Muse Journal

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  • The Music That Makes Me A Better Woman

    Nothing feels more South African than turning up those local old-school gems for the whole community to enjoy on the weekend. On our street’s playlist this week was Letta Mbulu and Caiphus Semenya’s ‘Ndi Phendule’, the couple’s most loved hit song. It’s the kind of song that immediately engages your heart and asks it to…

  • 3 years after the breakup, at a cozy bar [February Love Story Series]

    Kemisetso was my home. She was truly a friend for my soul; she was the space I craved when the rest of the world was too claustrophobic. Two weeks ago, I risked it all and asked her if I could return home. I didn’t put it in those exact words; I wish I had enough…

  • Kemi and Sechaba’s Genesis [February Love Story Series]

    We used to keep busy during the days playing Bheki Mseleku’s Mamelodi on Mme’s Vinyl player. My grandparents shared a deep love for Jazz music that we also inherited as we spent more time under their roof. She wouldn’t want anyone to touch her husband’s vinyl player; it was her most cherished possession in his…

  • Kemi’s heartbreak song [February Love Story Series]

    My eyes open, and the pinch of the sun dawning on my broken heart stings harder than it did two weeks ago; the sting gets stronger each time I wake up from sleep. I’ve felt like placing my heart in a freezer the past few days. It’s been pumping blood into my veins, giving me…

  • The Great South African Vibes: SA’s Pop Music Culture Goes Global [Part 2]

    What’s a fitting continuation of the story of South African pop music culture? A genre that pays homage to two native sounds and brings them together into a new subgenre that takes over international soundwaves. The rise of Amapiano is an interesting case study, once a genre that brewed in the backyards of townships to…