Between African music, soul, and punk rock, the rare intensity of the South African collective BCUC (Buntu Continua Uhuru Consciousness) inundates the world in good vibes. They call their style “Africangugu”; a concentration of percussion, traditional Zulu and Sotho songs, and a slogan that says it all: “For the people, by the people, and with the people.” After a modest start of rehearsals in a maritime container a few doors down from the church where Desmond Tutu would preach, BCUC quickly rose to celebrity, playing on the world’s greatest stages: Glastonbury West Holts, Roskilde, Afropunk Brooklyn, Dour, Worldwide, Womad, Fusion, Sziget, FMM Sines, Beaches Brew, Boomtown, Couleur Café. In 2023, they won the prestigious Womex Artist Award – a distinction usually reserved for more mature artists – in recognition of their work ethic and prodigious stage performances. Heirs to legendary musicians such as Philip “Malombo”, Tabane and Batsumi, they replace the Jazz sounds of the 1970s and 1980 with hip-hop influences and punk rock energy. Africa as seen by the BCUC is not a place of poverty, but rich in traditions, rituals, and beliefs.