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South African Legends
Un tributo retrospettivo agli artisti di uno dei paesi più influenti nella
world music
Il Sud Africa è
stato la patria di alcunid egli artisti più popolari del nostro tempo , Dai
successi mondiali di Miriam Makeba e Hugh Masakela negli anni 60, ai lavori di
recupero e valorizzazione di Juluka e Paul Simon con Ladysmith Black Mambazo
negli anni 80, la musica sudafricana ha presentato a milioni di persone il sound
internazionale.
C'è stato una stretta relazione fra la musica degli USA e
quella sudafricana. E infatti , Usa e Sud Africa sono mondi paralleli per certi
versi, poiché gran parte del 20 secolo è trascorso per ognuno dei due paesi
avviluppato nella lotta per la giustizia e gli stessi diritti fra bianchi e
neri.
Registrazioni realizzate dagli Afro-Americani fecero il
loro primo viaggio in Sud Africa nella parte iniziale del 1900 e furono
immediatamente imitati dai sudafricani neri che amavano i vibranti lavori di
Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellingrion, Charlie Parker e altri. Il swing
rappresentava tutta la rabbia delle townships negli anni 50, e il jazz
Africano-Americano, il soul, il R&B sono sempre stati ben accolti in Sud
Africa.
"South African Legends" è una retrospettiva dei lavori di artisti
vari che sono importanti figuri sia in patria sia all'estero. Olte a Makeba e
Masakela vi sono Wesr Nkos e the Soul Brothers, che sono sono molto noti in Sud
Africa, ma mai stati in grado di ottenere quel riconoscimento internazionale che
meritano. Nel disco è stato anche incluso un artista che Putumayo ritiene una
leggenda vivente, Vusi Mahlasela, i cui anatemi poetici e politici hanno
costituito l'urlo di una nazione di fronte al difficile compito di guarire
ferite ancora aperte e costruire un futuro comune.
South African Legends è un tributo a una nazione la cui
storia politica e sociale ha insegnato a tutti l'importanza della perserveranza
e in ultima istanza il trionfo della giustizia sociale. Esso celebra anche una
terra dove la gioia e il potere della musica sono servite come ispirazione e
sollievo per milioni di persone che hanno lottato e lottano per una vita
migliore.
Soul Brothers "Idlozi" - Id-loh-zee
Ascolta
For the past 25 years the Soul Brothers have been one of South Africa's most
consistently popular acts. Since they were founded in 1974, they have released a
steady stream of successful mbaqanga albums that have earned critical accolades
and huge sales. Led by David Masondo and Moses Ngwenya, who are brothers in
spirit, not blood, the Soul Brothers patented a hard-driving style that was
inspired by seventies funk and soul, but was essentially a danceable township
jive crafted around Ngwenya's crafty electric organ grooves. Their unique
wavering vocal harmonies (which was in fact, greatly influenced by a number of
vocal groups from Zimbabwe that were popular at the time) also distinguished
their sound, leading to a wave of imitators and helping turn the Soul Brothers
sound from a style to a genre.
When they were originally founded, American soul, funk and rhythm and blues were
hugely popular in South African townships, and the Soul Brothers were among a
number of local soul groups that developed at the time. Dominated by electric
organ, guitar and thumping bass and drumbeats, South African soul was
essentially a variation on mbaqanga, although the image of the bands was quite
different. Soul groups were hip and cosmopolitan with a look that was clearly
borrowed from African-Americans, while traditional mbaqanga groups like
Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens were considered quaint and old-fashioned by
the younger generation.
Over their career the Soul Brothers have produced nearly 30 albums, 15 of which
have gone gold and several platinum and multi-platinum. They continue to produce
strong selling albums, and dominate the contemporary mbaqanga scene. "Idlozi
(Ancestor)" preaches the importance of remembering your ancestors and
giving thanks for all they have done. "We forget about ancestors when we
are happy," they sing, "and only remember them when things go wrong
and we have bad luck."
