Sounds of southern Africa. Music, Empowerment, Freedom 

Our podcast series Sounds of southern Africa. Music, Empowerment, Freedom is finally complete, with the first five episodes released in July and the final four in October 2021. With the help of various experts, these podcasts explore the links between music, politics, freedom of expression and censorship in several southern and central African countries, from the 20th century to the present day. The researchers interviewed here analyse these complex relationships and, to our great delight, give us the opportunity to listen to little-known melodies and sounds. We invite you on a musical journey through a history marked by adversity and resilience, through a variety of musical genres — from South African and Namibian melodies in the apartheid era to Congolese rumba in the colonial period, and rap or pop music in contemporary Mozambique and Angola.

Follow this link to listen to all ten episodes