Science and Innovation / IFAS Research / The Hidden Years of South African Music

The Hidden Years of South African Music

SCIENCE AND INNOVATION
SHARE
THIS:
29 November

The Institut Français (Paris), the French Embassy in South Africa and IFAS-Research are pleased to present the Hidden Years Music Archive Project, which is hosted by the Africa Open Institute for Music, Research and Innovation (Faculty of Art and Social Sciences, Stellenbosch University).

This documentary is part of a project initiated and supported by the Institut français (Paris), the French Institute of South Africa and IFAS-Research, called “Sounds of Southern Africa”.

The documentary was produced and directed by Nicki Priem (Mad Little Badger). It was elaborated in collaboration between the IFAS-Research (Sophie Dulucq and Line Relisieux) and HYMAP (Lizabé Lambrechts, Pakama Ncume, Nicole van der Merwe) team.
Shot by Roscoe Vercueil. Edited by Matthiew Daniels. Final mix by Morné Marais (Sound Surgeon Studio).

All the music was recorded by David Marks.
Photographs and material from the Hidden Years Music Archive, Stellenbosch University.

Special thanks to:
Lizabé Lambrechts, head curator of the HYMAP.
Africa Open Institute for Music, Research and Innovation, Stellenbosch University.
Documentation Centre for Music, Stellenbosch University Library and Information Service.
David and Frances Marks, for spending their lifetime collecting and sharing the music of South Africa.

 

You might also like

Dans6t to explore dance and resistance on tour across Southern Africa

From 23 August to 7 September 2025, French dance company Dans6T will tour Southern Africa with Des Danses et...

Enter the 2024 Francophonie competition and stand a chance to win a trip to France

The Francophonie Festival is an annual celebration of French language and cultural diversity that takes place globally. The French...

Threads of Solidarity exhibition opens at Freedom Park

On 1 December, the Delegation of the European Union to South Africa, together with embassies of EU Member States,...

Documentary film: “What am I going to eat tomorrow?” The impact of the 2020 pandemic on informal workers in Johannesburg

As part of its scientific and academic vocation, and in the context of the health crisis linked to the...

Let's get social
This message is only visible to admins.
Problem displaying Facebook posts.
Click to show error
Error: Server configuration issue
Twitter feed is not available at the moment.
Join leading scholars on the enduring legacy of Frantz Fanon and the continuing relevance of his ideas on colonialism, race, liberation and decolonisation in today's world.
On 29 March 2026, Fête de la Musique was presented in Cape Town for the first time, as part of Bree Street Sundays. Organised by the French Embassy and the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), the event brought free live music into the public space, transforming Bree Street into an open-air platform for performance and exchange. Fête de la Musique Cape Town was implemented, supported and funded in partnership with Bassline, TotalEnergies Marketing South Africa, the Alliance Française of Cape Town, Young Urbanists through Street Experiment SA, Bridges for Music, the City of Cape Town, Mission for Inner City Cape Town and Jazz in the City.
Jean Spiri, directeur de l'IFAS, s'entretient avec Georges Lory et Daphnée Breytenbach à l'occasion de leur tournée littéraire en Afrique du Sud. Pour plus d'informations sur les événements publics, veuillez consulter le site web de l'IFAS: https://frenchinstitute.org.za/arts-and-creative-industries/literature/french-south-african-literature-conversations-tour-daphnee-breytenbach-georges-lory/.
The Création Africa Top 50 is a true reflection of the depth and diversity of the cultural and creative industries! #CreationAfrica2 #FrenchInstituteSA
🎉 Meet the selected Top 50 entrepreneurs for the second edition of Création Africa, from South Africa. Lesotho and Malawi 🎉 Congratulations as they begin a seven-week mentorship journey with UVU Africa and its digital skills and innovation division CAPACITI. 👏
A conversation exploring the impact of the 2025 funding cuts for the HIV response, especially for at risk and LGBTQIA+ communities. The panel will consist of leading experts in the field, both within health research and operating directly on the ground with affected groups.
As part of the French Institute of South Africa’s (IFAS) 30th anniversary, this film turns to Lesotho to spotlight artists and cultural practitioners involved in co-creation initiatives supported by IFAS. Shot across the Mountain Kingdom, it features voices that have helped define the Institute’s work over the past three decades. Directed by Adam Heyns.
As part of the French Institute of South Africa’s (IFAS) 30th anniversary, a visit to Malawi captured the stories of artists and cultural practitioners involved in co-creation projects supported by IFAS. From Lilongwe to Blantyre, the film brings together voices that have contributed to the Institute’s work over the past three decades. Directed by Adam Heyns.
Join us for a special talk by Justice Edwin Cameron and Sohela Surajpal, two of the authors of the new book 'Behind Prison Walls'. Their talk will bring together Michel Foucault's reflections on the systems of discipline and South Africa's experience of incarceration, offering an original analysis: how prisons, far from serving as tools of rehabilitation, become instruments of social control and the perpetuation of inequality.
Launched in 2022 under the France 2030 initiative, the ICC Immersion programme supports French entrepreneurs in the cultural and creative industries (CCI) as they expand into global markets. Implemented in South Africa by Institut français in Paris, the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), Business France, and Business France South Africa and Southern Africa, the initiative connects French companies with key players in South Africa’s dynamic creative sector. This year’s cohort featured nine innovative CCI companies—Allegria, Atrack (Beam for Music), Agence Culturelle PLUS (Reunion Island), Culturespaces, Fabrik & Moi (Reunion Island), France Muséums Développement, Jakob + MacFarlane, Memorist, and Sound Birth—representing fields from architecture and immersive technology to museum development, cultural consultancy, and music innovation. Altogether, the South African edition fostered meaningful exchange between French and South African cultural leaders, opening the door to future collaborations across the two countries.  Special thank you to the featured sites: Constitution Hill Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation Joburg Contemporary Art Foundation Spier Wine Farm, TRACE Studios Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct Wesgro Wits Digital Dome Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa ----- ICC Immersion is coordinated by the Secrétariat Général pour l'Investissement (SGPI) and driven by the Institut Français and Business France, with support from the Banque des territoires, the French Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. The 2025 edition is implemented by IFAS and Business France in Johannesburg.
To mark the 30th anniversary of the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), this documentary film brings together nearly 50 voices who have been part of IFAS’s journey over the past three decades. From its beginnings in Newtown to its current home in Braamfontein, IFAS has helped shape South Africa’s cultural and creative landscape through collaboration, exchange, and long-term partnerships. Director: Adam Heyns Producer: Lali van Zuydam Music: NØ FØRMAT! Records
Subscribe
© 2026 frenchinstitute.org.za. All rights reserved. Site design by Nicework.
View our Data Policy and Terms.