Mpharanyana & the Peddlers: Hela Ngwanana (1979)

 This album - it seems - is the last one ever recorded by Jacob "Mpharanyana" Radebe. The back cover suggests it was recorded on 27th August 1979. The LP label indicates a publication date of 3rd September 1979.

Bakithi Kumalo's bass drives and holds this slickly-produced album tightly together. (he played Graceland for Paul Simon, as well as for Herbie Hancock, Glora Estafan, Cyndi Lauper, and Harry Belafonte). Another top-drawer contributor is lead guitarist Themba Mokoena, who graces Dick Khoza's "Chapita", and features his own album on Electric Jive here. Mokoena composes two of the tracks: Maseru, and Mme Ma Tsediso.

Also among the composers are Teaspoon Ndelu (two tracks) and the producer, West Nkosi (five tracks) - all of which traverse the comfortable space between soul, disco and a touch of mbaqanga through Kumalo's adverturous bass.

Backing the "Soul Man" are a stellar line-up in The Peddlers:
Mac Mathunjwa: Keyboard
Themba Mokoena: Lead Guitar
Bakithi Kumalo: Bass Guitar
Godfrey Mcina: Drums
Elijah Kumalo: Rhythm Guitar
Mduduzi Magwaza: Alto Sax
Freeman Lambata: Tenor Sax
Tex Nduluka: Trumpet
Additional Voices: Sandra Senne, Catherine Dumakude, Joanna Thango, Helen Mosolodi.

Mediafire here

Mpharanyana and the Cannibals: Disco Bump (1977)

There are many 1970s youngsters that will say Jacob “Mpharanyana” Radebe was the best soul singer that South Africa has produced. The man from Katlehong was hugely popular in the mid to late 1970s, until his life was cut short in 1979.

He recorded “a handful” of albums for the Mavuthela stable, calling upon ‘cream-of-the-crop’ musicians in “The Cannibals” and “The Peddlars” – many of whom formed the core of the Pelican Club House band in Soweto at the time.

I do like the cover of Clarence Carter’s “Slipping Away” – compare for yourself with the original here. In addition to its soul foundation, this strong eclectic line-up of tracks references mbqanga, disco, bump and rock. The track “Satane” nods to the music Thomas Mapfumo was producing at the time.

The line-up on this album is:

Ray Phiri: Lead guitar and backing vocals
Jacob Radebe: Lead vocals and percussion
Ephraim Hlope: Organ
Isaac Mtshali: Drums and backing vocals
Richard Shongwe: Base guitar and backing vocals.

Mpharanyana features on two previous posts on Electric Jive here and here.

 Mediafire link here

Mpharanyana and the Cannibals (1978)

Today we feature possibly one of the last albums that legendary soul singer, Jacob "Mpharanyana" Radebe recorded with the Cannibals before his untimely death in 1979. He would put out at least one more album with the Peddlers in 1979 (also on Gallo's Soul Jazz Pop label) which can be viewed here at Electric Jive.

The line up for the Cannibals on this LP includes Radebe on lead vocals, Sandra Senne, Johanna Tango and Catherine on backing vocals, Ray Phiri on lead guitar, Richard Shongwe on electric piano, Ephraim Hlophe on bass and Isaac Mtshali on drums. (Allingham)

After Radebe's death in 1979, the Cannibals continued to record and their album Get Funky can be viewed here at Electric Jive. Of course the Cannibals would soon dissolve and Phiri and Mtshali would go on to form another hugely successful group—Stimela—in 1982.

Produced by West Nkosi, the album opens with the title track, Nka Nako Ho Motseba, a Sesotho cover version of Percy Sledge's Take Time to know her; and also features some great soul-disco, including the hits Hlotse and Dihwapa as well as my favorite, Rosie.

Many of the songs also include Radebe's signature coughing. Initially an unintentional problem, as Max Mojapelo reveals in his book Beyond Memory, that caused taping to be stopped frequently during recording sessions, but one that evolved into a stylistic characterisitc after producer Nkosi decided to leave the tapes running.

The track Thakane was later included on Rob Allingham's seminal compilation—The History of Township Music—and in the liner notes to that disc Allingham maintains that Radebe "was arguably the greatest vocalist of the entire local soul-disco era and his impassioned style is wonderfully showcased by West Nkosi's sharp production techniques on 'Thakane'. The American-style harmonies of the female backing chorus, the walking bass lines and Ray Phiri's blazing, blues-inflected guitar licks all combine to produce an atmosphere entirely reminiscent of the landmark Stax label material of US soul legend Otis Redding. A year after this recording was made and at the height of his reknown, Mpharanyana fell ill and suddenly died. A few years later, a television dramatisation based on his life rekindled the public's interest and today Mpharanyana's story constitutes South Africa's most popular legend of musical talent and early demise." (Allingham)

MPHARANYANA AND THE CANNIBALS
Nka Nako Ho Motseba
Soul Jazz Pop
BL 142
1978

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