Future Sound of Mzansi
(Nthato Mokgata and Lebo Rasethaba, 2015, 88 min, South Africa, English, Color, Digital)
Future Sounds of Mzansi is a documentary which aims to explore, express, and interrogate South Africa’s cultural landscape, 20 years into its democracy. A chief vehicle of this exploration is electronic music, a staple of South African popular culture. The film explores the past, present and future of the scene and its multiple sub-genres, presented through the eyes of internationally acclaimed artist Spoek Mathambo.
“A beautifully documented study of the increasingly diverse electronic scene in South Africa.” i-D
Preceded by Ibaaku, “Djula Dance,” dir: Loïc Hoquet, 2015, 3 min
Sponsored by the John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute (FHI), the Forum for Scholars & Publics (FSP), the Program in the Arts of the Moving Image (AMI), the Office of the Vice Provost for the Arts—Duke Arts, the Program in Literature, the Department of Cultural Anthropology, the Department of African & African-American Studies, Duke Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies, and Duke Performances.
About the Aural Futures Series
Curated by Ingrid LaFleur from AFROTOPIA & Negar Mottahedeh at Duke University
Often music is the first introduction to the cultural movement Afrofuturism. The Aural Futures series looks at how electronic music created a foundation in the development of Afrofuturism, explores the history of certain music movements like Afropunk that have introduced Afrofuturism to a larger audience, and how the Afrofuturist aesthetic is used to visually express the music and provide a narrative.
To complete the music ecosystem, we have curated a selection of storytellers and performers from Detroit and Durham to create an Afrofuturist evening of musical vibes and visions (Oct 26, 9pm in Duke Coffee House). Hearing the music, watching the performance and the organic movement that it calls forth is an integral part of the Afrofuturist experience.
This event is a part of Visionary Aponte: Art & Black Freedom, a nine-week art exhibit and accompanying series of conversations, screenings, performances, residencies, and workshops at Duke University organized by the Power Plant Gallery and the Forum for Scholars and Publics. The exhibit is curated by Édouard Duval-Carrié and Ada Ferrer and is based on a digital humanities project called Digital Aponte. More information online at aponte.dukefsp.org.
