South Africa Music
South African Music
The sub-divisions within the South African music industry are enormous, and commence, as with everything else in South Africa, along the basic sub-divisions of race.
South Africa is a member of the Commonwealth family, a stem from the root of European colonial expansion, and as a consequence the nation is closely aligned with others such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and more distantly, the United States. What differs in the case of South Africa is that the indigenous races did not succumb to the genocide of alcohol, displacement, disease and social engineering as they did eslewhere. Therefore the white tribe of South Africa was forced to share it’s cultural landscape with blacks, reluctantly initially, but more generously as time went on, until today it is more a case of blacks sharing their cultural landscape with whites, and that, as many would agree, is as it should be.
Diversity of Styles
The result has been the growth of a wonderful mélange of different sounds and rhythms, of expressions, sentiments, styles and methods that are replicated nowhere else on earth.
The basic categories of black, white, Asian and coloured music have over the years splintered and diversified, with each at times lending and borrowing from the other, resulting in a multitude of overlapping influences.
This has thrown up some very peculiar concepts, such as the irrepressible 1970s musical Ipi Tombi, the Soweto String Quartet, Juluka, the Drakensberg Boys Choir, and such Afro jazz giants as Hugh Masekela, Dollar Brand and Kippie Moeketsi.
Date: June 21st, 2008 |
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Ladysmith Black Mombazo
This all male harmonic choir is South Africa’s biggest musical export. Their distinctive melancholy sound pulls hard at the heart strings of South Africans everywhere. Perhaps a homesick Safrican will hear this somewhere and decide to come back home.
It was formed by Joseph Shabalala in 1960, who still heads up the group. They shot to international fame on Paul Simon’s album Graceland, and have won a number of Grammy’s since in their own right and 12 nominations in total (2 for their new album “Long walk to freedom….
Date: August 6th, 2007 |
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Things to do in Cape Town: Cape Town Festival 2007
Its nearly time for the 2007 Cape Town Festivall. The dates are from 3 March - 24 March and comprises of hundreds of shows (Many of them free) all over Cape Town.
There is live music, plays, comedians, film, fashion and all sorts of performance and static arts. An extensive schedule as well as general information can be found on the official website.
Tickets for the non-free events can be booked at Computicket.
There is no better way to see such a cross section of the huge cultural diversity and artistic styles that South Africa has to offer. It …
Date: March 1st, 2007 |
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Gun’s and Roses coming to South Africa
It will be a real welcome to the jungle (sorry) for the leather clad rockers. Axl and his band of miscreants will be playing in both Johannesburg and Cape Town for the first time ever on April 27th and May 1st respectively.
Although the way he dances upsets me a little, I do like a lot of their music and will probably go to the concert if he invites me. Also on the bill are Hoobastankand Evanescence, both have quite a following here so I think it will be a rollicking success.
Said Rose (who turned 45 yesterday): …
Date: February 8th, 2007 |
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Musical Explores SA’s Slave Roots
Don’t miss the chance to catch the songs of South Africa’s own Woodward and Bernstein, I mean Rogers and Hammerstein, I mean Gilbert and Sullivan (!) - David Kramer and Taliep Petersen, who have brought their smash-hit musical Ghoema to the University of Johannesburg Arts Centre, where it runs until July 23.
In fact, the musical duo are something like a Woodword and Bernstein after all: their show entailed quite a bit of investigative work into the rather murky origins of Afrikaans, and specifically Afrikaans traditional music. In essence, Ghoema is a musical time machine that takes the audience back to the days of slavery at the Cape, and listens in on who was singing what, and the different meanings the songs had to the different singers (masters or slaves).
Date: July 13th, 2006 |
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From the Kaapse Klopse to the Field of Dreams: SA Music Culture
Splashy Fen
Legend has it that two friends, Peter Ferraz and Bart Fokkens, were sitting around over a beer one evening in 1990, discussing the decline of the great music festivals of yore. Concluding that the moment had come to reverse this trend the two decided then and there to found a festival in the grand old tradition, and thus the Splashy Fen was born.
For those of you not already making plans to drive, hitchhike or walk to Splashy Fen farm in the Drakensberg, then it is probably too late to catch the opening acts, but the festival runs for four days over easter, so if you hurry, you might not miss the best of what is on offer.
South African Musical Diversity
Things have come a long way since the first ad hoc jam that launched the festival, and since then Splashy Fen has diversified it’s roots in folk nostalgia to embrace much of what defines South African contemporary music. Nowadays you can expect anything from the black styles of mbaqanga and iscathamiya, to alternative rock/pop, and to grunge, punk, hard rock and classical/jazz fusion. Overwhelmingly white, however, Splashy Fen is probably not for those looking for the quintessences of township jive, besides the mixed race big band and ska outfits made for easy and very general consumption. Splashy Fen made it’s debut as the brainchild of two men confronting middle age, and although it has razzed it up with some quite adventurous local beats since then – for it must said that South Africa, across the race spectrum, has plenty of those – it will probably be a disappointment for anyone hoping to tap into the rich black vein of South African city and ghetto music.
Date: March 21st, 2008 |
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The Lion King comes home.
Finally after 10 years The Lion King is making its first appearance in Africa at the newly built “Teatro” at the Montecasino in Johannesburg
I am not a huge fan of Broadway musicale’s mainly because of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Sarah Brightman, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching the The Lion King in London when it first opened. It is a real spectacle of a production, which did an impressive job of bringing the savannah to the west end and it made me pretty homesick at the time.
The first show is schedule for tonight 06/07/07 and so I have no review …
Date: July 6th, 2007 |
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Global Breakthrough South Africa: Sir Norman Jay!!
I would hate to compare Cape Town with Ibiza, mainly because I have never been there, but also I think I have a pretty good idea what it’s like. Red sweaty yobs on ecstasy at 200bpm. Anyhoo some people are touting Cape Town as the next Ibiza, namely the “industry experts” at DJ magazine, UK (The red sweaty ones). Cape Town has so much more than Ibiza, history, heritage, culture and, many more varied/scenic places to throw up.
Ibiza or not, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that Sir Norman Jay was to be playing at Caprice in Camps Bay!! Jay kicks ass. The last time I heard him live was at Bondi beach pavilion 12 years ago, before vinyl was even invented.
His appearance is part of a tour called Global Breakthrough, which by the looks of it is an extremely ambitious project: With unbelievable sounding venues like “The Predator tank” at the V@A Aquarium! and a Wine Cellar at the Bloemendal Estate. Cynic that I am, something tells me this is too good to be true… My hunches are itching further at the fact that
Date: February 8th, 2007 |
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Seeking a (Musical) African Connection? Tune into Richard Nwamba
The best African music show on the radio is Richard Nwamba’s African Connection, which hits the airwaves on SAfm each Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Date: August 14th, 2006 |
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Coldplay to Spelunk in Cango Caves?
For his fans, Chris Martin’s voice is haunting enough as it is. Imagine it bouncing spookily around the surreal walls of the Cango Caves - which is what MTV is proposing, according to local reports.
This hasn’t impressed the conservationists of the Klein Karoo very much, however, who feel that a few hours of unplugged Coldplay (plus a viewership in the tens of millions) is not worth spoiling a carefully-laid track record of pro-cave-preservation decisions in recent years.
Nevertheless, the powers that be in Oudtshoorn (such as there be powers that be there) are considering giving the idea the …
Date: July 13th, 2006 |
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