The gift that changed me

Available for over a year

Tumi Morake speaks to global stars and listeners about the gifts of art that have inspired them. Lira is one of South Africa’s bestselling pop stars. She has won multiple South African Music awards and was the first African woman to have a Barbie made in her likeness. She spoke to Tumi about how her love of painting was inspired by the gift of a piece of work from a talented South African artist. The dancer Carlos Acosta has travelled the world with his art, from his early love of breakdancing in the streets of Havana to becoming the first black principal dancer of the Royal Ballet. He spoke to the Cultural Frontline about the classic book that caught his imagination and helped him tell his own story. South Korean violin virtuoso Min Kym talks about the deep grief she experienced when her rare Stradivarius violin was stolen, and how seeing a painting by Vincent Van Gogh called 'Long Grasses with Butterflies' was the start of her recovery from depression. Plus we hear from our listeners in Kenya, Brazil and beyond about the art that has changed them during the pandemic. Photo: Min Kym, Lira and Carlos Acosta. Credit: Roberto Ricciuti/Getty, Otarel Music and Man Yee Lee)