We also want to celebrate our blog friends, readers and other kindred spirits who share our passion for this music. We are convinced that the proliferation of African music blogsites is growing the audience base. We believe that this greater interest and exposure can only be good for music – old and new. In the past year we have probably seen more re-issues of old South African music than ever before – witness Chapita; the three great Next Stop Soweto volumes, the South African Funk Experience; Shangaan Electro; the Mahotella Queens/Soul Brothers compilation by Nascente to name just a few.
There have been some interesting debates on vinyl-digging colonialism and re-issues over at Africa is a Country – picking up on the music industry's rapidly shifting set of business and relationship parameters created through web 2.0.
We have witnessed the growth in some amazing efforts to build discographies and add to the documentation of South African music - witness Nick Lotay's incredible articles on the Mavuthela label or the As-shams discography created by matt from matsuli. We are particularly excited by the just emerging initiative of Siemon Allen over at flat international which we hope to support in whatever way we can.
We think, with a little mindfulness, our music blogsites can be good for music and for artists past and present. Electric Jive has been careful not to share free downloads of music that can be easily bought. We do believe we have helped grow the sales of some CDs by sharing links to sites where these can be purchased. In sum, we feel good about being part of what blogs and people around the world are able to do in sharing and promoting music. We look forward to sharing the next 100 posts with you!
We invite you to share a comment and any thoughts with us. This time next week one of the comments will be randomly selected (by number - not content) to “win” a free copy of the Chapita re-issue. Best wishes from us both. Fortherecord and Dabulamanzi.
Congratulations.I am more than thankful for all the treasures you have shared,specially all the hard to find south african soul records.Cheers
ReplyDeleteElectric Jive has been very useful indeed to my short radio series about South African music: see the whole playlist in http://tinyurl.com/townshipbeat (including several links to Electric Jive webpages).
ReplyDeleteYou can still download the whole series (spoken parts are in Italian but music is music, of course) using the links you'll find in http://prospmus.blogspot.com/2010/08/township-beat-musiche-dal-sudafrica.html
All the best
Alessandro
I've been a big fan of South African music since the late 1970s and my first encounter at a Julian Bahula gig in the UK. We've been fortunate that people like Earthworks and Sterns have worked tirelessly over the last 30 years to release and distribute new South African music, both on vinyl and later cd. Now ElectricJive has picked up the baton online and you've greatly broadened my appreciation of SA jazz in particular. So a big thankyou for that. Keep up the good work, keep showing fans where they can BUY the music when it's available and, if I should win, please give my copy of Chapita to someone else. I'm already the proud owner of disc 049!
ReplyDeleteIt's not just the music that you share—though that would surely be enough—it is the manner and spirit with which you share it that elevates EJ to its status as international treasure. Every new offering is a thrilling revelation, and the way you've turned this random gift into a collective celebration is a wonder.
ReplyDeleteI, too, am happy to defer my chance at "winning" to another commenter.
as you may know I moving along the same lines forthe record.I believe that we are opening a major global market for the good record companies,
ReplyDeletethey just have to be clever,size the day and start issuing the top numbers from their back catalogues,it will cost them practicly nothing and we'll be the first to buy :)
as for the artists they had never been respected so much as they are now.
us bloggers and the majority of our audience realize day by day the extent of the artistic treasures that remain hidden in dusty basements and old tapes .the companies must decide to move soon to the right direction and we'll be at their side.
and thanks for your excellent work its always my pleasure to visit electricjive
Chapita is one of the best South African LPs I've heard. I can't wait to buy it or win it!
ReplyDeletewow..really nice blog you have....love it... tanks for sharing it to me.... and congrats..
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thanks,
badloi
Congratulations on this milestone
ReplyDeleteThanks again for the many pennywhistle posts which I personally have found so useful in learning to play this music.
And thanks for sharing music from other styles which along with Nick Lotay's excellent articles have given me a historical and social background on this rich and vibrant musical heritage to which I am a relative newcomer.
best wishes,
donpiper
As my love for South African music has grown immensely over the last years, your blog was probably my most important guide to discover new artists and styles. Can't thank you enough! Congrats to the first 100 posts, looking forward to the next 100.
ReplyDeleteHave just started following your blog and have been introduced to many new artists. I am a white male living in Ohio-US and enjoy all types of music. This blog is tastefully done and gives great info about the artists and where the music has come from. Keep up the good work and thanks for sharing!!!
ReplyDeleteWell the traditional music industry is dead! You guys are showing the future. Pity the artists don't get anything except the knowledge that their works live again and that people are enjoying them. My hat off to matsuli and others for trying to still make it work commercially. But what's viable commercially to labels like Soundway, Analog African, matsuli and the rest is the small tip of the iceberg of riches people like you at electricjive are sharing. Keep the flag flying.
ReplyDeleteDespues de leer los comentarios anteriores solo puedo decir que debemos continuar con la preservación de las raices de la musica del continente africano, ya que hoy en día cada vez se le da menos importancia a cualquier tipo de arte en el mundo, globalizado por la comercialización y la carrera desenfrenada por la tecnología y creo que solo los bloggers y los coleccionistas por supuesto podemos rescatar esta musica de la ignominia.
ReplyDeleteSaludos y suerte a todos por Chapita
Gran blog!!!
i'm such a fan of your blog. Keep up the amazing work : )
ReplyDeleteNicely done Electric Jive : )
ReplyDeleteCongratulations EJ! Love your blog, keep it up!:)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing all the wonderful music. The rare Malombo especially as i figured i'd never be lucky enough to hear those records. Love that you are carrying on the good work of Matsuli and doing it so well.Looking forward to more great posts!
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
David
Nice. Just don't stop.
ReplyDeleteYes, whats still in the electric jive bag? Gideon Nxumalo's Early Mart? The legendary unreleased Abdullah Ibrahim Sun Sessions?
ReplyDeleteCongratulations ALEX LANGA - yours was the 14th comment. Please contact us at recordforthe at gmail dot com to facilitate delivery of Chapita LP
ReplyDeleteCongrats!
ReplyDeleteAnd may you continue posting another thousand blogs! Your selections are consistently some of the best gems on the interwebs.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations and keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteYou have truly been an inspiration (not to mention a great resource) to many amateur South African music historians and collectors like myself.
I look forward to seeing what the future holds for Electric Jive.
All the best!
Ooh, I just downloaded this wonderful album from emusic. The vinyl will go so very nicely with my turntable. :D
ReplyDeleteAnd keep up the good work!
Congrats for the 100th post and could you post 1000 more to deliver more knowledge and love of south african music
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing to us.there are many person searching about that now they will find enough resources by your post.I would like to join your blog anyway so please continue sharing with us. thesis writing service
ReplyDeleteAlvine123 please do not abuse this blog by posting spam messages to it - thank you
ReplyDeleteHello all your enterprising webbots and commercial link generators. Not much we can do to get rid of you except delete your comments through moderation. Making our lives a little more difficult each day. Perhaps you are a real person working on commission in a low-wage economy. If you are take some time to download and listen to the music we are sharing. It might brighten your day!
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