Amagugu with the Intuthuko Brothers (1976)

Silky-voiced Sannah Mnguni, previously lead-singer of Izintombi Zesi Manje Manje, heads-up a stand-out  vocal-mbaqanga quintet. The Intuthuko Brothers provide the instrumental  fireworks, with Harry Nhlapo the likely male 'groaner'. This ten-piece outfit is up there with the best - at least as good as the Makgona Tsohle Band and the Mahotella Queens in their prime.

Today's offering is a "best of" Amagugu and the Intuthuko Brothers, happily with only one duplicate from the previously shared Amagugu album. My absolute favourite is the slow and jazzy Uyozikhethela (You Decide). 

Mnguni was also a prolific writer, responsible for penning eight of the twelve tracks featured here. Amagugu's 1974 Ubhek'uZulu can be found here; Other albums featuring the Intuthuko Brothers can be found here and here and here. Izintombi Zesi Manje Manje can be found here and here. I do not have a copy of the Izintombi album "Nomali" that was recently requested, but I will find place for one or two others in the future.

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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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