Sikalo: Sixties South Africa Jazz and Gospel Musicals

Another synchronous find from my recent ‘sleeveless’ dig: Gibson Kente’s successful and trend-setting 1966 musical Sikalo – deliciously laced with jazz and gospel dished up by the likes of Margaret M'cingana (Singana) and saxophonist Henry Sithole. My joy in finding these records was only slightly tempered by them being without covers which might have told us a little more.

UPDATE: Thanks Siemon for the covers:

Kente (1932 – 2004) is remembered as the father of South Africa’s Black Theatre. In the 1950s he was a talent scout for the Gallo music company. Inspired by King Kong, he founded a theater business in the early 1960s His first play was Manana, the Jazz Prophet (1963). The second, shared here today in two different versions, changed the course of black South African theatre. The music from Sikalo became highly popular and the play set the standard for the basic formula for township musicals.

Kente is credited with training more than 400 artists and producing 30 plays and three television dramas before his death from Aids in 2003. Read more on Kente here:

Two versions of this musical emerged in 1967 as the white-run Union Artists South Africa that were part-financing the musical decided that Director Kente be replaced by Marshall Mosia. Kente went his own way and toured with his own more successful version of the musical. Both versions were released on one CD, but are now long out of print. Herewith the original LPs.

Download Sikalo 1

Sikalo 2

King’s Messengers Quartet: Five Albums

UPDATE: 5th June 2017

Sad news received via Althian Alexander and Mokale Kaopeng is that Washington Sixolo passed away on 4th June 2017. Rest in peace Sir.

Althian sent this picture of the Kings Messengers Quartet meeting with Zambian President at the time, Kenneth Kaunda, saying that once President Kaunda heard a recording of the KMQ, he arranged a fully paid trip for them to Zambia so that he could hear them perform live.

Kenneth Kaunda is on the left, and Washington Sixolo is third from the left:

A fifth recording of the King's Messengers Quartet is now added to this page (26 August 2012). "More Songs with the Kings Messengers Quartet" was their third album, after "Soul of Africa" and "Precious Moments". It features songs focussing on the Christian faith sung in English, Zulu and Sotho, including Christmas Carols, and Nkosi Sikelela I Africa (in Zulu) and Morena Boloka (in Sotho).

Judging by the number of requests and visits to this page, the recordings of this extraordinary group remain hugely popular in southern Africa. Another recording has been found - so, do page down and feel free to download the 1967 "Spiritual Revival" (Motella label LMO 105).

There are now five records available for download on this page - just click on the word "HERE" where it says "LINK: HERE" below, and follow the links, click on green download symbol on the website. Once you have the file on your computer you will need to "unzip" it. It is compressed using .rar - you can get "winrar" for free from HERE it will unpack your file for you. Once it is unpacked you just double-click on the individual songs and they should play on your computer.

More Songs with the Kings Messengers Quartet

1. Praise God, From whom all blessings flow (Zulu - English)

2. No One Ever Cared for Me Like Jesus (English)

3. My Jesus I Love Thee (Zulu)

4. Somebody Cares (English)

5. Hark The Herald Angels Sing (English - Zulu)

6. A Mighty Fortress Is our God (English)

7. Christ The Lord is Risen Today (English)

8. While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks By Night (English)

9. I Wont Have to Cross Jordan Alone (English)

10. Sing Them Over Again To Me (Zulu)

11. Just a Little Talk With Jesus (English)

12. They Led Him Away (English)

13. There Is a Green Hill Far Away (English)

14. Nkosi Sikelela I Africa (Zulu)

15. Morena Boloka (Sotho)

Download HERE

Birth of our King

Contemplative, harmonic, soothing South African Christmas singing on the “Black Music” label.

1. Mamelang Manstwe
2. Tlong Bana
3. Kganye Ya Naledi
4. Ke Mmoloko Jesu
5. Oh come all ye faithful
6. Silent Night
7. Once in Royal David’s Cuity
8. Christ is Born
9. There’s a song in the air
10. While Shepherds Watch their flocks by night
11. Showers of Blessings
12. Blessed Assurance

Produced by Hansford Mthembu
1983 CCP Records Black Music BMC 559

Link

MORE: There are a surprising number of people throughout Africa who google the Kings Messenger's Quartet and land up at ElectricJIve. More than 2800 people have visited this page  (by mid August  2012). Many people have asked if there is more available. Commercially, very little. The following 1964 recording of the group contains explicit Christian Religious content, sung all in English. It is the second ever recording of the group formed by Billy Mahlalela at the Bethel College in Butterworth (Eastern Cape) in 1954. All of the group are/were members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church and specialise in singing Hymns and Spirituals. The other members of the group on this recording are: Paul Kote; Norman Dube and Washington Sixolo.