Mahlathini & The Mahotella Queens "Mbaqanga"
: Mah-lah-tee-nee and the Mah-hotel-ah Queens - M-kan-gah
Ascolta
Mahlathini & The Mahotella Queens were one of South Africa's most popular
international touring acts from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s. The contrast
between the guttural "groaning" of Simon 'Mahlathini' Nkabinde and the
soaring harmonies of the Mahotella Queens proved irresistible. Combined with the
tight grooves of their backing group, the Makhona Tsohle Band, and an incredible
stage show complete with elaborate choreography and exotic costumes, Mahlathini
and the Mahotella Queens thrilled audiences in Europe and the Americas and
brought the unique grooves of South African mbaqanga to a worldwide audience.
While Mahlathini and the Queens only recently reached international fame, their
history stretches back to the early 1960s. When Rupert Bopape, one of South
African music's most important producers and talent scouts, left EMI in 1964 to
join Gallo Records, he brought with him a number of his most talented
discoveries, including singer Mahlathini who had gained a reputation for his
deep, booming vocals and dramatic stage presence. Bopape teamed him up with
Gallo's resident roster of female session singers, who went by many different
names depending on who they were recording with. The backing band was Gallo's
house band, the Makhona Tsohle Band led by guitarist Marks Mankwane.
The most popular township music of the time was mbaqanga, an expansion on sax
jive that emphasized the electric bass, guitar and driving beat. The word "mbaqanga"
means "dumpling" in Zulu, a colloquialism for "homemade"
that was originally intended as an aspersion since the music was considered
basic and simplistic. The term soon became one of endearment and the popularity
of mbaqanga lasted for over two decades.
Originally an instrumental music, mbaqanga soon incorporated vocals thanks to
the influence of South African vocal groups like the Manhattan Brothers and the
Skylarks, who in turn were inspired by African-American jazz. The blend of deep
male vocals with intricate female harmonies popularized by Mahlathini and the
Mahotella Queens soon came to be known as mqashiyo from the Zulu word meaning
"bounce." The style remained popular into the 1970s when it ultimately
passed out of fashion and the band disintegrated.
In 1986, producer West Nkosi brought Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens
together to record some backing tracks for Harry Belafonte. Two French music
scouts happened to drop by the studio and they liked what they heard so much,
they invited the band to play a festival in France. The unique sound and fiery
performances caused a sensation in Europe leading to record distribution deals
and regular touring that brought Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens great fame
abroad while, ironically, they were largely forgotten at home. The group
continued to tour and record until Mahlathini passed away in 1999.
"Mbaqanga" is a happy song that sings the praises of the music style
that Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens introduced to the world. In the song,
they take the opportunity to thank the people of Africa and the rest of the
world for their support in making this kind of music a success.
Vusi Mahlasela "Kuyobanjani Na": Voo-see
Mah-lah-seh-lah - Koo-yo-ban-jahn-ee Nah
Ascolta
Vusi Mahlasela is a relatively new figure on the South African scene, but it is
clear that he is destined to be one of the country's most important musical
figures in years to come. Born in a Pretoria, Mahlasela spent much of his
childhood in his grandmother's shack in the township of Mamelodi Ascoltaing to
the elderly men of his community sing traditional African songs. After teaching
himself to play the guitar he joined a local group called the Ancestors of
Africa, and soon earned notice as a gifted singer and songwriter.
His trilogy of albums has earned great critical acclaim, and includes melodic
acoustic songs whose lyrics deal with issues affecting the nation. His first
album, When You Come Back was released in 1992 and dealt largely with the theme
of returning exiles. After the 1994 elections, Mahlasela released Wisdom of
Forgiveness, which focused on the importance of peaceful transition and moving
forward in a non-destructive fashion. His third album, Silang Mabele is a call
to "grind the corn" and urges South Africans to get to work on
rebuilding and developing a positive and productive future. The latter album
earned Vusi the South African equivalent of the Grammy for Best African Pop
Performance and Best Male Solo Vocal Performance.
