Tsonga Disco: Maile

We're back with some long overdue Tsonga Disco. Today we bring you someone new to 27 Leggies - Maile and his 1998 album, "Vat En Sit". "Vat En Sit" is an Afrikaans expression used colloquially to mean what the dictionaries would call "cohabitation" (or, as we used to call it in the old days, "living in sin").

I know nothing about Maile beyond what I have been able to work out from the details on the sleeve. His full name appears to be Maile Mokhwati and he is/ was a protege of the late great Peta Teanet. The album was issued by EMI under licence from Mac-Villa Music (Peta's old production company), and includes a cover version of Peta's "Tsontsokile". The final track is called "Teanet", and is presumably a tribute to Peta who had died in 1996. I have no idea whether he made any other records.

Production duties are handled by Lefty Rhikoto, leader of Mordillo, a band that first came to prominence backing Peta's predecessor as the King of Tsonga/ Shangaan Disco, the equally late if not quite equally great Paul Ndlovu. The sound is mostly fairly conventional 1990s Tsonga Disco, although there is a bit of a kwaito influence on a couple of tracks.

Here are my personal favourites from "Vat En Sit". "Damarisa" in particular is a real stomper.

"Damarisa" - Maile

 "Bomba" - Maile

There is no Maile on YouTube. But there is Mai Tai.