Tetemuka Jive (1969)

Welcome to December on Electric Jive! In my humble opinion, there can be no better way to kick off the festive season than with a seriously large dose of the greatest South African sax jive. Tetemuka Jive, released on the Inkonkoni label in 1969, collects 12 of the best mbaqanga instrumentals (originally released as singles) of the last 12 months.

At the time of this album’s release, Mavuthela Music – Gallo Africa’s black music production facility headed by Rupert Bopape – had successfully solidified its position as the most dominant African record label in the industry. This success was initially generated by a number of popular recordings from a line-up of female singers, later to be known as the Mahotella Queens, together with groaner Mahlathini and the Makgona Tsohle Band. The triumvirate recorded a frankly astonishing amount of hit singles during the 1960s in addition to extensive tours across the country to fulfil demand – so it was inevitable that the formidable and shrewd Bopape sought to replicate the success by forming a number of junior bands to follow in their footsteps.

Tetemuka Jive spotlights a couple of the more successful instrumental combos that Bopape formed to capitalise on the success of Marks Mankwane and company – Abafana Bemvunge (Boys of the grapevine) and Abafana Bama Big Bag (Boys of big bags). On this album, both teams provide the instrumental accompaniment to some of Mavuthela’s great sax jivers including Sipho Bhengu, Jack Lerole and Lemmy Mabaso. There are also two other numbers provided by the premier house band, Makgona Tsohle, in conjunction with premier sax jiver West Nkosi. This LP was the first issued on the Inkonkoni label, then the latest in a long line of Mavuthela labels (Motella, Gumba Gumba, C.T.C. Star Record, Smanje Manje… and so on). Though the term has since been adapted for other uses by the younger generation, ‘inkonkoni’ was at the time the straightforward Zulu term for 'wildebeest'.

It’s rare to come across an album of this style and vintage and find that every single track is nothing less than amazing. But I must admit to having a few personal favourites. “Tetemuka” (“Cruise along”) echoes some of the other sax jive singles of the decade including “Jive Mojikisa” and “Ice Cream and Suckers”, but this one must have been successful enough to warrant its appearance here as the title track and a follow-up recording, “Tetemuka No. 2”, from Izingane Zomgqashiyo (available on Indoda Mahlathini, Motella LMO 110). Big Voice Jack’s four numbers on Tetemuka Jive make remarkable use of other musical styles including tango, ska and soul. Marks Mankwane’s jive-tastic “Marks Special” started a huge craze and, with West Nkosi on alto sax and the rest of the Makgona Tsohle Band backing them up, he proceeded to record as many follow-up singles as possible over the next couple of years. But Marks’ “Pheladi” (“daughter-in-law”) is my absolute favourite and one can quite clearly hear the infectious beat eventually stir the band members up into a musical tizzy.

A huge, huge thanks to Manzo Khulu for providing the translations here.

Readers please stay tuned to Electric Jive this month for your usual end-of-year mixture of musical treats. I hope this one starts the party with an absolute bang! Enjoy!

TETEMUKA JIVE

VARIOUS

produced by Rupert Bopape

Inkonkoni LNKO 2000

1969

Sax Jive

MF

Game 1 - Game 2 (1970)

This isn't a groundbreaking album. But there is something quite attractive and endearing about it, from the striking cover art to the tasty, bouncy sounds gracing the grooves of this record. Like hundreds and hundreds of LPs released in South Africa during this particular era, Game 1 - Game 2 is a compilation of 12 songs from previously-released singles, comprising some of the best sax jive material of the last year. In other words - this is instrumental mbaqanga heaven.

The tunes on Game 1 - Game 2 are short, sweet and peppy - and why would one want anything more than that...? Alto saxophonist Sipho Bhengu launches the album on a bright and happy note, and he is joined immediately by the rest of the members of the Mavuthela studio band Abafana Bezimpalampala. "Inselelo" is a simple tune but, like every other song on the LP, very infectious. Bhengu, who recorded under such memorable pseudonyms as "Sammy Boy and His Sax", "Sipho and His Jets" and "Sammy Boy Nezimpisi", features in three other songs, including "Black Stick Soul", a lovely soul-type number with florid late-60s organ.