While Mahlasela's powerful lyrics and beautiful melodies assure that he will be
a leading figure in African music, he remains humble and connected to his roots.
He still lives in the township where he was born. He has used his earnings to
create the Mahlasela Music Development Foundation, which helps aspiring
musicians to break into the industry. Despite growing fame, he remains close to
the community that inspires him, complete with its poverty, violence...and hope.
"Kuyobanjani Na? (How Will it Be Tomorrow?)" is a tender love song.
"How will it be tomorrow if you and I get married," he sings,
"standing in front of the preacher saying we will only be separated by
death? How will it be tomorrow when you and I are happily living together in our
home bringing up the children? I met you as a young maiden. You were beautiful,
I love you and I praise you."
Mahotella Queens "Mbube": Mah-hotel-ah
Queens - M-boo-bay
Ascolta
While best known for their work with Mahlathini, the Mahotella Queens have
certainly established themselves as important figures in South African music
history in their own right. While the group has gone through many changes in
line-up over the years, the magic of their sound continues and can be heard on
hundreds of classic South African recordings. As the studio singers of the Gallo
label, the Mahotella Queens provided exquisite vocals for many of the greatest
mbaqanga albums of the sixties and seventies.
The magnificent singing of the Mahotella Queens is used here to interpret
perhaps the greatest popular song of the South African repertoire. "Mbube
(The Lion)" was originally recorded in 1939 by Solomon Linda's Original
Evening Birds and became an instant crossover hit. So big was the song's success
that mbube even became a generic term for a new vocal style that serves as one
of the main roots of iscathamiya, the style performed by groups like Ladysmith
Black Mambazo. Over the years, the track has been covered hundreds of times,
notably as "Wimoweh" by the Weavers in 1951 and "The Lion Sleeps
Tonight", a top 10 US hit for doo-wop group The Tokens in 1961. The song
also appeared in Disney's The Lion King and was even interpreted by Brian Eno.
No retrospective of South African Legends would be complete without this, South
Africa's most legendary song.
West Nkosi "Mazuzu": West N-koh-see
- Mah-zoo-zah
Ascolta
West Nkosi was one of the most respected musicians and producers in South
African music history, and his premature death in a car crash in 1998 was a
tragic end to a great career. Nkosi formed his first kwela band, the Pretoria
Tower Boys, when he was a teenager in the late 1950s. Kwela, literally "climb
up," a reference to the order shouted by police when herding arrested
Africans into paddy wagons, was the name given to pennywhistle jive by white
South Africans who considered the music a rebellious pleasure.
Popular in the 1950s, pennywhistle jive developed in the townships of
Johannesburg and gradually became one of the biggest music crazes of the time.
South African cattle herders had long used reed flutes in the fields, and as
increasing urbanization gradually pushed rural migrants into the cities they
began to use similar tin whistles that were imported from Germany. A unique
South African style of pennywhistle playing developed which turned the simple
tin whistle into a complex and emotive instrument. It was soon used as the
melodic lead instrument over marabi, a popular urban rhythm also known as jive.
Eventually, the saxophone replaced the pennywhistle as the instrument of choice
in jive thanks to its expanded range and air of sophistication. West Nkosi made
the transition from pennywhistle to saxophone effortlessly and is best known for
his work on the latter. He was a pioneer in the development of mbaqanga, the
harder-driving, sax-led version of jive that was popular into the 1970s. He
eventually became one of the premier studio musicians and producers at Gallo,
South Africa's leading record label. Nkosi went on to produce albums by
Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens, and many others.
Hugh Masekela "Chileshe": Hugh
Mah-seh-kay-lah - Chih-leh-shay
Ascolta
One of South Africa's best known artists on the international scene, Hugh
Masekela has had a long and varied career that has carried him from jazz, pop,
R&B and disco to afropop and world fusion. His endearing personality and
accessible style has earned him the affection of fans around the world, and
after his return to his homeland after 30 years of exile Masekela continues to
be one of the leading figures in South African music.
