CULTURE
With a dynamic fusion of African,
European and Asian influences, South Africa is a hotbed of originality
and creativity.
This is particularly evident in
the music, which ranges from indigenous township rave music, known
as kwaito, to world-renowned African jazz by such legendary talents
as Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba.
Theatre, too, is alive and well,
with sophisticated venues in each city presenting everything from
the classics to homegrown drama, dance and comedy. A range of
galleries, shops, studios and streetside stalls exhibit traditional
African art as well as contemporary fine art.
But its people are South Africa's
greatest asset - and it is the interplay between its various cultures
and the heritage of the individual and shared histories, which
shapes the nation.
South African cuisine utilises the
natural bounty of their land and oceans in a heady mix of European,
Asian and African ingredients and styles. And in almost every
museum, at every street corner, and on the field of every historical
battle, you will find more than one story.
Study them carefully and you may
catch a glimpse of the complexity of the South African nation
- of its history, its conflicts and its co-dependency.
