Passport Season: South Africa

Located in the southernmost tip of the African continent, South Africa is a country that nearly 60,000,000 people call home. With that, it’s also one of the most culturally diverse places on earth with over 12 languages spoken all across the country. This episode holds a lot of significance, especially because it’s the first episode of the season to feature a country I’ve yet to experience with my own eyes. Throughout the years, it’s been my privilege to work with several South African artists and witness firsthand how innately their creativity is also tied to their vigor and yearning for innovation. A constant I’ve witnessed across these artists is a desire of getting to the truth, regardless of the circumstances.

Joining me for this episode is my friend Jean-Philip Grobler (a child of Johannesburg and frontman of indie-pop band, St. Lucia), Desire Marea (a once-in-a-lifetime multi-disciplinary artist from Durban), Yugen Blakrok (an uncompromising creative force from the Eastern Cape), and HONEYMOAN (an indie band of friends from Cape Town who’re joyfully figuring out their own sound).

A reminder, next week will see the release of the companion broadcast to this episode. That companion piece will feature an unbelievable collection of South African music that I can’t wait for you to hear and remember; you’ll only be able to hear that episode over on Spotify.

Episode Timestamps:

Jean-Philip Grobler Chat (3:13), Desire Marea Chat (44:03), Yugen Blakrok Chat (1:17:57), and HONEYMOAN Chat (1:54:54).