Masekela began singing and playing piano when he was just a child, and turned
his attention to jazz when he was 13. After seeing the film Young Man with a
Horn he became enthralled with the trumpet. He played in a number of early jazz
bands in South Africa, including the Father Huddleston Band, the Merry Makers of
Springs, the Jazz Dazzlers, and Albert Herbert's Jazz Revue. He was in the
orchestra of King Kong, the musical that brought early fame to Miriam Makeba,
and was married to Makeba for a time.
Masekela left South Africa in 1961 with the help of Dizzy Gillespie, Harry
Belafonte and others who had grown to appreciate his unique style and creative
energy. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London, and then at the
Manhattan School of Music, until his recording career exploded in the early
1960s. He recorded a number of successful albums for major US labels like Verve,
MGM, and Mercury, and his original blend of African music and jazz struck a
chord among the American public. His 1968 song "Grazing in the Grass"
topped the pop charts and has since sold millions of copies. In the seventies,
Masekela focused less on accessible jazz ballads and returned to Africa with a
series of albums using West African musicians. Over the years Masekela has
recorded with Herb Alpert, Manu Dibango, Dave Grusin, Simply Red, Cyndi Lauper,
and Paul Simon whom he joined on the famed Graceland tour.
Lucky Dube "My Game" - Lucky Doo-bay
Ascolta
Reggae has become one of the most popular music styles in Africa, thanks
in large part to the tremendous influence of Jamaican superstar Bob Marley.
Marley's 1980 concert in Zimbabwe is the stuff of legend, and his music and
message has inspired artists such as Alpha Blondy (Ivory Coast) and Majek Fashek
(Nigeria). Africa's most popular reggae artist, however, is South Africa's Lucky
Dube, whose musical call for political and spiritual liberation holds a
particular resonance in the context of his country's tumultuous social
environment. Dube was born near Johannesburg and started singing when he was
eight years old, performing in local bars, churches and at school. Poverty
nearly kept Dube from making music a career, and he was forced to ask for
donations from wealthy townspeople to buy instruments. When that failed he wrote
a stage play and was able to raise enough money to buy a guitar and form his
first band. Dube's career has always been marked by the struggle over adversity,
a theme that can be heard in the lyrics to many of his songs.
Lucky Dube's first professional musical efforts were as a mbaqanga singer in the
style of the Soul Brothers, but he switched to reggae in the early 1980s. His
smoky voice earns comparisons to Peter Tosh, but Dube has managed to create a
unique sound and performance style that has earned him millions of fans around
the world. His 1990 release Slave was one of the biggest- selling records in
South African history and he was the first black performer to get airplay on the
segregated white radio stations.
Johnny Clegg & Juluka "Gijim'beke":
Johnny Clegg e Joo-loo-kah - Gi-jim-beh-kay
Ascolta
Johnny Clegg, a white South African musician, and Sipho Mchunu, a Zulu
guitarist formed Juluka in the 1970s. Founded during the height of the struggle
against apartheid, this interracial and intercultural pop group served as a
powerful symbol of unity and equality, while producing many popular hits,
including the international smash "Scatterlings of Africa." Juluka's
success drew worldwide attention to the political situation in South Africa and,
by teaming white and black musicians, sent a strong message of hope for an
integrated and just future. Johnny Clegg, the founder and main songwriter for
Juluka, was born in England in 1953, but his family moved to Zimbabwe shortly
thereafter, and settled in South Africa when he was six. Perhaps because they
were from abroad and not as embroiled in local divisions, Clegg's parents
encouraged his interest in African music and culture, and he even learned the
Bantu language Ndebele. As a teenager, Clegg devoted himself to the study of
Zulu music, working with Zulu musician Mntonganazo Mzila with whom he also
studied the fundamentals of inhlangwini, a traditional Zulu dance style whose
high kicks and aggressive postures were incorporated into Juluka's stage show.
