The Very Best of the Manhattan Brothers

Amazon.com
From the late 1940s through the 1950s, the Manhattan Brothers were the biggest name in black South African music. Taking their cue from the swinging harmonies of America's Inkspots and Mills Brothers, they sang in both Zulu and English, the hippest thing around. While primarily male, they did include women at times, including a very young Miriam Makeba, whose vocal on "Baby Ntsoare" is a joy. But all the tracks here are extraordinary. The voices blend as if born to do so (and in a way they were, because all four members grew up together), the small band swings as heavily as Dorsey or Goodman, and the material--much of it self- composed--is strong, the pop sound of its day; you'll be hard-pressed to erase "Be My Guest" from your head. If you think this kind of music was uniquely American, though, this CD will make you think again. --Chris Nickson

From Rhythm Magazine
In the years following World War II, the Manhattan Brothers were about as successful as black men in South Africa could be. The close-harmony vocal group, modeled after America's Mills Brothers, had a string of hits and toured regularly but still were subject to the restrictions and oppression of South Africa's institutionalized racism. Household names among blacks, they were little known among whites and struggled financially. Eventually, like Miriam Makeba, who sang with them for years, they chose exile abroad. This overdue collection of their songs has been lovingly restored from old 78s. Despite their troubled story, it still delivers the fun they brought their audiences 50 years ago with music that touches on swing, doo-wop and even gospel. These short tunes, sung in English or Zulu, are finger-snapping good, whether originals or remakes such as "Patience and Fortitude," made popular by the Andrew Sisters.

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Average customer rating: -- If I could give seven stars, I would...! Be Their Guest

The Very Best of the Manhattan Brothers The Manhattan Brothers Manufacturer: Stern's Africa ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Africa | International | Styles | Music South Africa | Africa | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music Africa | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B00004T2DX Release Date: 2000-05-30

Tracks:

1. Yuka Yuka
2. Mangoane
3. Tula Ndivile
4. Be My Guest
5. Sinners Are Welcome
6. Jikela Emaweni
7. Malayisha
8. Baby Ntsoare
9. Chaka
10. Thaba Tseu
11. Debula Mfanandini
12. Ntyilo Ntyilo
13. Hlompa
14. Manyeo
15. Unonkisa Kae
16. Patience And Fortitude
17. Ulova
18. Ishumelosheleni
19. Marie
20. Laku Tshoni 'Ilanga

Amazon.com

From the late 1940s through the 1950s, the Manhattan Brothers were the biggest name in black South African music. Taking their cue from the swinging harmonies of America's Inkspots and Mills Brothers, they sang in both Zulu and English, the hippest thing around. While primarily male, they did include women at times, including a very young Miriam Makeba, whose vocal on "Baby Ntsoare" is a joy. But all the tracks here are extraordinary. The voices blend as if born to do so (and in a way they were, because all four members grew up together), the small band swings as heavily as Dorsey or Goodman, and the material--much of it self- composed--is strong, the pop sound of its day; you'll be hard-pressed to erase "Be My Guest" from your head. If you think this kind of music was uniquely American, though, this CD will make you think again. --Chris Nickson

Customer Reviews:

--.......2004-02-23

The music of the Manhattan Brothers emits such a warmth that it takes you places. Unlike any contemporary music, one can hear critical experience simply in their voices, regardless of the words they're saying. In fact, as with all foreign language musics, it may very well be an advantage for non-natives of Africa to not understand anything they're saying because then all you're hearing is their soulfulness and technique.

The Manhattan Brothers are not just something to be sought out by culture-vulturers, they were top-shelf harmony singers, sometimes singing Western songs - either straight-forward or translated into their native language - but more often songs of native concerns in an American style influenced by black vocal groups like the Mills Brothers. I find the juxtaposition of African themes and American styles to be very satisfying. It's one thing to call music coming from another continent 'world music' but it's quite another to find a collaboration between continents, especially during such an early period of recorded music.