LINK: HERE

MORE: Following further requests by visitors, the First LP by the Kings Messesngers Quartet - "Soul of Africa" - is now available for download. This LP is a collection of all 14 of the songs they released in the 1950s on 78rpm records. The sound quality of the LP digitised here is excellent. Enjoy!

LINK: HERE

Spiritual Revival is a 1967 LP:

First Tenor: Norman Dube;

Second Tenor: Palmer Paul Kote:

Baritone and Principle Arranger: Gift S. Makapela:

Bass: Washington Sixolo

LINK: HERE

Assagai: Zimbabwe (1971)

This 1971 prog-rock offering by Assagai includes one of my favourite voices, Martha Mdenge. A follow-up to their self-titled debut album, "Zimbabwe" showcases some of South Africa’s best exile musicians at the time – Dudu Pukwana, Louis Moholo and the special trumpeter, Mongezi Feza. It also features some cover songs and musical back-up from Vertigo “stable-mates” Jade Warrior,

Zimbabwe was released on the Philips label, and then re-issued some years later on the MFP label with the name “Afro-Rock”.

More info on Jade Warrior and Assagai here.

From the back cover: “In recording this second album its been a pleasure once again with such rated musicians as Louis Moholo (drums) Dudu Pukwana (Alto/Piano) Mongezi Feza (Trumpet) Terri Quaye (Congas) and Bizo Mngikana (tenor).

"New members to the band are Smiley de Jonnes (congas/percussion) and Fred Fredericks (tenor/baritone) and Martha Mdenge who writes and sings some nice African folk songs.

"Thanks to fellow Vertigo artists Jade Warrior for strumming, picking, banging and blowing along, not to mention writing and arranging a few steamers.

"Recorded at Nova Sound Studios and Engineered by Richard Dodds. Produced by Dave Watson for Normal Associates. Sleeve Designed and drawn by Roger Dean."

1. Baranzibar (Havard)
2. Wanga (Mdenge)
3. La La (Mdenge)
4. Dalani (Pukwana)
5. Bayeza (Mdenge)
6. Sanga (Field)
7. Come Along (Mdenge)
8.Kinzambi (Duhig)
Philips 6308 079

Link

Malompo Jazz (c 1967)

Well, here is that elusive and rare Malompo Jazz LP in which Lucas (Lucky) Ranku stands in for Philip Tabane, who had fallen out with Julian Bahula and Abbey Cindi at the time.

Do have a look at Matsuli’s Malombo Discography here: This recording is perhaps more important as an historical milestone, than for any ground-breaking musical content. You be the judge.

From the back cover: “ABBEY CINDI is a Pretorian Fingo and he leads the trio. He is 27 years old and a batchelor. He is an unassuming man who is dedicated to the flute which he plays with astounding ability and feeling. In this LP he also plays the harmonica and makes wonderful improvisations with talks in “Abbey’s Mood” with it. In this track Abbey certainly excels himself. He also does the singing in “Zimbababelo.

“JULIAN BAHULE is 27 years old and is of Pedi origin. Always serious when pounding the malombo drums, he takes you through a maze of moods which range from deep sadness and whirl up to an ecstasy which usually leaves the listener way up in the clouds. The Julian, the frugally –composed near-genius, will tell you that he had been chasing an elusive ghost while he was pounding the malombo drums.

“This is his second LP with ABBEY CINDI. In the first, under the banner of THE MALOMBO JAZZ MEN jockeyed by the ace guitarist, PHILLIP TABANE, they had six tracks in the “1964 JAZ FESTIVAL WINNERS” collector’s album.

"LUCAS RANKU in this soulful session replaces Phillip who broke off from the original Malombos on guitar. Lucas was “discovered” by Abbey while he was strumming his guitar at a party in Vlakfontein, Pretoria a few weeks after the Tabane walk-out. He immediately recongised his potentialities and asked him to join his group which was in need of a guitarist. Lucas did himself proud after a number of rehearsals.