As a white musician performing music of the black townships, Clegg often ran
into trouble with the authorities, but his persistence and dedication proved
stronger than the will of the apartheid government. He eventually teamed up with
Mchunu, a Zulu guitarist, and formed Juluka, which means "sweat". They
recorded their first album in 1976 and by 1979 had their first platinum album at
home. The success of "Scatterlings of Africa" in 1982 led to worldwide
tours and global fame, but they eventually disbanded in 1985. Clegg went on to
form Savuka, which had a more mainstream sound, but retained the political
messages and cross-cultural focus.
Miriam Makeba "Umhome" - Mee-ree-am
Mah-kay-bah
Ascolta
Miriam Makeba is one of Africa's most popular musical exports, having
gained worldwide renown as a recording and performing artist and an important
figure in the human rights movements in Africa and beyond. Ironically, she was
forced to spend most of her career away from her homeland after an impassioned
anti-apartheid speech before the United Nations in 1963. Makeba was one of the
biggest stars of South African jazz vocals in the 1950s. African-American swing,
rhythm and blues and big band jazz had taken South Africa by storm, resulting in
a powerful jazz movement that served as the foundation for much of South Africa's
popular music. In their attempts to interpret the music they heard on records
from America, township musicians incorporated their own influences, resulting in
a bouncy, original style that came to be known as marabi.
Makeba first gained notice in 1954 as a featured vocalist for the Manhattan
Brothers, one of the most popular male vocal quartets. She soon left to form the
Skylarks, an all-female vocal group and toured South Africa as part of an
influential variety show. Her big break came in 1959, when she took on the
female lead of the hit musical King Kong. Just as she was becoming a household
name at home, Makeba left for the US, performing with Harry Belafonte and others.
Her song "Pata Pata" was an international success in 1967, becoming
the only African song to reach America's Top 10 pop charts. Her marriage to the
controversial leader of the Black Panthers, Stokely Carmichael was not accepted
by many in the United States and she was so harassed by the American authorities
that she fled to exile in Guinea for many years.
Makeba's dedication to human rights and political justice has earned her great
honors and recognition as a humanitarian leader throughout the world. Makeba was
allowed to return to South Africa in 1990, and was embraced by Nelson Mandela
and other leaders of the anti-apartheid movement for her struggles in exile. She
continues to tour and record and is releasing her new album Homeland on Putumayo
Artists.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo "Abantwana
Basethempeleni": Ladysmith Black Mahm-bah-so - Ah-ban-twana
Bah-seh-them-peh-leh-nee
Ascolta
One of the most beloved South African groups of all time, Ladysmith Black
Mambazo was propelled to international stardom in 1988 through their appearance
on Paul Simon's Grammy-winning Graceland album. Their beautiful Zulu choral
music, engaging performances, and the endearing personality of leader Joseph
Shabalala have kept Ladysmith at the forefront of the world music scene ever
since. They have gone on to record with a wide range of popular artists from
Dolly Parton to Lou Rawls to Andreas Vollenweider and continue to produce
internationally successful solo recordings.
The a Capella style performed by Ladysmith is called iscathamiya, a Zulu word
meaning "to walk softly." Its roots can be traced to the 1920s, when
workers from Natal's mines and factories began weekend singing and dance
competitions between the all-male hostels where most of the workers lived. The
popularity of these competitions spread to Zulu workers in other regions and
became an important setting for the development of choral music. The commercial
popularity of this music rose and fell over the years, but it was always
maintained in the worker hostels.
"Ladysmith" refers to the hometown of the group's founder and leader,
Joseph Shabalala. "Black Mambazo" means "black axe" in Zulu
and symbolizes their ability to chop down their competition. Their debut
recording in 1973 became the first gold record in South Africa with over 25,000
units sold. Their success led to a boom in Zulu a Capella that lasted until the
early 1980s when the group's mainstream popularity began to decline. Their work
with Paul Simon gave new life to their career, and they have soared to
ever-greater heights.
"Abantwana Basethempeleni (Children of the Temple)" describes the
natural spirituality of children. "There are small, God-fearing children
living in the temple. They have no sorrows, they are protected by the Lord and
are sending their message to everyone to put their trust in God."
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