ARTS & CULTURE IN SOUTH AFRICA
With such a diverse set of cultural influences to draw upon, it's no surprise that South Africa has a vibrant arts scene, which you can tap into on your South African tour.
One of the first things you'll notice when you arrive in South Africa is the music. The country expresses its love, pain, history and politics through music, in an astounding array of styles. Township jazz and blues, especially the kwela music of the '40s and '50s, are being redefined, while the country has a rich choral tradition and pop and rock musicians have made their mark internationally. You'll also hear soul, gospel, reggae, marabi, mbaqanga and anything else that gets your foot tapping on your South African tour.
South African dance companies have also begun to make a splash internationally, while at the local level, African dance inspired by weddings, battles and daily rituals add colour to everyday life. South Africa's visual artists and writers have produced fascinating meditations on the country's identity - JM Coetzee has won two Booker Prizes and the Nobel Prize for Literature for his powerful novels. While city museums are a great place to view the latest in contemporary art on your South African tour, it's also worth stopping at roadside craft stalls. Many artists have overcome the limitations of poverty by making use of materials like telephone wire, safety pins and beads with wonderful results - you can stop at roadside stalls to see this work on your South African tour.
