What's Playing in My Ear

South Africa is known for its musical traditions, and the CDs I purchased this spring give me an idea what some of it sounds like. They are:

Ancient Civilisations of Southern Africa 2: Tribal Dums of the Venda People, ARC Music, 2006. From the notes: "The Venda live in a remote region in northern South Africa. Their rituals and singing are accompanied by massive sacred and numerous secular drums, various percussion, clapping and ululations." By far the most exotic of the CDs I have, this is primal music with compelling rhythms and melodies that are almost chants.

Gift of the Tortoise: A Musical Journey through Southern Africa, by Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Music for Little People (distributed by Warner Brothers), 1994.
From the notes: " Join an enchanted journey through the rich land of the Zulu people. South Africa's Ladysmith Black Mambazo--known worldwide for their stunning vocal work on Paul Simon's Grammy award-winning Graceland album--bring their full choruses and majestic harmonies to this captivating collection of 13 South African children's song, including the classic The Lion Sleeps Tonight. With Gcina Mhlophe's sparkling narration as the minstrel tortoise and a contribution from acclaimed guitarist Johhny Clegg, this is an exciting and educational adventure designed for the whole family's listening pleasure." This is uplifting and will leave you humming.

The ROUGH GUIDE to the Music of South Africa, compiled by Phil Stanton, World Music Network, 2006.
From the notes: "South Africa is one of the great powerhouses of African music with a recording industry that stretches back to the early 20th century. From the lilting violins of the Soweto String Quartet to the African reggae of Lucky Dube, this all new secondd edition . . . is a perfect introduction to the music of the rainbow nation." The notes really say it all.

Sounds of South Africa, ARC Music, 2001.
Each track on this compilation CD comes from albums of the various artists, including Ladysmith Black Mambzo, Mzikayifani Buthelezi, Kingstar Brothers, Miriam Makeba, Boyoyo Boys, and others. The musicianship is top-notch, as is the variety of styles. This is a great CD.

Tales of South African Jazz: Styles & Influences, Sheer Sound, 2005.
From the notes: An accessible musical journey across time, representing those major artists, songs, lead instruments and styles of jazz that have had massive local and international impact within this very popular genre." None of these artists was known to me, but since hearing this CD, I have learned that many are well-known and highly-accomplished artists. Many of the tracks would sound at home at any jazz venue in the U.S., but underlying it all is something (oftnen subtle) that declares the infuences of traditional African music.

Gumboot Guitar: Zulu Street Guitar Music from South Africa, recordings by Janet Topp Fargion & Albert Nene, text by Janet Topp Fargion, Topic Records, 2003.
From the notes: "The guitar probably arrived in South Africa with Portugeuse or Arab sailors back in the 16th century, but it only started to enter vernacular African traditions in the late 19th century. The discovery of gold and diamonds in South Africa at that time brought large numbers of African workers from all parts of the country--all looking for new forms of expression and relaxation. Music previously played on Zulu musical bows was transferred in the neew urban environment to the guitar and often concertina and violin too. The music was called maskanda. Musicians played for their own enjoyment, but they also joined miners' gumboot dance teams to accompany this exhilarating genre. Often lacking in formal performance arenas, most of this music-making traditionally takes place on the streets of single-sex hostel compounds. These recordings feature musicians and gumboot players who live in one such hostel outside Durban." This CD has quite unexpectedly become one of my favorites lately. The music is clearly folk music and would not be out of place at such Americana music festivals as Merlefest. Particularly outstanding is a guitarist called Blanket Mkhize.

I'll write more about live South African music in Cape Town.