South African music is an exciting, eclectic mix of styles and genres - with some incredibly talented artists. Here are some sites where you can learn more about some of the country's finest!!

www.musicvideos.the-real-africa.com/southafrica

This site has online music videos that cover a variety of musical styles. Artists include Mafikizolo, Madala Kunene and DJ Cleo. There are also links to official websites, MySpace pages and South African music information sites.

music.calabashmusic.com/world/africa/southafrica

This site offers a refreshingly different approach - using the power of the internet and the ethos of fair trade, fans can actively support musicians from developing countries - as half the money from each CD purchase goes straight to the artist. The range is really impressive, a kind of "global music store", with loads of good stuff on South African artists like kwaito superstar Zola and the legendary Mamma Africa - Miriam Makeba. It's a really user-friendly site - and editor's picks & some free song downloads are great - and give you the kick of knowing that you've cut out the middlemen.

www.mio.co.za

This site is more industry-related but it still offers a useful portal to South African music. There's info on up & coming artists, record label activity and music events. As to be expected, the daily newsletter is geared towards South Africans but there are also regular updates on releases from a wide variety of music styles.

Source: www.metro.co.uk