"In this sitting there is a vocalist HILDA TLOUBATLA, of the MOTELLA QUEENS, belting a catchy tune called “Jikeleza”.

"The MALOMBO JAZZMAKERS are really cut out to be on top of the jazz scene for quite some time.

By CASEY MTSISI,
“World” Jazz Critic,"

All tracks composed by Abbey Cindi.
1. Abbey’s Mood
2. Lullaby for Angels
3. Grab this for me
4. Emakhaya
5. Blues after lunch
6. Babelo
7. Intandane
8. A Tribute to Birds
9. Root of Africa
10. Vuma Mbari
11. Lousy Fever
12. Jikeleza

Gallotone GALP 1464
Thanks to Tony McGregor for making this recording available.

LINK

Stay on top with “The Syndicate” (1975)

Graduating with Soul 103, the Syndicate dish up mellow mid-tempo “jive lounge” instrumentals just right for a Sunday afternoon’s relaxing. Groovy keyboard work with sax and guitar explorations.

The fourth track "Lerato" was written by Selby Ntuli, who was band leader and co-founder of the Beaters and Harari with Hotstix Mabuse. Ntuli died in 1978.

Matt over at Matsuli in London has agreed to help us offload our few extra copies we have of these three Syndicate vinyls – international parcel postage from South Africa has become prohibitive, and so we have set up a sporadic vinyl exchange and courier service via travelling friends. Any South Africa-based readers who are interested in purchasing unplayed warehouse copies of these records give me a shout at: recordforthe at gmail dot com. Exchange and barter would be good to. First come first served.

1. Pezulu (8.35) The Wanders

2. Khona Part 1 (2.28) M. Mhlanga

3. Khona Part 2 (2.29) M. Mhlanga

4. Lerato (9.07) Selby Ntuli
5. Dithabeng (9.25) M. Mhlanga

Produced and Arranged by Martin Mdelwa Mhlanga - A Sweet City Production

Link

Keep on Bumping with the Syndicate (1975)

On this Soul 102 offering of suspected moonlighting musicians the sax player on the first track sounds like Mike Makhalemele. Following the first long and groovy first bump track, there is a dose of soul from the pen of Babsy Mlangeni. 'Movin out', written by Zane Cronje, Pacific Expresse's keyboard player and composer, moves deeper into funk territory with plenty of waa waa guitar. The fourth track (‘Safa Saphela’) is a bumping funky cover of Johnny Nash’s 1974 hit ‘The Look in Your Eyes’ – written by Emmanuel Rentzos.

Soul 103 to follow in a little while

1. Keep on Bumping (15.00) M. Mhlanga

2. Thekeni (3.00) B. Mlangeni, H. Lebona

3. Movin' Out (8.00) Z. Cronje
4. Safa Saphela (8.00). E. Rentzos

Produced by Martin Mdelwa Mhlanga
Engineer: Peter Ceronia
A Sweet City Production (1975).

Enjoy

Watch out for "The Syndicate" (1975)

Bump, funk, afro-soul, and general get-up-and-groove kicks off ElectricJive’s festive season offerings in a quick-fire triple posting – Soul Brother 101, 102, 103.

Here’s a shady group of hot anonymous South African musicians moonlighting away from their usual recording contracts for producer Martin Mhlanga on the Soul Brother label.

Soul 101:- a solid fifteen minutes of bump jive followed by a deep funky nineteen-minute groove featuring top organ, guitar, trumpet and sax solos. Could that be Kippie we hear on the sax? Alan Kwela on the guitar? And that trumpet? Who knows – whoever they were, they could groove.

Talking about moonlighting anonymous musicians, Dabulamanzi tells me he has now worked out that the “Monwabisi” on our earlier Remember District Six posting, was indeed Winston Mankunku Ngozi himself!

Soul Brother 102 and 103:- to follow over the next few days.

Introducing: Syndicate
Africa’s ‘Bump’ Kings

1. Thula Mabota (14.55)
2. Watch Out (18.34)

Produced by Martin Mdelwa Mhlangu

Soul Brother: Soul 101 (1975).

