


Hamba Kahle Madoda
The holidays are always intent on taking the elders away. While The Con was away on its December hiatus the lights of several of South Africa’s brightest were extinguished. Today, we pay tribute to two of them: the musician and stellar pianist Pat Matshikiza and the historian and writer Jeff Guy. Patrick Vuyo Matshikiza […]

Bravely, Confusingly, Nakhane Touré
It was early 2012. An email arrived from some young musician I had never heard of before. I lie. I had heard his name mentioned by a friend. He was Nakhane Touré, or, as his email suggested, Nakhane Mahlakahlaka. But I had never heard him perform live or even heard his music. Attached to that […]