Friday 5 March 2010

Old New Sounds of Africa - sixties Kwela and Phatha Phatha

Another undated early sixties compilation featuring Spokes Mashiyane on saxophone, and Miriam Makeba and the Skylarks. Well worth a listen!

Thanks a plenty go out to Bra Robs from Italy for his generous donation of this perfect quality vinyl to ElectricJive.

From the back-cover aimed at a European audience: “During the last few years there has been born in the native townships of the big South African cities a “New Sound”. With its roots deeply set in the old rhythmic pattern of tribal Africa, this music has absorbed the modern overtones of contemporary American Jazz, and it is significant that many of the new African dance idioms, such as the “Kwela” and “Patha Patha” have originated on the concrete corners of city pavements far away from the country “kraal”. But still, even in these modern forms, there is a nostalgic hankering after the old world left far behind beyond the horizon, and so we find a composition dedicated to MORIJA, the famous college for non-Europeans set among the picturesque mountains of Basutoland, and another bearing the name of MAFETENG, the little Basutoland town. A third song NDIDLIWE ZINTABA, has the poetic theme, “the mountains have swallowed me up”, the story of a wanderer finding refuge in the mountains of his homeland.
"African songs have always served to record current events, and this custom persists in the modern songs recorded on this disc. In the song “LENYALO LE THATA the singers explain that “marriage is hard these days” – a bitter complaint about the many domestic break-ups in city families.
“HULA MAHULA” is a tribute to the joys of the hula hoop!
"The saxophonist SPOKES MASHIYANE, who stars on this record, is one of the most famous of African musicians. MIRIAM MAKEBA, now heading cabaret bills in the U.S., is the first African singer to make a name in the outside world.”

1. Kwela Du Du (Spokes Mashiyane and Leo De Lyon) J. Monaheng.
2. Phatha Phatha (Spokes Mashiyane and his Golden Saxophone) R. Msomi.
3. Uile Ngoan’a Batho (Miriam Makeba and the Skylarks with Spokes Mashiyane) M. Rabotapi.
4. Mafeteng (Spokes Mashiyane and his Big Five) Arr. H. Mathabe
5. Lenyalo Le Thata (Spokes Mashiyane and the Melody Sisters) J. Phalatsi.
6. Phatha Phatha No 2. (Spokes Mashiyane and his Golden Saxophone) H. Mathabe
7. Six and Six (Spokes Mashiyane and Leo De Lyon) J. Monaheng
8. Big Five (Spokes Mashiyane and his Big Five) T. Madi
9. Hula Mahula (Spokes Mashiyane and the Melody Sisters) F. Phalane.
10. Morija Special (Spokes Mashiyane and his Golden Saxophone) S. Manikela.
11. Kwela Zulu (Spokes Mashiyane and his Golden Saxophone) R. Msomi.
12. Ndidliwe Zintaba (Miriam Makeba and the Skylarks with Spokes Mashiyane) Gibson Kente.

Link RS
Link MF

8 comments:

  1. So great! I met and wrote about Allen Kwela in South Africa 1n 1996. He worked with Moshiyane early on--might play guitar on some of these songs. Anyways, thanks for posting this! I love it . . .

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  2. 100% wonderful album. Thank you so much !!! Love it. Cole

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  3. I love Makeba and the Skylarks. VERY eager to hear this. Many thanks, wonderful share!

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  4. And hold tight folks, volume 2 coming next week with the following tracks:
    01 Reggie Special Spokes Mashiyane and Leo De Lyon
    02 Hush The Skylarks
    03 Baile Batho Spokes Mashiyane and Lemmy Special
    04 Miriam and Spokes Phatha Phatha Spokes Mashiyane, Mariam Makeba and The Skylarks
    05 77 Phatha Spokes Mashiyane and his Big Five
    06 Monate Spokes Mashiyane and his Golden Saxophone
    07 Dilika Spokes Mashiyane and Leo De Lyon
    08 Ishayisa Mfana The Skylarks with Miriam Makeba and Spokes Mashiyane
    09 Mahlalela Spokes Mashiyane and his Big Five
    10 Banjo Special Spokes Mashiyane and his All Star Flutes
    11 Ilali Mothoana Spokes Mashiyane and Lemmy Special
    12 Miriam's Goodbye to Africa The Skylarks with Mirian Makeba

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  5. excellent blog ,an education for me , much appreciated
    not sure where to start, gonna try Spirits Rejoice first based on your review
    Thanks

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  6. Thanks so much for this! -MB

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  7. Thanks for the KWELA, the link is still working!

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