Intuthuko Brothers feat Hansford Mthembu (1974)

Especially for you Manzo: Following on from Siemon's April posts of "Modern Sax Stars" featuring the Intuthuko Brothers in the guise of Abafana Intuthuko and Hansford Mthembu in 1967, and the 1976  "Stars of Africa" herewith a 1974 offering from this talented and mellow outfit.

Hansford Mthembu (the spelling on the album cover is a misprint) was a pretty special guitarist. He also leads  on the "Amagugu" album featured on Electric Jive here. At that time he was married to Amagugu singer Francine Thopi Mnguni,  previously with Izintombi Zesi Manje Manje. Mthembu also went on to produce recordings by the Kings Messengers Quartet in the 1980s, and regularly played guitar for multiple bands assembled by West Nkosi.

1. Tomorrow's Wedding (Hensford Mthembu / T. Masikane)
2.Please Dont Cry (Hensford Mthembu)
3. S.A. My Love (Hensford Mthembu)
4. Champaine & Wine (Hensford Mthembu)
5, Loving Arms (T. Jans)
6. Xmas Bells (Hensford Mthembu)
7. Back Home (Hensford Mthembu)
8. Uthanda Bantu (Hensford Mthembu / T. Masikane)
9. Ematimatolo (Hensford Mthembu / T. Masikane)
10. Kwa Kheth'Omthandayo (Hensford Mthembu)
11. Is'Gul'Egoli  (K. Monare)
12. First Stop Durban (K. Monare)

Intuthuko Borthers: Featuring Hansford Mthembu (1974)
Skyline Marabi SK80163
Produced by N. Venter

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Intuthuko Brothers - Stars of Africa (1976)

As promised last week, today we feature the first in a series of posts on the Intuthuko Brothers. Also known as Abafana Bentuthuko, this distinctly mellow mbaqanga group was led by guitarist Hansford Mthembu and can often be heard backing Bra Sello Mmutung on a number of his LPs. The 1967 compilation album, Modern Sax Stars, featured here at Electric Jive includes Mthembu and his group as well as David Khanyile and Bra Sello.

The group that became the Intuthuko Brothers were formed around 1966 and were hugely popular in South Africa and toured extensively throughout the country and Swaziland in the mid 1970s.

Stars of Africa (1976) is dedicated to the group's first bassist Jackson Simelane Makwenta who unfortunately died in a car accident in 1975. Makwenta is also remembered by the inclusion of the first track, Mahlabathini Special No. 6, which he composed and arranged.

Intuthuko Brothers
Stars of Africa
Kaya-Lami
KYL 2002
1976

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

Amagugu: Ubhek'uZulu (1974)

"Africa's Greatest Vocal Group": goes the front cover marketing hyperbole from 1974. Amagugu were certainly vocally very strong though - sultry, velvet harmonies. Add legendary lead guitarist and arranger Hansford Mthembu to the girl group and groaner mix, and you have a very strong mbaqanga album.

I turned to Electric Jive's walking mbaqanga encyclopedia, Nick Lotay, to see if he could tell me more than the little that is available on the record and cover. This is what he had to say:

"The regular members of Amagugu during this time included Sannah Mnguni (lead vocals), her sister Francina 'Thopi' Mnguni, Thoko Khumalo, Liliah Vilakazi and Thandi Kheswa (who was a Mahotella Queens member from around 1969 to 1974). The lady photographed on the front cover isn't Sannah - it looks like it could be Thandi Kheswa, but I'm not sure. The male groaner is Harry Nhlapo who later joined Abafana Baseqhudeni at Mavuthela, and at one point sang with the Queens.

"The lead guitarist on this LP is Thopi's husband Hansford Mthembu, one of the legendary mbaqanga players of all time and one of the crafters of Amagugu's sound. Kali Monare is the drummer. Titus Masikane, credited with writing two of these songs, was the group's producer and manager.

"I don't know who or what the "Umqangabodwe" credited as having written four songs was, but producers of the time would habitually invent random names to replace the name of the real composer, possibly to collect the ensuing royalty fee for themselves."

1. Ubhek'uZulu - (H. Nhllapho)
2. Imvula (Umqnagabhodwe)
3. Ulwandle (Umqnagabhodwe)
4. Inyoni Emhlophe (Umqnagabhodwe)
5. Instsholontsholo (Umqnagabhodwe)
6. Chuchu Makgala (Thandi Kheswa)
7. Mesong (K. Monare)
8. Samelu (Sannah Mnguni)
9. Emakhabaleni (T. Masikane)
10. Mngane Wami (T. Masikane)
11. King of My Heart (H. Mthembu)
12. Salani Kahle (H. Methembu)

AMAGUGU
UBHEK'UZULU
Producer: Titus Masikane
Skyline Jazz: SK80162

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