Link

All aboard the Pacific Express

Cape Town's answer to Earth Wind and Fire with one of their sadly out of print LPs from the late seventies. They recorded three LPs - On Time, Expressions and Black Fire - which have been anthologised on two CD compilations put out by Mountain Records in Cape Town. The track "The Way It Used To Be" also appeared on the Africa Underground (Counterpoint Records) and African Disco (Nascente) compilations issued in Europe.

Pacific Express - Expressions (GULP903, 1979)

1. Look at the Smile

2. You've Got It All

3. Funky Sounds

4. Come True

5. Express

6. When I Think

7. What Is The Answer

8. Tired of Being Alone

9. What I Feel

10, She's Gone

Paul Abrahams (bass), Zayn Adams (vocals & percussion), Jonathan Butler (vocals & guitar), Tony Cedras (keyboards & trumpet), Jack Momple (drums & percussion). With guests: Barney Rachabane, Stompie Manana & Tully McCully. Recorded in Cape Town May-July 1979, produced by Tully McCully.

Sukasambe Seventies South African Soul Hits

This compilation of rather special South African 1974/75 Soul Hits is gleaned from two records on the Ring Label that revealed themselves to me on a dig last week. Under a stack of disused theatre seats there was this leaning tower of sleeveless dusty LPs. A fun weekend of cleaning, digitising and a little splicing brings you this soulful South African soundtrack , especially for one of those lazy days off work. Ring were targeting a diverse South African “soul-craving” public who, despite apartheid boycotts in the 1970s, were still getting visits from the likes of Tina Turner, Doby Gray, and Percy Sledge. These Ring compilations sprinkled in some international hits, but this mix focuses mostly on those composed by South Africans – see label pics for details. Not being in possession of the record covers I am unable to tell you who the performers are, except that the band was called "The Moonlight Expressions" – all help and suggestions are most welcome – please! What I am sure of is that there is an appreciable South African audience who, if they were to hear this compilation, will be transported back through an intense and soulfully ingrained lost sound-track from their lives.

Track-listing

1. Intro from 1975 record

2. My Friend

3. Nomali

4. Julia

5. Say It
6. Preacher Man
7. Lorraine
8. My Girl
9. Hot Coffee
10. Hot Tea
11. Tau Special
12. I’ll Take You There
13. Change My Mind

Mediafire download link HERE

Getting Funky with the Cannibals

Back into the Soweto Soul groove with this 1979 outing Get Funky from Ray Phiri's group The Cannibals. Phiri was to later form the group Stimela and work with Paul Simon on the Gracelands project. The Get Funky LP was recorded soon after untimely death of Jacob Radebe aka Mpharanyana's in 1979. No-one, not even the Cannibals, were quite able to fill the gap left by his passing. Enjoy!
The Cannibals - Get Funky (BL213, 1979)
1. Get Funky
2. Tell Every Mother
3. Angelina
4. I Want to Preach Love
5. Hlokomela
Produced by Marks Mankwane
Paul Ndlovu (vocals), Isaac Mtshali (drums), Ray Phiri (guitar), Richard Shongwe (bass), Anna Sikwane (vocals), Ephraim Hlophe (keyboard)

DOWNLOAD LINK HERE

Morris Goldberg's Urban Jazz Band (1975)

When talking of Cape Jazz pioneers Morris Goldberg’s name is usually mentioned in the same sentence along with Dollar Brand and Chris McGregor. This gem was recorded in 1975 when Goldberg was visiting South Africa from his New York base. Both Goldberg and percussionist Monty Weber were part of the “Manenburg” legend. Goldberg was the third saxophone player whose name does not appear on the cover credits. Read some of the back-story here.

Strangely, this record does not feature on Goldberg’s own discography. You can read more about Morris Goldberg and his band Ojoyo here.

MORRIS GOLDBERG AND CHRIS SCHILDER. ART CENTRE, GREENPOINT COMMON 1966 - PHOTO BY IAN HUNTLEY

Thank you Tony McGregor for making this album available for sharing.

Produced by Morris Goldberg and David Bravo. Recorded at U.C.A. studios Loop Street, Cape Town, April 1975. ATC 8000

1. Woo Woo (Bravo)
2. Urban Jazz Suite (Bravo, Goldberg) – runs on into “That’s What the Old Lady Said”
3. When She Kissed the Spanish Cow (Bravo)
4. Dance 4.3 (Goldberg)
5. Tina (Bravo).

