readers post;Tebogo Lerole on Elias and His Zig Zag Jive Flutes

some interesting news out of Soul Safari’s mailbox as a comment to my previous post Penny Whistle Kwela -Alexandra Shamber Boys, Benoni Flute Quintet. Readers comments are always welcome….keep sending!

On Apr 7 2012, 8:19 am reader Tebogo Lerole wrote:

I agree this is an amazing blog and I must say my dad truly appreciates all this. His name is Elias Shamber Lerole – founder of Elias and His Zig Zag Jive Flutes and composer of the hit Tom Hark. He is a very proud man, his legacy and that of other famous penny whistlers lives on through my brothers and I. Our band Kwela Tebza has been striving hard to put Kwela music on the map.

Now, ain’t this a very special message? It moved me because of the historical link and  the fact that Elias Shamber Lerole has a son who keeps the legacy of his father alive by playing kwela with his band Kwela Tebza. If only I could hear Tebogo’s music!

Little Lemmy & Big Joe -Kwela No 5 

Here’s an rare kwela track that I’d like to share today as a tribute to the great Elias Shamber Lerole, founder of Elias and His Zig Zag Jive Flutes and as a kudo to Tebogo for his comment on my post.

See also something new from Africa -Kwela with Lemmy

Soul Safari presents Township Jive & Kwela Jazz (1940-1960)

It’s official folks! Our first compilation in collaboration with ILAM is now being prepared for release. Soul Safari presents Township Jive & Kwela Jazz (1940-1960) celebrates the 3rd year of Soul Safari so far. Imagine 135 posts and still counting…

All titles on this compilation have been handpicked from the ILAM Archives (the International Library of African Music), in Grahamstown, South Africa. The tracklisting represents a wide variety of styles from the golden era of Jive & Kwela, originally released on 78 shellac discs from small independent record companies .  The compilation features rarities by the big names obviously but presents  mostly obscure material from a long lost past. Recorded from the original 78 rpm’s and professionally restored/mastered with artwork to match.

A limited edition of the album in CD format is confirmed for October 2011,  exclusively distributed by Soul Safari. A deluxe 180 gram vinyl pressing is in the planning… more info in future posts 

 

1 The Skylarks with Miriam Makeba & Spokes Mashiyane -Ekoneni

2 Sophtown Cool Seven -Sophtown Special

3 Lulu Sibeko & Sedgewick Brothers Tholi Bare

4 The Skylarks with Miriam Makeba & Spokes Mashiyane -Inkomo Zodwa

5 Spokes Mashiyane & His Golden Saxophone -Bothe Bothe

6 Cowboy Superman & His Cowboy Sisters -Inhlizyiyo yam

7 Abafana Flute Jive -Bra Zacks

8 Doris Mkhize & The Cement Mixers -Nanku

9 Abafana Flute Jive -7 Up Swing

10 Josiah Khuzwao & His String Band -Emkhumbane

11 Lulu Sibeko & Sedgewick Brothers Chaba Chaba

12 Martindale All Stars -Thakane

13 Harmony Crew Shirts -Amanye Madoda

14 Richard Nombali -Kwela Rich

15 Ndlovu Brothers -Anilale Namhla

16 Sample Siroqo  -Baya Vuma

download here

SA Kwela Jazz -The Kwela Kids Plus One -Joshua Sithole

over the weekend I dug into the finds of my latest SA trip last March. Still a few boxes of records to unpack, an activity that always brings a lot of joy and new insights in South African music history.

Like this single by The Kwela Kids Plus One featured here today, released in September 1969. I had expected the standard Kwela jive fare but was totally surprised by the sophisticated jazz beats.  The guitar of Joshua Sithole binds the rhytmic structures nicely together and adds an unique touch of jazz excellence. While the flute on ‘Duke In Soul’ is paying homage to the horn section of the Duke Ellington Orchestra indeed…

The Kwela Kids Plus One -Our Strange Ways

Writer of these songs  is Joshua Sithole,  his music taking inspiration from the kwela and mbaqanga styles.

As a self-taught lead guitarist Joshua began busking with the Kwela Kids in 1959 in Cape Town and later with Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse in his group The Beaters in Johannesburg. Note also the misspelling of his name as Joshua Sitole on earlier recordings.

The Kwela Kids Plus One -Duke In Soul

In 1978 he went solo and played in venues around the country, thrilling audiences with his distinctive style. During the eighties he became known to Durban audiences through his various residencies at places like the Lonsdale and Westville Hotels.

Sithole was born in Rylands, but his family moved to Gugulethu during the era of forced removals. He was committed to his family and to passing on his skills to others. Josh Sithole, one of Cape Town’s best-loved musicians and a favourite of many South African music-lovers, died on Sunday 20 June 1999.

excerpts from an article from the AFRICAN INVASION OF ROCK website

see also Joshua Sithole: Joshua Sithole’s Africa 

Zulu Motor Trophies 2011 -Carnival Coon Minstrels

Following on from another previous post this week, Zulu Motor in which I described discovering a box on the shelves of a dusty old bookstore in the hinterlands of the Karoo, the moment has come to unveil  its content. A  box  filled with 78 shellac discs  and a few 10” albums that must have belonged to a passionate collector. The  box had been mailed and delivered  in 1959 to a  lover of music who lived in George.

