Audio

The Soil is a Soweto a capella group that entertains both young and old from all sects of society. Coming back to the National Arts Festival this year after winning an Ovation award, The Soil did it again and won the Ovation award. The Soil explains why they had to expand in the last year and introduce us to their new members.

Iphondo leMpuma Koloni lityebile ngokwenkcubeko, umculo, nomdaniso, kweyalonyaka iNational Arts Festival sibone amaqela amninzi avela kweli phondo, ebonisa ukutyeba kwale nkcubeko yabo , phantsi kwenkqubo esihloko esithi Rhythms of The Eastern Cape. U-Zinziswa Mani usityhilela ukutyeba kweliphondo kwi-podcast yakhe.

Selaelo Selota is no stranger to the jazz scene. In this year’s Stand Bank Festival in Grahamstown he pleased the crowd with his performance and brought the ‘heat’ to this year’s Festival. This sound slide explores Selota’s views of South Africa’s music industry and his lament of a South Africa without a culture.

Singer/songwriter and 2010 Silver Standard Bank Ovation award winner Meri Kenaz returned to the National Arts Festival this year with her unique blend of soul folk music. She shares her song writing process and performance philosophy in a podcast by Lauren Granger.

The National Arts Festival has provided a springboard for many a band and musicians in the past. With big dreams and small budgets behind many of these musos, the Mee Brothers are no different. The Mee Brothers, a band from Cape Town, decided to take on the challenge of Festival this year. Although they faced some hiccups – they emerged smiling.

Grahamstown band Shackles and Bones bring an acoustic set to the National Arts Festival where they hope to gain experience and diversify their audiences.

Although the band is just a year old, they made the finals of the local battle of the bands in 2010, allowing them the opportunity to record their first EP.

Laurie Levine and Lize Wild are a rare South African singer-instrumentalist duo working within the niched genre of contemporary folk music. This podcast profiles Levine's career and inspirations

Chris Engel (sax), Africa Mkhize (piano), Shane Cooper (bass) and Ayanda Sikade (drums) are the Young Guns - four talented jazz musicians, who represent the future of South African jazz. Zinziswa Mani interviewed the artists and found what makes this collaboration swing.

Lloyd Webber and friends is a tribute to one of the music industry's most prestigious artists, Andrew Lloyd Webber (Chess, Phantom of the Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar ). The show is an original creation from Richard Cock, performed by Nicholas Nicholaidis and Magdalene Minaar, accompanied by The Kwa-Zulu Natal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Shirilaulu is a duet with piano accompaniment that unites many cultures through songs in seven different languages. Lisa Brigham’s audiocast introduces you to 100 Tongues – a work by Rhodes University music students Yemurai Matibe (soprano), Lotta Matambo (mezzo-soprano) and Peter Cartwright (piano).