Bringing the pulse of Africa’s arts, culture, and entertainment scene to airwaves across the continent, reporter Nhlanhla Mahlangu delivers this week’s edition of African Arty Beats on, capturing a weekend of heavy mourning alongside vibrant heritage celebrations across the region.<\/p>\n
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In Uganda, police have launched a murder investigation following the tragic killing of legendary musician and Afrigo Band leader Moses Matovu in Kampala. According to police statements, the 77-year-old icon was attacked at Kibuli Market Zone B in Makindye Division before passing away from his injuries at Kibuli Hospital. The devastating loss brings a sudden end to the career of one of the most influential pioneers in East Africa’s live music history, who guided Afrigo Band into Uganda’s longest-running live music ensemble since its formation in 1975.<\/p>\n
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Meanwhile, in South Africa (SA), thousands of music lovers and culture enthusiasts are gathering at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg for the 2026 Standard Bank Joy of Jazz Festival. The star-studded lineup showcases international icons Ang\u00e9lique Kidjo and Kamasi Washington performing alongside SA greats including Themba Mkhize, Thandiswa Mazwai, Khaya Mahlangu, Gabi Motuba, and Manana.<\/p>\n
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The festival rhythm coincides with SA’s Heritage Month under the theme, “Reimagine Our Heritage Institutions for a New Era.” Reflecting on the deeper meaning behind the festivities, Pan-African researcher Advocate Sipho Mantula highlighted that the month should serve as an honest moment of national reflection connecting ancestral heritage with fundamental human rights, human dignity, and indigenous knowledge.<\/p>\n
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–ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":46506,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"featured-post":[419,420,203],"class_list":["post-46505","lifestyle-ent","type-lifestyle-ent","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","featured-post-jazz-festival","featured-post-moses-matovu","featured-post-music","entry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lifestyle-ent\/46505","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lifestyle-ent"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/lifestyle-ent"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46506"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46505"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"featured-post","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured-post?post=46505"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}