Words fail me to express the joy of finding this. !

An amazing selection of discs, ranging from the usual Italian tenor favourites by the likes of Beniamino Gigli and Joseph Schmidt, and as I flipped through the content some long of out-of-print pristine kwela jazz and black African 78’s turned up. Rare recordings that link the historical connection from the earliest South African choir singing to modern groups like Ladysmith Black Mambazo and minstrelsy coon sounds that were the prime inspirational source for jazz musicians like Abdullah Ibrahim’s Dollar Brand.

Caluza’s Double Quartet, Solomon Linda’s Original Evening Birds, Michael’s Nightingales, a few hits by the Manhattan Brothers, Spokes Mashiyane …even a bundle of novelty picture discs! Never have seen those African pic discs before but more on that matter later .

The recording of the original 78 has not been processed (take out hiss etc. ) so natural dynamics have been preserved.

Coon Carnival Minstrels -Die Rietjie-More, More Tannie

Coon Carnival Minstrels -Hanover Street Melody

More on Carnival Coon and minstrelsy music in following posts.

Zulu Motor

Good day to all. Your reporter is still crossing the southern part of Africa on a safari, hunting for vinyl. My guide and driver Joseph Klaas has proven his weight in gold sofar as he took me  along the Karoo hinterlands to a wonderful dusty old bookstore where the grumpy owner sold us a box of long, long forgotten 78’s. To my surprise these shellac discs were still packed in the same box as they were sent in 1959!

The content of this box will be made public here on Soul Safari soon!!

something new from Africa -Kwela with Lemmy

Good day to y’all. Great was my surprise when my good friend John from PE in South Africa walked in with the record ‘Kwela with Lemmy’.

This 10” record contains 8 tracks by rather obscure Kwela artists like Little Lemmy Special and Big Joe, Solven Whistlers, Specks Rampura. Even greater was my joy when the same day I went digging for vinyl at the local charity shop and discovered the album ‘Something New From Africa’.

Little Lemmy & Big Joe -Little Lemmy Kwela

The tracklisting of this album is almost identical to the 10” and further inspection learned that ‘Kwela with Lemmy’ is the South African release as 10” record of the album ‘Something New From Africa’ that came out in the UK in 1959 as an extended album with 10 songs instead of 8.

Solven Whistlers -Something New From Africa

At the start of the album you will hear the Solven Whistlers say ‘something new in Africa’; that was logical enough as for when the record was made Kwela was only just emerging from its origins on the street corners of Johannesburg, and its appearance in Europe was scarcely thought of. That it went through a fad stage once it had arrived in the UK is understandable, for Kwela was seized upon by the craze manufacturers who were at that time making a rather untidy job of burying rock’n roll and were looking for a successor. But the fad was quite a small one and Kwela, as a vogue, went the way of calypso and the mambo. But that doesn’t mean that Kwela was completely finished; like many other musical form which does not fit into the main scheme of popular music, it has it’s following, it’s own special character and an important and interesting place in the history of South African popular music.

musical selections from the album ‘Something New From Africa’ Decca Mono LK 4292, released in the UK in 1959

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‘Kwela With Lemmy’ Gallo GLP 119 released in South Africa in 1959

another gallery of South African music on 78

Umtale Chipisa Band -Zuwa Rachona

Alfred Mchunu -Amadumbe 1965

Freddy Gumbi -Jika Jika Jive -1967 Sax Jive

Spokes Mashiyane -Banana Ba Rustenburg

The Lower Buttons – Intogeymy 1967

The Makala Singers -Championi

Three Petersen Brothers -Sugar Candy Cane

thanks to ILAM, Grahamstown SA

hip to the jive

I can’t think of a better way to end  the year 2009 than with a groovy mix for the holiday season. One song chosen for each month of the year with just one more for good luck…13 songs in one mix of 35 minutes. Time to celebrate!

2009 has been a great year for Soul Safari, and I’m very happy to have met, conversed and shared music with so many kindred spirits from all over the world who are hip to the jive…

for the mix I selected several  musical styles from many different ethnic groups from around South Africa; Zulu, Shangaan,  Sotho, mbaqanga, some kwela….and I wanted the mood of the compilation to be happy, vibrant, energetic, just a great danceable jive to fit the festive days ahead.

1. Kid JoJo -Peanut Bump

2. Boyoyo Boys -Daveyton Special

3. Osiyazi -Sibaya Reception

4. Pikinini Khumbuza -Jackpot

5. Elias Mathebula & The Chivani Sisters -Ntlela A Tingangeni

6. Majozi -Ngimbonile Ubaba

7. Umakhathakhathananmachunu -Ezweni Likshaka

8. Majakathatha -Ke Saea Maseru

9. Izazi –Bayesutha

10.Dilika -Ngayishela Yavuma

11. Manka Le Phallang -Khutsana

12. Mzikayifani Buthelezi -Themba

13. Amahlokohloko -Asisangenelani

download ‘hip to the jive’ here

Happy Holidays & best wishes for 2010 from Soul Safari!

