Kwaito: South African Hip Hop

From Rhythm Magazine
Kwaito is the South African equivalent of hip-hop-the authentic street music of township youth. But it's no mere imitation of African-American sounds: Its pulsing dance beat evolved from such styles as mbaqanga and dancehall, as well as house and disco. Boom Shaka contributes a soulful, modern version of "Nkosi Sikelela," the national anthem, while Arthur performs the controversial "Kaffir," a song that would not have been allowed under the apartheid regime. Kwaito lyrics are often chanted rather than sung, and some tracks, such as Jimmy B's "Make Em Bounce," are rooted in the more familiar vocal styles of South Africa. --Paul-Emile Comeau

Tracks:

Qula - Brenda Fassie
Yiyo Lendawo - Arthur
Amadlozi - Bongo Maffin
Vuk'uzenzele - Aba Shante
Jiva - Brenda Fassie
Makhamisa - M'du
Yu Make Me Go Mmm - Arthur
Come Get Me - Aba Shante
Nkosi Sikelela - Boom Shaka
Make Em Bounce - Jimmy B
Siya Jola (Ok'salayo) - M'du
Vuli Ndela (Remix) - Brenda Fassie
Wara Wara - Spokes 'H'
Kaffir - Arthur - Arthur

Customer Reviews:

Superb Top Quality Kwaito music!!!!!.......2007-05-25

This is by far the BEST compilation of Kwaito artists I have heard. All tracks on this CD are excellent. We have listened to this CD multiple times in just the few short weeks that we have purchased it.

I highly recommend this CD to anyone that loves South African Hip-hop and to anyone that is just learning about Kwaito music.

Medicore, Uninspiring Grooves.......2006-07-06

I bought this CD along with the Tsotsi soundtrack. (Which I don't suggest -- Amazon shipped them seperately and it took over a month for this CD to arrive.) I was blown away by the music featured in Tsotsi and expected the same out of this. The CD's strongest song is the first on the disk. The songs' beats are too slow to be interesting and not danceable. The recording quality can vary, and the bass overpowers most of the songs. The music is repetitive, mediocre, and just not fun -- even unauthentic. A lot of the songs have some English thrown into the lyrics, about nothing interesting in particular. There are a few good songs, mostly on the first half of the disk, but you're much better off getting the Tsptsi soundtrack, even if it doesn't have as many different artists featured on this one.

Make 'Em Bounce!.......2000-12-29

As hard as it may be for us old Afro-pop fans to swallow, "The Indestructible Beat Of Soweto" is now old school, its artists and songs as much as of an artifact to native South Africans as, oh, The Clash's debut record is for us. Hence, dig the new breed! The amalgation of disco, hip hop, and township music threw me off at first, but, as with much African music, with proper immersion I'm learning to love this stuff more with each listen. Pounding electrobeats throughout, and let give three cheers for my fave rave, the endlessly repeatable "Make 'Em Bounce," which samples an old Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens song, and whose title serves as a manifesto for both this record and the style of music it exhibits. If I may quote: "This is a kind of rhythm in Africa / We send our messages through music / This is our tradition in Africa / Come on let's get together now." Indeed. In a word, glorious!

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