knowledge futures

Cultural activist Neo Muyanga talks African languages, protest music and dance

http://www.702.co.za/articles/14201/cultural-activist-neo-muyanga-talks-african-languages-protest-music-and-dance – Muyanga rocks the #FridayStandIn and clearly hasn’t forgotten all the radio skills he learnt as an EWN reporter over 20 years ago.

Neo Muyanga is your #FridayStandIn – creator of Madiba Magic opera

http://www.702.co.za/articles/14141/neo-muyanga-is-your-fridaystandin-creator-of-madiba-magic-opera – Neo Muyanga is a South African composer, musician and cultural activist born in Soweto, during the years of student protests.

dancing in other words, Spier Poetry Festival

The third Spier dancing in other words Poetry Festival returns 7 May 2016. Here they are: local and international guest poets at 2016 dancing in other words, Spier Poetry Festival, Saturday 7 May. Curators Breyten Breytenbach, Dominique Botha and Neo Muyanga are delighted to reveal the confirmed line-up of acclaimed poets and thinkers, from South Africa and abroad, participating in the third international Spier Poetry Festival, dancing in other words, on Saturday 7 May: From South Africa, JAMES MATTHEWS, our original “dissident poet”, born in the Bo-Kaap some eight plus decades ago. Professor KEORAPETSE WILLIE KGOSITSILE, our national poet laureate. Poet and novelist YVETTE CHRISTIANSË, South African-born, Australian-raised and currently residing in the US. From Lagos, one of Nigeria’s leading performance poets and festival directors, EFE PAUL AZINO. From Paris, acclaimed French philosopher and thinker-poet MICHEL DEGUY. Madame MARAM AL-MASSRI Syrian-born, Paris-based and recent winner of the Dante Alighieri Prize. HANS C. TEN BERGE, Dutch-born poet, essayist and translator. The group is joined by M. GEORGES LORY, French translator of, among others, Krog and Gordimer.

uma jam session na sexte

the similarities are fascinating between south africa and brazil: the contrasts and contention between races; the suspicion between those who have and those in need. beauty, ubiquitous and ugly, leaning just against your wall; control and how quickly it might turns into violence. protest season is back, yet so much more is unfolding too. it’s been incredibly easy to fit alongside, vide a recent jam session with friends I’d only just met that hour here, at the sexte arts loft in recife! muito obrigado karina buhr, lorena vicini, e os amigos de sexte!! neo.

a new Revolting Music in California

The International Studies Public Forum, UC Humanities Research Institute, and Illuminations Present Revolting Music Neo Muyanga South African musician and co-founder, PanAfrican Space Station “Revolting Music – A survey of the songs of protest that liberated South Africa.” It often comes as something of a surprise to many visitors to find that we, in South Africa, sang and danced throughout the decade of the 1980’s – a period many agree was one of the most violent phases in the struggle against the system of apartheid, and yet we, the people, sang and we made art fervently during this time. These acts were not merely stratagems for fun but the songs were a part of our arsenal in the fight to secure democratic rights for all and to overthrow the government. During his talk, Neo Muyanga will present a series of anecdotes and medleys of songs of protest from the era of the 80’s – songs of his youth – juxtaposed against new songs he has composed in response to the challenges of new socio-political realities in South Africa Today. This talk is sponsored by the Institute for International, Global and Regional Studies (IIGARS) 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). He continues to tour widely both as a solo performer and in various band guises. 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. Thursday, November 5, 2015 5:00-6:20pm University of California, Irvine Social Science Plaza A, Rm 1100 UC Humanities Research Institute | communications | uchri.org

Revolting music in California

Neo Muyanga ISPF.pdf