Bona Bantu (c1962)

Am currently traveling and so this very short post comes to you from a hotel room somewhere on the road near a lagoon.

Bona Bantu, as the cover so wonderfully reveals, consists of a compilation of tracks previously released as 78 rpms on Trutone's Envee, Winner and Quality labels and probably range in date from around 1958 to roughly 1962. Notably the album was pressed in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) but almost all tracks are by South African artists.

The vast majority of the tunes are kwela-based featuring amongst others Abia Themba as well as the Elite Swingsters' Albert Ralulimi and Christopher Songxaka. Betty Khoza also contributes two excellent Zulu vocal jives with Nellie Shabalala, Khosi Bayeni and Tiny Gumede. According to Rob Allingham, Khoza led this popular Durban-based all-female vocal quartet and subsequently most of the group's records were credited to her. Check out also the sounds effects department in action on Frans Mudau's Radio Announces Kwela.

Short this is... please enjoy!

BONA BANTU (c1962)
Quality, Trutone
LTJ 211

1. KID ZORRO
Bona Bantu (Quality, TJ 314)
2. ALBERT RALULIMI, CHRISTOPHER SONGXAKA
Chisa Chisa (TJ Quality Special, TJ 580)
3. JUNIOR EXQUISITES
Tornado Twist (Winner, OK 095)
4. ABIA THEMBA & HIS RHYTHM

Stand By (Envee, NV 3363)

5. ABIA THEMBA & HIS RHYTHM

eZoo Kwela (Envee, NV 3363)

6. JUNIOR EXQUISITES

Lucky Strike (Winner, OK 095)

7. ALBERT RALULIMI, CHRISTOPHER SONGXAKA

Fakisa (TJ Quality Special, TJ 580)

8. FRANS MUDAU

Baby Uya Sphaza (TJ Quality Special, TJ 606)

9. BETTY KHOZA, KHOSIE BAYENI, NELLIE SHABALALA, TINY GUMEDE

Kudala Ngiboshiwe (Envee, NV 3408)

10. FRANS MUDAU

Radio Announces Kwela (TJ Quality Special, TJ 606)

11. KID ZORRO

Jewish Times (Quality, TJ 314)

12. BETTY KHOZA, KHOSIE BAYENI, NELLIE SHABALALA, TINY GUMEDE

Enyageni (Envee, NV 3408)

RS