives in Johannesburg . Rolfes’ artworks often combine drawn, painted, stitched and machine sewn elements . Her work is autobiographical and experiential, exhibiting a fine and fragmented aesthetic approach. She is also the web designer of herri.
Hilde Roos
is the General Manager of Africa Open Institute for Music, Research and Innovation at Stellenbosch University. Her research interests concern the archive, historical representations of the practice of Western art music and the concomitant (colonial) mutations thereof in South Africa. Her book The La Traviata Affair: Opera in the Age of Apartheid is published by University of California Press.
Warrick Sony
(Kalahari Surfers) has been involved in music / sound practice and studies for most of his adult life. His work in sound in film as a sound recordist, sound designer, sound mixer, composer and performer, helped finance the Shifty Studio project in the late 1980’s. Straddling the analogue / digital change over in recording technologies, Shifty Studios developed a DIY/Punk ethic which laid the foundation for Sony’s experimental projects thereafter. He recently completed a Masters in Fine Art (sound) at UCT and is currently enrolled in a PHD programme at the Centre for Humanities Research at UWC .
Cara Stacey
is a South African musician, composer and researcher. She is a pianist and plays southern African musical bows (umrhubhe, uhadi, makhweyane). Cara holds a doctorate in African music, investigating the makhweyane musical bow from the kingdom of Eswatini (University of Cape Town/SOAS). Cara has performed across southern Africa, in the United Kingdom, the USA and Switzerland with the likes of Shabaka Hutchings, Sarathy Korwar, Dan Leavers, Galina Juritz, Beat Keller, Matchume Zango, Jason Singh and Juliana Venter.