Renaissance is the second studio album by the South African quartet the Soweto String Quartet, released in October 1996 by BMG Records. It follows the national and international success of their debut album Zebra Crossing (1994), and was produced by Grahame Beggs. As with their previous album, Renaissance blends classical music with African pop and folk music, while also exploring new textures, with styles on the album including marabi, kwela and worldbeat. Quartet member Reuben Khemse described the album's themes as reawakening, revival and the dawn of new eras. 　　The album received commercial success, reaching number 8 in New Zealand. Put together, Zebra Crossing and Renaissance have sold a total of some 400,000 copies. The band toured internationally in promotion of the album in 1997, during which it was released by RCA Victor in the United States. Critical acclaim generally greeted the album with critics complimenting the quartet's unusual sound. At the 1997 South African Music Awards, Renaissance won the award for "Best Instrumental Performance," while Graeme Beggs won the award for "Best Producer."