Colonial sound hierarchies and Western archival practices have long determined which instruments are preserved and which are allowed to disappear. But what is lost when rhythms, melodies and tonal systems rooted in indigenous cultures fall silent?

Colonial sound hierarchies and Western archival practices have long determined which instruments are preserved and which are allowed to disappear. But what is lost when rhythms, melodies and tonal systems rooted in indigenous cultures fall silent? Inspired by the knowledge that more than 600 indigenous instruments are played in South Africa alone, Monthati Masebe – sound artist, composer and healer – embarks on an act of preservation through sound. In her exploration of the archives of this rich tradition, she works with voice, overtones, bends, glissandi and fluctuating pitches, with ethereal vocalisations and throat singing that expand and shift normative ideas of ‘correct’ singing.

When language fades, music also changes. Composing becomes a living archive: a space for resonance, memory and cultural knowledge beyond written tradition. At Habibi Kiosk, we come together for an encounter with this practice and for a conversation with Monthati Masebe about archiving, sound and the urgencies that shape her artistic work today.