91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳

Jive Soweto — Various artists
Earthworks through Larrikin
What About Tomorrow — Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse
Gallo through Festival
Nomari — Sello "Chicco" Twala
Teal Records through Festival
Siyaya — Stimela
Gallo through Festival
All available on CD and cassette except Nomari (cassette only)
Reviewed by Norm Dixon

South African musicians, despite daily oppression and the recording industry's grossly exploitative practices underpinned by apartheid, produce some of the most vibrant, innovative and intelligent popular music available in the world.

Inspired by the broader democratic movement, and encouraged by the African National Congress, they are becoming more assertive and organised, demanding more control over their work and a better deal from South Africa's white-owned music corporations.

One of the most exciting by-products that the eventual elimination of apartheid promises the world is the liberation of incredible reserves of musical and cultural talent. Post-apartheid South Africa is set to become a potent new source for popular music, with the potential to challenge the dominance of the United States and Western Europe.

Four albums just released in Australia provide a glimpse of the range and depth of musical talent in South Africa. They also illustrate the breadth and sophistication of popular musical tastes among the black majority.

At the heart of contemporary South African pop music is mbaqanga or "township jive", and as musicians have set out on their innovative excursions through reggae, soul and jazz, the pounding dance beat of mbaqanga is never far from the surface.

Mbaqanga evolved in the '40s and '50s as unskilled workers, new to South Africa's swelling cities, turned to music to make ends meet. Musicians were hired to play at shebeens (illegal pubs) and informal rent parties known as stokvels. They combined local rural African rhythms with African American jazz, swing and R & B as well as Latin American rumba and conga to create South Africa's unique brand of urban music.

In the '60s and '7Os African-American funk and soul influences infused into this rich brew. At the same time musicians inspired by the black consciousness movements re-emphasised mbaqanga's indigenous African components.

Soweto Jive, the fourth volume of the indispensable Earthworks' Indestructible Beat of Soweto series, presents the cream of modern mbaqanga. The album showcases the recent hits of the fabulous Soul Brothers, the biggest selling act in the history of South African music. Their music is at once rootsy and sophisticated, emphasising classic sax jive, funky hammond organ and clipped guitar riffs, combined with smooth soul vocals. Soweto Jive includes an updated version of the '60s classic "Jive Makgona" by the mbaqanga deities Mahlathini and The Mahotella Queens as well as the "People's Poet" Mzwakhe Mbuli's homage to the leaders of the South African freedom struggle, "Tshipfinga". The gem of the collection, and its title track, must be Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse's 1984 township dance classic "Jive Soweto", the benchmark by which all recent "township pop" is measured. The track pairs jive sax giant West Nkosi's raucous wails with Mabuse's soul-based dance and jazz grooves.

With What About Tomorrow, Mabuse further explores the boundaries of township pop. It opens with a smooth, sophisticated jazz of "Welcome", moves to an insistent, hypnotic drum-driven and funky horn soaked dance number called "Thiba Kamoo", followed by a celebratory calypso in honour of that "beautiful island off Africa", Zanzibar. Mabuse gives a nod in the direction of hip hop while the mbaqanga beat is at times slow and brooding, then urgent and strident. His plaintive soprano sax snakes through each track giving the album a special beauty.

Politics is never ignored in a Mabuse album. "How Much More" decrys the awful violence against township residents by the apartheid regime's allies. "Check Point Charlie" is a call for "the walls of oppression" to pulled down throughout the world, South Africa included.

Sipho Mabuse has been at the forefront of political pop in South Africa for many years. His nickname "Hotstix" dates from his days as drummer in the late '60s band, the beaters, heavily influenced by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. With the rise of the black consiousness movement in the '70s, and following a tour of Zimbabwe, the band changed its name to Harari. It led the movement among South Africa's musicians to reemphaises South African music's African roots. In 1984, he left Harari and went solo.

In 1986, he threw himself into political activity with the South African Musicians Against Aparthied. Today, Mabuse is a central leader of the South African Musicians' Alliance, the body through which musicians are organise to counteract exploitation in the music industry. SAMA is fighting for the institution of standard contracts for musicians and organising workshops to inform musicians of their rights and how to deal with legal matters.

Musicians in South Africa continue to be involved in politics, Sipho Mabuse recently told the ANC's journal Mayibuye: "Musicians live in communities. We derive our income and draw our inspiration from those communities. How, then, can we say we want nothing to do with politics, when politics represent the highest aspirations of our communities? Some musicians have said that, but I believe they're an increasingly small and isolated minority."

Sello "Chicco" Twala was drummer for Harari, joining the influential band after Sipho Mabuse's departure in 1984. He went solo in 1985 and began investigating the African continent's many and varied rhythms, particularly those of west Africa. Peace and attention to African culture has been a constant theme of Chicco's songs. Nomari is a y produced for the West's dance clubs. The rhythm's of Nigeria and Zaire, mbaqanga, calypso and rumba are all present. Nomari means "no life" and was titled after the disaster of the Gulf War but also refers to the state of war that continues in South Africa.

Siyaya by the very popular soul group Stimela is a most infectious album. The album is a marvellous example of South African soul music. The melodies, the voices, the soaring sax lines of McCoy Mrubata and the underlying jive beat produce something this reviewer found addictive.

Stimela is led by Ray Phiri, who since Siyaya's release has chosen to embark on a solo career. Deeply influenced by African American soul music from Memphis and on the Motown label, as well as the great mbaqanga groaner Mahlathini, Phiri formed Stimela in the late '70s. Stimela's songs, many penned by Phiri, commented on South African politics and society.

Phiri's epic "Highland Drift", recorded at the height of Zimbabwe's liberation struggle, was banned in South Africa. In 1986, "Whisper In The Deep" sold 160,000 copies in five months despite being banned from radio by the South African Broadcasting Corporation. Phiri came to international prominance after he played guitar on Paul Simon's controversial Graceland album.