Marc Duby: Bass
Cecil Ricca: Drums
Monty Weber: Congas, Timbales and Percussion
Morris Goldberg: Alto and soprano sax and clarinet
David Bravo: Acoustic and Electric Piano

UPDATED LINK

Soul "ahem" Man Mpharanyana

"To the East of Johannesburg in Kathlehong, Germiston The Wavelets backed one of the most powerful voices in township soul - Jacob Radebe aka Mpharanyana. Some of the members of this band were Lloyd Lelosa who would later be a diligent producer and Stimela's keyboardist. Their hits includes Se Di Tsebise Mary and So Dull Without Here. In fact, Mpharanyana's career was mainly associated with three bands: The Peddlars of Springs, the Wavelets of Kathlehong and The Cannibals, whose members included Raymond Chikapa Phiri and Isaac "Mnca" Mtshali from Nelspruit. Most of Mpharanyana's hits were in Sesotho...One of the musicians who used to attend his recording sessions told me what I always thought was "style" was actually a coughing problem. The tape would be stopped so many times during recording sessions for him to cough, until one day his producer West decided he should just cough within the songs. To most people it became his trade mark." Max Mojapelo from his book Beyond Memory: Reording the History, moments and Meories of SOuth African Music

(The Peddlers later backed Dick Khoza on his seminal Chapita LP for the AsShams label.

LINK UPDATED 30 Dec 2014 HERE

The birth of Heshoo Beshoo

Tony McGregor spent Friday with bassist Ernest Mothle at a Pretoria memorial tribute gig to Winston Mankunku Ngozi. Tony was not sure that the version published by ElectricJive below was quite as he heard it, so he asked Ernie for his recollection of how Heshoo Beshoo were formed. Here is the story:  Ernest Mothle Playing at the Mankunku tribute in Pretoria (6th November) Pic: Tony McGregor.

The band Heshoo Beshoo grew out of a great friendship. formed in the home of jazz promoter and founder of the Johannesburg Jazz Appreciation Society, Ray Nkwe.

After the recording of Yakhal' inKomo, Mankunku Ngozi stayed on in Johannesburg at Nkwe's house and there Ernest Mothle, Cyril Magubane and drummer Gilbert Matthews used to hang out to listen to the rich collection of jazz albums that Nkwe had, courtesy of the record companies, especially RCA, who sent him albums to review.

Meanwhile Abdullah Ibrahim, on his first visit back to South Africa, had a gig at the Mofolo Hall in Soweto, for which he needed some supporting musicians. Ernest, Cyril, Mankunku and Gilbert were hired for the gig. For Ernest it was a life-changing moment. “I have never seen anything like it in South Africa – the musicians were actually crying on stage,” Ernest says of the gig. “It was very, very powerful.”

Ray Nkwe then teamed Gilbert and Mankunku up with the Schilder brothers from Cape Town to record the famous album Spring (This album has been put together with Yakhal' inKomo in re-issues).

To keep the band going, Ernest and Cyril then asked the Sithole brothers, Henry and Stanley, as well as Nelson Magwaza, to join them. This band was then named Heshoo Beshoo, with Ernest handling the business side of things and Cyril doing most of the composing.

The band played around Fordsburg in Johannesburg for a while and were heard by John Norwell who's father was on the board of EMI. He was looking for music of substance to record in South Africa but the company was more geared to the pop side. Norwell almost got fired for recording a jazz album. Norwell took the band into the studio and recorded the album released as Armitage Road.

Four of the five tracks on Armitage Road were composed by Cyril, the exception being “Wait and See” which was composed by Henry Sithole.

After the recording was released the band struggled to get paid, apparently because of internal disputes about it within EMI.

Ultimately Ernest went to the EMI offices and threatened to put a lawyer onto them, even though he had no money to pay a lawyer and didn't know a lawyer he could ask to act for them

Walking back down Eloff Street Ernest saw a lawyer's shingle and went into the office. He found that the lawyer had just set up his practice and Ernest was his first client. The lawyer offered to take on the case free. He wrote a letter to EMI which resulted in the band's fee being paid very quickly.
LINK to Arimtage Road.

