Thursday 3 September 2009

AHOY! Dread Warriors Ah Come


This post is dedicated to the Matsuli blog and is a response to a number of posts illuminating the Afro-punk sounds of the late seventies and early eighties in Johannesburg. Well this one today comes from the same family tree and includes the Khoza brothers, previously with Ivan Kadey's seminal afro-punk outfit, National Wake. Also on this LP is Risenga Makondo who played for long period in Amampondo. The Dread Warriors recorded the first reggae LP in South Africa and this is it.

Dread Warriors (Gallo BL455, 1983)
1. Dread Warriors
2. Shigangu
3. Sangoma
4. See Them Ah Com
5. Harvest Time
6. Tshindi
7. Dread on a Mountain Top
8. Reggae Music
Produced by Charlie Rakawema, Recorded at RPM Studios, Cover design by EMS
Compoed by BP Khoza, Dennis Hlangwane, Dumi Hlangwane except Reggae Music (Steve Kekana) and Shigangu (Malopoets)
LINK

10 comments:

  1. WOW - thank you - I did not know this even existed - fantastic!!

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  2. All these missing-but not forgotten- links!!!
    Thank so much and of course you been added already in my blog list from your first days,long may live and bring more of these treasures to the broad day light.

    thanks again

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  3. Thank you, a great find!

    I played a track from this on Czech public radio last week.

    And afterwards, we got a bit more background info on the disc from Ivan Kadey himself: seems this album was recorded in exile in London, and of the Khosa brothers, only Punka Khosa was in Dread Warriors.

    Some more info about it here: http://www.rozhlas.cz/radiowave/friday_ripple/_zprava/632826

    Keep up the great blog!

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  4. DJ Ripple...despite what Ivan says the Dread Warriors LP was not recorded in exile but at the RPM Studios in Johannesburg in 1983 and produced by Charlie Rakawema. It was issued by Gallo. Bu Ivan is correct regarding Punka.
    ~ DM

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  5. I noted that Gary was in London and was not a member of "Dread Warriors". I think that is how the confusion arose.

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  6. Actually guys this is NOT the first reggae LP issued in SA. It may be the first "rasta" reggae record but the crown of first reggae LP must surely go to:
    Kori Moraba's "Reggae" LP issued by RPM and produced by Jimmy Mojapelo in 1977.
    And lets not even talk about the Reggae-on-45 band Kariba who cashed in on the demand for reggae from the doped out national servicement in Nambia and Angola.

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  7. Sad news is that Peter Spong - the guitarist in the band on this album, passed away on Friday after a brave battle against cancer.

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    Replies
    1. Is this Peter A Spong the sound engineer?

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  8. Is he the same Pete Spong who briefly played in an early incarnation of Petit Cheval?

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  9. Hi, can you please re-up this album? :)

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