Kwela Africa! Black Mambazo, Little Kid Lex

Black Mambazo -Kwela Africa

Little Kid Lex -Witbank

this rare 10″ contains 10 songs by leading penny whistle groups from the 50′s. The bands featured on this record are the genuine article. Here are the musicians who are leading the now worldwide movement towards Kwela as an accepted style in popular music. My other post on Elias and his Zig-Zag Flutes and the African Swingsters has more info and soundfiles

Elias and his Zig-Zag Flutes  :: Black Mambazo ::

Little Kid Lex  ::   Swing Tone Whistlers  ::

Kwela has burst like a bomb on the scene of international popular music. How did it all start?

Wolf Mankowitz, famous British author, came to Johannesburg looking for material for a film script, and found what he wanted, and more. He needed a theme tune, music to set the scene for his thriller on diamond smuggling, and he chose Rubert Bopape’s “Tom Hark”, recorded on Columbia by Elias and his Zig Zag Flutes.

The television screening of the movie  ‘The Killing Stones’ soon created tremendous public enthousiasm for the new sounding rhythm which accompanied it. “Tom Hark” promptly rose to No. 2 in the British Hit Parade against all comers and to No. 1 in the Jukebox Top Ten-all within the space of a few weeks. America itself was not immune; Little Kid Lex released records issued in the States.

excerpts from the original liner notes of “Kwela Africa!” July 1958

the Bleached Zulu

By the dawn of the 1960′s the impact of Zulu music and their culture had reached a worldwide audience, with the release of movies like ‘Zulu’ and popular records that incorporated some of the essential African elements without  giving credits to the originals. Think of ‘Wimoweh/The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ and the picture becomes clear.

The banner ‘Zulu’ was merely added for commercial purposes and served the entertainment industry like a watered down, bleached version of a Zulu original. Now here is a collection of records, all with a Zulu-theme, released in the 60′s and mostly produced in South Africa. Music that is galaxies away from the real thing but still very presentable

the soundtrack from the epic 1964 movie ‘Zulu’ by John Barry, directed by Cy Endfield and starring Michael Caine, Stanley Baker and Jack Hawkins.

John Barry Zulu OST -Stamp & Shake

John Barry Zulu OST -The Monkey Feathers

A selection of Zulu Stamps are found on the B-Side of the soundtrack LP. These Zulu Stamps stem from an idea by actor Stanley Baker and are actually pop-reworkings of some of the main themes that Baker and director Cy Endfield thought would be a good commercial move to release.

If you are drawn to this disc with hopes of hearing any of the Zulu warriors singing as they gather for battle you will not find any such tracks here.  The Zulu Stamps are amusing though and entertaining. Later to be  released as part of The John Barry Seven catalog

in 1964  the Zulu Stamps were re-created  by The Monkey Feathers, a Jo’Burg studio group that launched a new dance craze ‘The Zulu Stamp’. The titles on this EP are a  bit more rough than the Barry OST originals although they stay close to those arrangements , adding a touch of Shadows, stomping with additional Zulu vocals.

The Monkey Feathers -Big Shield

The Monkey Feathers -Zulu Maid

The Shangaans -Liwa Wechi

‘Liwa Wechi’ is the missing link between African tribe music and the Western world. Sounds like The Yardbirds with Shaka Zulu as lead singer.

The Petersen Brothers belong to one of the oldest theatrical families in South Africa, and are really brothers. The Three Petersen Brothers are versatile and polished artists, and have appeared on stage, in variety and as cabaret artists in every major town in South Africa, in addition to regular radio programmes. With the presentation of ‘On Safari’, their first LP recording, The Three Petersen Brothers invite the listener to go on a musical Safari through Africa. Through the hills and valleys of Zululand one can hear a song like ‘Fanagalo’, originally a hit for The Woody Woodpeckers or dance to ‘The Joh’burg Samba’ before packing bags to journey into a lovely valley in ‘Pondoland’.

The Petersen Brothers -Fanagalo

The Petersen Brothers -Joh’burg Samba

The Petersen Brothers -Pondoland

Joseph Marais, who had a popular radio show ‘African Trek’  reviews some of the folk songs of South Africa and drastically re-writes the original lyrics of  ’The Zulu Warrior’, a tradional Zulu war cry. This war cry was first adopted by South African Forces during Word War 2 and the conviviality that usually accompanied its singing in various canteens throughout the world, popularized it with American G.I.’s. Many US veterans will testify to the fact that ‘I-Zig-A-Zimba…hold ‘em down you Zulu Warrior’ climaxed many a boisterous evening spent in the company of their South African comrades-in-arms.

Joseph Marais & Miranda -The Zulu Warrior

Now hear the same song in the version by Sam Sklair, South African composer and conductor who scored many film, radio and television documentaries. In addition to arranging and conducting this happy blend of Africa and the West, Sam himself plays all the African instruments on these tunes. See also my previous post on ‘Gumboot dances’ by Sam Sklair.

Sam Sklair -The Zulu Warrior