During his address on Heritage Day last year, President Cyril Ramaphosa urged South Africans to protect and preserve the country’s traditional music. In South Africa, music has been like a healing balm for our scars from the past and a motivating force in our journey toward a brighter yet complicated present. While it's true that the exploration of African music hasn't received as much attention as other art forms on the continent, it's worth noting that music embodies the very essence of our spirituality, history, customs, and aspirations. It's the often-overlooked vessel through which our traditions, beliefs, and hopes are expressed and passed on. In this conversation, we want to get into how music preserves our diverse cultures.           

Art Historian and Writer Percy Mabanda joins Lerato Mbele for the conversation.