Africa Is a Country

Music Break

Music Break

By
Tom Devriendt

Ever since they started putting out records in 2007, Cape Town based label Pioneer Unit has been catching the local music scene off guard. (Remember them introducing Rattex, KONFAB, Ben Sharpa and Jaak.) But you’ll rarely see these artists on South African music channels. Whatever the reason for the industry’s reluctance in the past, it will be difficult for them to ignore this new video for Driemanskap‘s ‘S’phum’eGugs’. As the track title has it: they’re from Gugs (or Gugulethu, one of Cape Town’s townships, you’ll recognize most of the landmarks) and they’re killing it. And the only female in the group, Kanyi, sure got some skills, even when finding herself balancing on one of Gugulethu’s rooftops as we can see in the raw footage for the music video below:

[vimeo=http://www.vimeo.com/16969973 w=500&h=281]

– Tom Devriendt

Further Reading

No one should be surprised we exist

The documentary film, ‘Rolé—Histórias dos Rolezinhos’ by Afro-Brazilian filmmaker Vladimir Seixas uses sharp commentary to expose social, political, and cultural inequalities within Brazilian society.

Kenya’s stalemate

A fundamental contest between two orders is taking place in Kenya. Will its progressives seize the moment to catalyze a vision for social, economic, and political change?

More than a building

The film ‘No Place But Here’ uses VR or 360 media to immerse a viewer inside a housing occupation in Cape Town. In the process, it wants to challenge gentrification and the capitalist logic of home ownership.