Saitana (Monty Mdimande) was an original member of the "monkey jive" or "Soweto soul" group The Beaters. He is pictured above in an early publicity shot with Selby Ntuli, Alec Khaoli and Sipho Mabuse. Some examples of their early organ-led material can be found on this earlier posting.
1976 saw the band achieve overwhelming popular appeal in the then Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and as a result the band changed their name to Harari - after the "blacks-only" township of Harare. But tensions in the group were rising. This saw Saitana depart Harari during 1976 and record the album Baby Don't Go followed by Jenakuru a few years later. With clear reference to their success in Zimbabwe the lead track on the Baby Don't Go album is Rufaro - a suburb of Harare. But the full story of his departure is still not clear.
This YouTube clip interviewing Masike "Funky" Mohapi explores the early days of Harari.
Rashid Vally recalls the recriminations between the members of Harari and Saitana's desire to follow his own dream of stardom. And so today we share with you his first solo album. His second and arguably stronger album - Jenakuru - mines his love of Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. A proper commercial reissue of Jerankuru has been under discussion from a long time but without any clear indication of a release date as yet.
Saitana - Baby Don't Go (JAS Pride BL98)
1. Rufaro
2. Baby Don't Go
3. My Pretty Thing
4. Soweto
5. The Disco
6. So Lucky
7. Maroaches Are Back
ENJOY
MF / RS
