Khayelitsha's Electronic Music Scene Will Soon Be Heard By The World

There is so much diversity, experimentation and talent in the township.
Youths somersault in Khayelitsha township, near Cape Town.
Youths somersault in Khayelitsha township, near Cape Town.
Mike Hutchings / Reuters

Cape Town is one of only four cities in the world that has been chosen to showcase a part of the country we don't normally see (or hear) -- Khayelitsha's electronic music scene.

In a joint venture between VICE magazine and Airbnb, lucky winners will get the rare chance to explore unique spaces and cultures in either the Mother City, Tokyo, Paris or New York.

South African artists Spoek Mathambo and Yolanda Fyrus will have the rare privilege of hosting guests in Khayelitsha. Something Mathambo, who coined the term "township techno" is particularly thrilled about.

He believes there is a huge amount of diversity, experimentation and talent in Khayelitsha -- a feature of the township people do not know much about. "The music is integrated with our local indigenous rhythms, languages and instruments," Mathambo told HuffPost SA. He believes electronic music has allowed people to express themselves with instruments they have within easy reach.

The host is also keen to unveil some musical talents in Khayelitsha. He said although music greats like Ringo Madlingozi and the late Brenda Fassie come from townships in Cape Town, not many artists have made it out onto the big stages or showcased their musical talents on a bigger platform.

"The biggest struggle for artists is feeling that there is no way out," he said. "I mean people from Nyanga can't even perform in the city. Why is that?"

He hopes by the end of the tour, the winners will see the energy, beauty and vibrance of Khayelitsha expressed in music, and realise that Cape Town has so much to offer musically.

The competition to win one of these experiences is open to entrants from around the globe from Monday, the 14th of August to the 1st of September. You have to be 21 to enter.

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