Listen to the Archive

In the organizer's words:

Colonial sound hierarchies and Western archival practices have long determined which instruments are preserved and which are allowed to disappear. But what's happening when rhythms, melodies and sound systems rooted in indigenous cultures fall silent? Inspired by the knowledge that more than 600 indigenous instruments are played in South Africa alone, Monthati Masebe - sound artist, composer and healer - embarks on a sonic act of preservation. Engaging with the archives of this rich tradition, Masebe works with voice, overtones, bends, glissandi and fluctuating pitches, with ethereal vocalizations and throat singing that expand and shift normative notions of "proper" singing.

When language fades, music changes too. Composing becomes a living archive: a space for resonance, memory and cultural knowledge beyond written tradition. At Habibi Kiosk we come together for an encounter with this practice and for a conversation with Monthati Masebe about archiving, sound and the urgencies that characterize Masebe's artistic work today. Monthati Masebe's opera "Isithunzi" will be premiered at the Munich Biennale.