| Author: | Liz Mcgregor | ISBN: | 9781868426508 |
| Publisher: | Jonathan Ball Publishers | Publication: | August 22, 2014 |
| Imprint: | Jonathan Ball | Language: | English |
| Author: | Liz Mcgregor |
| ISBN: | 9781868426508 |
| Publisher: | Jonathan Ball Publishers |
| Publication: | August 22, 2014 |
| Imprint: | Jonathan Ball |
| Language: | English |
Liz McGregor follows the fortunes of South African Fana Khaba, a boy from a severely disadvantaged township background, a former taxi-driver, who achieves celebrity status and a cult following as the most popular DJ on Gauteng’s new youth radio station, only to die tragically and prematurely from AIDS.
Khabzela had it all – money, fame and a string of women, literally lining up at his bedroom door. His promiscuity made him a high-risk candidate for AIDS – there was wide-spread support when he came out on air with his diagnosis – but why would such a modern, urban man refuse the treatment that could have prolonged his life so significantly?
McGregor paints a vivid picture of a society evolving from a complex and damaged past. She takes readers back to the days of Sophiatown - vibrant, multi-cultured, razed to the ground; replaced by the match-box houses of Soweto with curfews and restrictions; post-1994, a draw-card for all-night street bashes, fuelled by dagga, beer and the hybrid beat of kwaito music; the vibe in Rosebank as emerging radio station Yfm played music not heard on the local airways before. The excitement is tangible...
Khabzela provides a valuable record of an extraordinary time in South Africa’s history.
Liz McGregor follows the fortunes of South African Fana Khaba, a boy from a severely disadvantaged township background, a former taxi-driver, who achieves celebrity status and a cult following as the most popular DJ on Gauteng’s new youth radio station, only to die tragically and prematurely from AIDS.
Khabzela had it all – money, fame and a string of women, literally lining up at his bedroom door. His promiscuity made him a high-risk candidate for AIDS – there was wide-spread support when he came out on air with his diagnosis – but why would such a modern, urban man refuse the treatment that could have prolonged his life so significantly?
McGregor paints a vivid picture of a society evolving from a complex and damaged past. She takes readers back to the days of Sophiatown - vibrant, multi-cultured, razed to the ground; replaced by the match-box houses of Soweto with curfews and restrictions; post-1994, a draw-card for all-night street bashes, fuelled by dagga, beer and the hybrid beat of kwaito music; the vibe in Rosebank as emerging radio station Yfm played music not heard on the local airways before. The excitement is tangible...
Khabzela provides a valuable record of an extraordinary time in South Africa’s history.
