Rainbow revisited: a musical reflection on the Rainbow Nation

The South African singer and pianist Thandi Ntuli was surrounded by music as a child – her grandfather was a key part of the musical scene in Sophiatown, a suburb in Johannesburg known for its music. She now has a new album out called ‘Rainbow Revisited’ – referring to the term coined by the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu “Rainbow Nation” to describe post-apartheid South Africa – a nation where its diverse people could live together in harmony, following years of racial segregation. Now – nearly thirty years on, with Victoria Uwonkunda, Thandi explores where that optimism has gone – and what hope there is for the future.