Azah Given Mphago, a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and percussionist from South Africa's city of Pretoria, who began playing drums at the age of eight.

His work is deeply rooted in the belief that percussion carries more than rhythm, it carries healing, memory, and connection to ancestral knowledge systems.

Over the years, he has developed a practice that moves between performance, composition, and cultural research, engaging African musical traditions while also working across contemporary genres and collaborations.

We spoke to him about how percussion instruments continue to function as  living cultural tools across different spaces and contexts.

Azah Given Mphago, a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and percussionist from South Africa's city of Pretoria, who began playing drums at the age of eight.
His work is deeply rooted in the belief that percussion carries more than rhythm, it carries healing, memory, and connection to ancestral knowledge systems.
Over the years, he has developed a practice that moves between performance, composition, and cultural research, engaging African musical traditions while also working across contemporary genres and collaborations.
We spoke to him about how percussion instruments continue to function as&nbsp; living cultural tools across different spaces and contexts.

The Journal, with Mmatsheko Mosito is a human-interest platform that explores the stories shaping our world through a thoughtful, solutions-oriented lens.

The show brings together voices from across sectors in policy, agriculture, arts, health, youth development, and beyond to unpack issues that matter to everyday people.

With a distinct tone that is both grounded and reflective, The Journal goes beyond headlines to examine the deeper context, lived experiences, and long-term implications of today’s conversations.

It creates space for meaningful dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and perspective-building, while amplifying African voices and narratives on a global stage.

At its core, the show is about connection, connecting ideas to action, people to purpose, and audiences to a more conscious understanding of the world around them.

The Journal, with Mmatsheko Mosito is a human-interest platform that explores the stories shaping our world through a thoughtful, solutions-oriented lens.
The show brings together voices from across sectors in policy, agriculture, arts, health, youth development, and beyond&nbsp;to unpack issues that matter to everyday people.
With a distinct tone that is both grounded and reflective, The Journal goes beyond headlines to examine the deeper context, lived experiences, and long-term implications of today&rsquo;s conversations.
It creates space for meaningful dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and perspective-building, while amplifying African voices and narratives on a global stage.
At its core, the show is about connection, connecting ideas to action, people to purpose, and audiences to a more conscious understanding of the world around them.