Crossing the Road with Heshoo Beshoo

What a melting pot this country really is – past and present; people and places; seemingly fleeting, but unknowingly permanent, at least until the wheel turns again.

South African Jazz Classic Armitage Road makes all these connections, and endures. The only surviving member of this special band is bass player Ernest Shololo Mothle who played with Chris McGregor’s Brotherhood of Breath throughout the 1980s. Ernest is back in South Africa. ElectricJive is thrilled to hear how happy Ernest was to get a copy of the musical Phiri that Tony McGregor downloaded from this site. Ernest had apparently not heard Phiri since he went into exile shortly after recording it in 1972. Thank you Ernest for all your great music!

Picture of Ernest Mothle by Tony McGregor

Tony tells a great story about Armitage Road and Ernest Mothle here.

Gwen Ansell describes another set of connections that Armitage Road makes: being “informed by both American and South African styles and influences. In short it straddles early hard bop and danceable South African jazz.”

In comments to the previous short-lasting posting of this recording on Matsuli, Siemon Allen pointed out the clear visual reference to the Beatles’ album Abbey Road. “What I like about the cover is that when juxtaposed with "Abbey Road" it becomes a critique of the social conditions in South Africa at that time without overtly mentioning Apartheid and running the risk of being banned. Certainly showing Cyril Magubane (who was struck with polio) crossing the road in his wheelchair amplifies the difference between the world of Armitage Road and that of Abbey Road."

This is what else the Matsuli post had to say: The group was put together by saxophonist Henry Sithole who started out playing jazz with Dalton Khanyile's Keynotes in 1964 before playing in Gibson Kente's musical Sikalo; thereafter with Almon's Jazz 8 and Mackay Davashe's Jazz Dazzlers. In 1969 Henry recruited Ernest Mothle on bass, Nelson Magwaza on drums, Cyril Magubane on guitar and his brother Stanley on tenor for the Heshoo Beshoo Group.

Heshoo Beshoo means moving forward with force. On so many levels this recording is a strong statement of self determination, creativity and freedom in the midst of the brutual subjugation of black South Africans by the Apartheid government. The LP had a limited release in South Africa as well as a subsequent release in France.

In 1971 Henry and Stanley were approached by guitarist Adolphus "Bunny" Luthuli to get a band together to compete in the Alco Best Band Competition at Jabulani Stadium in April 1971. Bunny had played with Henry in Almon's Jazz 8. This approach was the genesis of South Africa's greatest soul jazz band The Drive comprising the Sithole brothers Henry, Danny and Stanley, Bunny Luthuli, Mike Makhalemele, Lucky Mbatha, Nelson Magwaza and Anthony Saoli.

The Drive won the Alco competition and stayed together touring throughout Southern Africa. In 1972 they won best band at the PINA CULO festival in Umgababa in September 1972. The band unfortunately suffered a tragedy in May 1977 when Bunny Luthuli and Henry Sithole were killed outright in a car accident in the Tzaneen area of Nothern Transvaal.

Today Nelson Magwaza and Ernest Mothle are both musicians who command serious respect for their contribution to the rich tapestry of South African Jazz and popular music. The old slogan the struggle for jazz - jazz for the struggle rings true once more; only today this struggle is as much about memory as it is about change.

The Heshoo Beshoo Group - Armitage Road (1971, JLP 4021)
1. Armitage Road
2. Wait and See
3. Amakhaya
4. Amabutho
5. Lazy Bones
Henry Sithole (alto sax), Stanley Sithole (tenor sax), Cyril Magubane (guitar), Nelson Magwaza (drums), Ernest Mothle (bass). Produced and engineered by John Norwell.

LINK

Our Boys Are Doing It

This one has been on our radar for some time. The record was a direct response to Hugh Masekela's LP "The Boy Is Doing It" (Check it here), recorded in Lagos in 1975. Three great tunes featuring legendary South African sax player Kippie Moeketsi. Enjoy.

Dennis Mpale, Kippie Moeketsi and the Boys - Our Boys Are Doing It (MERCURY, STAR206, 1977)

1. Our Boys Are Doing It

2. Dennis Groove

3. Orlando

Dennis Mpale (trumpet & leader), Kippie Moeketsi (alto sax) and the Boys. All compositions by Dennis Mpale.

LINK