Pining for good radio? Listen to Ampersand Mixtape

18 Jan 2024 - 12:05

Avid music listeners interested in the stories and motivations behind their favourite compositions can now listen to the Ampersand Mixtape(link is external), currently featuring 10 captivating episodes curated and presented by South African journalist and music archivist Charles Leonard. The mixtapes take the listener on a fascinating, idiosyncratic journey into the mind of Leonard as he interprets the meaning of songs and the themes connecting them.

A collage of selected Ampersand Mixtape cover art by Anastasya Eliseeva.

The mixtape was initially made for the New Frame website when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. At the time, Leonard was the now defunct publication’s podcast editor and his aim was to make the mixtapes carry themselves as radio shows featuring a colourful mix of old and new music from around the globe and with entertaining and socially aware stories about the compositions and their creators. This grew into him compiling one mixtape every month, which resulted in this project in its entirety.

“It seems that the mixtapes spoke to my listeners – that they found these songs of solace, these ‘love letters to humanity’ were a way to lift their spirits in those distressingly dark times,” Leonard wrote in an article about Ampersand Mixtape. “I compiled them with themes about cities, women’s rights, story songs, peace, the environment, Africa, walking, philosophers, movies, the festive season and so on.

Having realised how well the mixtapes were received by his listeners, coupled with the popularity they garnered, Leonard sought support for the continuity of the series and eventually got the buy-in from the French Institute of South Africa, SACEM and weekly newspaper the Mail & Guardian where he is currently the arts editor.

The eclectic mixtapes, whose covers were illustrated by Anastasya Eliseeva, feature emotive tracks from artists like Fela Kuti, Brenda Fassie, Ali Farka Touré, Nina Simone and many others. The mixtapes are available for free listening on the Mixcloud streaming platform, where 83% of the revenue goes to rightsholders and channel owners.

Listen to Ampersand Mixtape below and don’t forget to tune in for new episodes every month: