We caught up with Dumisani Sibeko after he won the Standard Bank Halakasha photo competition. This Johannesburg photographer is excited about his prize, the state of South Africa and football as a whole. This is what he has to say:

Tell us about yourself. Who is Dumisani? What do you do and what are your passions? Read more »

Our entire lives are surrounded by music, from advertising jingles, music in the elevator, mobile phone ringtones to regular radio. It's near unavoidable in the modern world. Chances are pretty high that your teenage son/daughter or relative is also totally engrossed in pop music to the point where their preferred genre is quite often extended to being a "culture" of sorts. They may see your jazz music as old and confusing. How do you change this perception? Read more »

The Ndebele’s beautiful simple beadwork in bright colours (at first they used glass beads, but today, plastic ones are cheaper) in capes and aprons and bracelets too is both adorning and significatory. Colours and patterns may be indications of social status such as whether a woman is married. Read more »

“Puppetry, an ancient medium, is taking on new forms and offering a new language in theatre that provides an extraordinary experience” explains Janni Younge, Winner of Standard Bank’s Young Artist Award for Theatre.

“It’s essentially metaphoric. In other words, by using puppets you’re already working with a metaphor which encourages an audience to embark on a flight of fancy that stimulates the imagination and opens the mind to new ways of approaching ideas. It’s also versatile. It can be used naturalistically, comically, poetically – and can reach all ends of the scale.” Read more »

The 2010 Standard Bank Jazz Festival line-up saw some of the biggest names in jazz ignite the torch, in Grahamstown that will burn for many years to come. Our hat off to Alan Webster, the Jazz Festival Director, for putting together a programme that has exceeded all expectations and left audiences yearning for more. The Standard Bank Jazz Festival at The Grahamstown National Arts Festival has – over the years - built its stature to become one of the premium jazz properties on the calendar, and this year star-studded line-up took it a few notches higher. Read more »

Internet Radio is basically streamed audio over an Internet connection (as opposed to normal radio which makes use of radio waves). Because the audio streams, you don't really have control over which songs get played nor can you fast-forward or rewind, just like normal radio. One of the big advantages of this form of media consumption over traditional radio though is that you can listen to highly specialised stations. Read more »

Samson Diamond’s start in music was informed by accident not intention though it soon became necessary to his existence. What follows is an edited version of an interview with this year’s Standard Bank Young Artist for Music.

What are you performing at this year’s National Arts Festival?
Sonata for Solo Violin No. 2 in A minor Op. 21 by Eugène Ysaÿe
Black Angels for amplified string quartet by Geroge Crumb

What was your experience of music as a child? Read more »