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On the edge of a failing South African city, a disused power station hums once again — this time with beats, voices, and possibility. Makhanda is a divided place and, for the majority, opportunities are scarce and challenges are constant: poverty is grinding, houses and roads crumble, unemployment is overwhelming, violence is never far away and life can be cheap.

But Makanda is also full of creativity and passion, and some of its young people are responding to the hardships they face with music. They are filling the gap where their futures should be with art rather than with drugs, alcohol or crime. The Black Power Station provides a stage for these musicians to do what they love as well as to get their message across. Their lyrics speak of poverty, inequality and violence but also of love, determination and hope.

With one of the artists as our guide, we head into the world of backyard studios and mobile phone mixing desks. From total first-timers to those starting to make a name for themselves, we get inside the heads of these musicians as they write, record and perform. We discover what music means to them, what their friends and families say about their ambitions and learn more about the dreams that spur them on. In particular, we’re taken through the highs and lows of the build-up to Euphoria, the Black Power Station’s music event of the year, where these artists get a chance to step into the spotlight and make themselves heard.

Presenter: Luthando Zingela
Producer: Jayne Morgan
Executive producer: Flora Zajicek and Fiona White
A The Big Light prodcution for Â鶹Éç World Service