There's another soul-influenced tune on the LP, "Jungle Soul" (one of my personal favourites), as recorded by Joseph Makwela and His Comrades - yet another 'black music'-era smokescreen for the musicians of the Makgona Tsohle Band. For those wanting the sound of the original sax jive formula though, not to worry - there's plenty of that on Game 1 - Game 2, and it's seriously good stuff. Makwela and his Makgona Tsohle bandmates turn up again for "Umgqizibo", another 'little but big' tune. Marks Mankwane's hugely popular "Marks Special" series of songs isn't forgotten either, with No. 3 represented on this LP, featuring the sound of his legendary lead guitar alongside the groundbreaking Makwela on bass, the excellent (and often forgotten) Vivian Ngubane on rhythm guitar, and the rhythmic brilliance of Lucky Monama on drums.

...and speaking of Monama, let us not forget about the back-and-forth amazingness of "Phakama Masuku", a great number recorded by Lucky Monama and His Partners (yes, the Makgona Tsohle Band under yet another different name!)

There is one other tune, "Chumba", recorded by Reggie Msomi and His Hollywood Jazz Band - a fabulous number that shouldn't be missed.

Game 1 - Game 2 - a veritable melting pot of staple sax jives. Enjoy!

VARIOUS

GAME 1 - GAME 2

produced by Rupert Bopape

Smanje Manje LSJM 1002

1970

Instrumental

RS / MF

Makgona Tsohle Reggi (1970)

Electric Jive here presents an LP filled with what one might call “the good stuff”. Makgona Tsohle Reggi, featuring some exquisite instrumental mbaqanga music performed by the top teams of the day, was released on the Inkonkoni label in 1970.

The term “reggi” undoubtedly refers to reggae, which does put the LP title at odds with the music contained in the first side of the record. The first six tracks are certainly not straightforward sax jives, but rather seem fuse that tried-and-tested style with elements of ska and soul rather than reggae. The sugary guitars and rowdy bass of the Mavuthela instrumental section are joined not by screaming alto saxes, but by an organ that – rather delightfully – manages to create both very soft and very strident melodies on different numbers. It makes for very pleasant and interesting listening, and one wonders whether or not more of this gold still exists on wax somewhere in the world. “Marks Reggi” is a particular favourite of mine, just because of the lovely combination of instruments working together to create a lively, chirpy tune. “Soul Track” is another personal gem – it is forthright, minimalist and just plain great.

The second side of the LP takes the listener straight back to base, with five tracks of sax jive goodness (and one lovely track, “Somewhere”, that sounds as if it could sit right at home on side 1). Lead guitarist Marks Mankwane’s 1969 tune “Marks Special” was so popular that it spawned several follow-up songs, the first of which kicks off side 2 with a bang. “Marks Special No. 2” is credited to Marks Mankwane and His Alto Sax, as is the delectably-busy “Shaluza Marks No. 3”, but both tracks feature the virtuoso doing what he does best – sending the listener into a tizzy with beautiful guitar melodies. West Nkosi plays the alto sax on both of these tunes, in addition to a third number closing this LP. Fellow alto saxophonist Elias Lerole is present with an instrumental tribute to radio personality K.E. Masinga, while Wilson ‘King Force’ Silgee offers “Vulani Munango”.

As with many LPs released by Gallo Africa during this era, the word “STEREO” appears in the top right-hand corner underneath the record label name and the LP catalogue number. To my ear, none of the tracks sounded stereo in the slightest with the possible exception of “Somewhere”, which I avoided performing a mono mixdown on during the clean-up process. The word “Tsohle” is misspelt almost everywhere on the jacket and on the disc labels as “Tshole”, but not on the signs hanging on the band equipment in the fantastic cover photograph. Left to right, the photo features the ace members of the Makgona Tsohle Band: Joseph Makwela (bass), Marks Mankwane (lead guitar), Lucky Monama (drums) and Vivian Ngubane (rhythm guitar).

In short, Makgona Tsohle Reggi features twelve of the best single tunes recorded during 1969 and early 1970. It’s a veritable goody bag of sounds, so please download and enjoy!

VARIOUS

MAKGONA TSOHLE REGGI

produced by Rupert Bopape

Inkonkoni LNKO 2001

1970

Instrumental

RS / MF