Another thing to consider and appreciate about the Manhattan Brothers and their black South African contemporaries is the way they dealt with and expressed their frustration with their poverty and treatment by Apartheid whites. The music of the Manhattan Brothers suggests a confidence of being that exists regardless of socio-economic situations. They weren't using their music to elevate themselves to the status of the whites, they were doing their thing DESPITE the whites, and often in fear of whites. Of course they wanted the kind of financial rewards white workers and performers were getting but they were making music on their terms for people whose adulation THEY valued - their fellow blacks - and if whites chose to appreciate it, then all the better.

In similar urban environments in present-day America blacks often turn to the violence, chauvinism and revenge tactics of rap music that's fueled by the feeling of having something to prove to those of a higher economic status and education. They have nothing of substance to present to the world when or if they do attain greater resources like the Manhattan Brothers did so they turn to an iconography of rococo materialism that has no reference to a productive culture. The Manhattan Brothers' sense of personal taste included dressing sharply, as indicated in the liner notes, but as a vehicle to simply look good and appear professional, not as a billboard for excess. Would the Manhattans have changed had they become million-dollar recording stars? Almost certainly, but I don't think they would've lost their appreciation for a day's work.

The recordings on this compilation span the period of 1948-59 with a heavy emphasis on the later years, and about half of the songs feature Miriam Makeba in her first appearances on record before she made a go of it on her own. It would've been nice to hear some more of their earlier recordings but the availability of the original records was likely a factor.

If I could give seven stars, I would...!.......2001-10-27

A stunning, joyous set of doo wop-like "jive" vocals from some of South Africa's greatest post-WWII musicians. The Manhattan Brothers were one of the first groups to benefit from a booming postwar economy that brought black South Africans into the cities in large numbers, making their sort of pop success possible. Singing in Shona, Xhosa, Zulu and English, the Manhattan Brothers mixed sleek swing vocals with proto-doo wop and jubilee gospel, and were the group that set the standard for the many vocal groups that came in their wake, including Miriam Makeba's late-'50s ensemble, The Skylarks. Makeba herself first came to prominence as a soloist in the Manhattan Brothers ensemble, and appears on several of these tracks. The feel is playful and glorious, with some of the lushest, most swinging vocals you're ever likely to hear on disc. This is a great record - a highly welcomed addition to the all-too-small pool of similar records that uncover this forgotten style of American-influenced South African pop. HIGHLY recommended!

Be Their Guest.......2000-11-07

The Manhattan Brothers were one of the first South African groups to achieve superstar status, and greatly influenced the fruitful township music scene. This remarkable collection gathers together 20 fabulous songs transferred from shellac 78 rpm discs recorded between 1948 - 1959. Before this CD, their incredible music was next to impossible to find outside of a random song or two on various compilations (such as Music Club's outstanding "Township Jazz 'N Jive" collection). The quartet employed the finest musicians to accompany them, and their backing bands, both in the studio and on stage, produced such South African stars as Hugh Masekela, Dollar Brand (a.k.a. Abdullah Ibrahim), and Kippie Moeketsi. A young Miriam Makeba also got her start singing with the quartet, before moving on to work with the Skylarks and then eventually international fame as a solo artist. She can be heard on four songs in this collection, one of which, "Laku Tshoni 'Ilanga," was released in an English version to the US market as "Lovely Lies" and became the first South African recording to enter the Billboard Top 100 (it reached number 45 in 1956). While only a few of the selections are sung in English, the entirety of the album's irresistable joy comes across regardless of your native tongue. Excellent liner notes lay out their entire legacy, from their earliest days and through the various lineups to their eventual exile and their recent reunion. Put it on and prepare to smile.

Average customer rating:

Very Best of the Manhattan Brothers ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Africa | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music ASIN: B000NTPDW8 Release Date: 2007-04-17

Album Description

One of the original acts to emerge from South Africa's Sophiatown, The Manhattan Brothers, hailing back from the '60's, paved the way for many musicians in a rocky apartheid-ruled era and with their catchy doo-wop and jive sounds, they brought laughter and happiness into the hearts of many South Africans. Legendary singer Miriam Makeba began her career as a backing vocalist with the Manhattan Brothers. 20 tracks. Gallo. 2007.

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