Meet the Mahotella Queens (1966)

Thanks everyone for your comments and mails - and especially to those of you offering to share that special music you have collected. We look forward to widening all of our horizons! Another classic and crucial out-of-print rarity for your enjoyment this week!

“Not long ago – about two years – the country was swept by a craze for a new kind of jive. First presented and popularised by the Mahotella Queens, it shows no signs of decreasing – in fact it gets bigger with the release of each new “Queens” record. Demonstrating the dance all over the country, The Mahotella Queens (not to forget their “King” Mahlatini Nkabinde) have become the idols of the young “with it” crowd. Growing from original “Jive Motella” many other fads and variations have recently hit the scene – all of them introduced and demonstrated by The Queens and their King: Jive Mgqashiya (which is available on MO 33 and, incidentally is named after the word meaning the Bantu traditional way of dancing), Jive Jibav (on MO 50) and most recently a wild, crazy jive called ‘S’modern’.

The charm, vivacity and ultra-modern go-ahead spirit of these vital young artists fully deserves to have captivated the country. Ever since they started, back in Johannesburg in 1963, their fame has been growing by leaps and bounds. Today they have no equal in their field. But although they are the ones who glory in all the limelight, they owe an enormous debt to the “man behind the scenes”. He is the “brain” who guided, formed and trained the group – Rupert “Bops” Bopape. “ From the cover.

Much more on the “Queens” can be found on the internet, including: here and here and here
Buy more recent releases here and here.
Rapidshare here
MediaFire here