Bra Sello - The Battle of Disco (1977)

Today we feature Bra Sello Mmutung's ironically titled: The Battle of Disco. Recorded in 1977, the LP features two long, single-sided tracks stylistically in the bump jive form. Perhaps its his pensive expression on the cover or the music itself, which, though wonderfully mellow, nostalgically refers back to an earlier time. Ironic, for sure, in that bump jive as a style can be traced back to Abdullah Ibrahim's Mannenburg (The Sun, SRK 786134) recorded a mere three years before this LP in 1974. Maybe Bra Sello's "battle" is more a generational critique of the coming disco soul jive explosion that was already sweeping younger consumers and would dominate record sales in South Africa until at least the early 1980s. Ironic also in that Bra Sello helped build the mbaqanga dance sound with hits like Lulu Come Back that led to the disco soul era. The album could also be viewed as a lament for the big band sounds of the majuba era. A lament, however, that certainly is uplifting!

Bra Sello Mmutung can be heard on the 1967 compilation Modern Sax Stars and the 1975 album Butterfly here at Electric Jive.

BRA SELLO
The Battle of Disco
1977
Soweto
SWA 14018

Modern Sax Stars (1967)

I recently acquired a number of distinctly mellow mid-70s mbaqanga LPs by the Intuthuko Brothers and for today I had planned to post the earliest of those featuring Hansford Mthembu. But I came across a YouTube posting by alkis09 of Bra Sello with Abafana Bentuthuko where kayem11 had added a comment mentioning that Abafana Bentuthuko were also known as the Intuthuko Brothers. Of course I should have known... I recalled a 1967 CBS LP Modern Sax Stars featuring David Khanyile (Festus the Great), Bra Sello and Hansford Mthembu or (as the LP cover clearly notes) Abafana Bentuthuko.

Abafana Bentuthuko led by Hansford Mthembu were the backing band on a number of LPs for Bra Sello Mmutung. So for today's post I thought to focus on this earlier LP featuring the group, and cover their later 1970s material in future postings. You may be familiar with some of the tracks included here, 12-0-12 and Vala Nzimande were big hits for Bra Sello and Hansford Mthembu respectively, and are also featured on Nick Lotay's earlier post: Sax Jive Special. Bra Sello can also be heard here at EJ on Butterfly, and on the compilations DiscoSoulJive, and Pull Up! Sixties Jazz 78s.

David Khanyile (Festus the Great)
Bra Sello and his Band
Hansford Mthembu (Abafana Bentuthuko)
Modern Sax Stars
CBS
LAB 4002
1967