According to Blogger this is my 1000th post. It has taken a little over six years to reach that total, but it seems like only yesterday that I first grabbed my board and paddled out into the ocean that is the Internet, ready to surf the zeitgeist.
To mark the occasion I have reached for the stats that, being a proper geek, I have diligently kept over the last six years but never previously found a use for. And I am pleased to report that the top 20 most played tracks that have featured here are all Tsonga Disco songs. I am pleased because, as the strap-line above says, my original purpose in starting the blog was to bring Tsonga Disco to the masses. Clearly the masses liked what they heard, and I ought to get back into giving them more of it.
Our Big Number One is General Muzka's classic "Xitulu Xale Mahlweni". The General features twice more in the top ten. Peta Teanet and Penny Penny also feature twice. Papa Penny also sneaks into tenth spot with a collaboration with the mighty Joe Shirimani, who makes the list in his own right as well. Last but by no means least, Vuyelwa is the only female singer to make the top ten.
In view of their popularity, today's music selection - which I promise we will get to eventually - includes one track from each of those artists. Tsonga Disco fans may want to note that we will be featuring a couple of new (to this blog anyway) artists over the next few weeks, at which point I go off to South Africa and try to replenish my stocks.
Looking further down the "charts", I was almost as pleased to see that the most popular non-Tsonga tracks are from Higher Heights, the weird but wonderful collaboration between reggae stalwarts the Twinkle Brothers and some Polish folk musicians. I have reactivated the links in the original post in case you missed them first time round, and added a third one below for good measure.
Rounding things off are the song from which this blog gets its stupid name, and something from The Platters that expresses perfectly how I feel about all my lovely loyal listeners.
"Wanuna I Xihloka" - General Muzka
"Khoma Maseve" - Peta Teanet
"Dodomedzi" - Penny Penny
"Marabastad" - Joe Shirimani
"Badi Muzimbheni" - Vuyelwa
"You're So Cold" - Higher Heights
"They'm" - Rainbow Ffolly
"I Love You 1000 Times" - The Platters
There can only be one choice for YouTube clip today. I have never received as much overheated abuse as I did when I made some mildly disobliging remarks about this particular performance by the usually marvellous Elkie Brooks. It was the post that launched a thousand shits. Here's to the next thousand.
Congrats on making 1000 shits!
ReplyDeleteBy a remarkable coincidence, I listened to the original of this song. Elkie Brooks does indeed murder it. Well done for reaching 1000 posts.
ReplyDeleteLove Love Elkie's version.
DeleteLove Love Elkie's version.
DeleteWe are not worthy. Arise Sir Ernie!
ReplyDeleteNonsense, Chic. The rate you are going you will overtake me in a matter of hours
ReplyDeleteMaybe in terms of quantity but not quality. I forgot to append the initials SoZ after your new moniker
DeleteCongratulations!
ReplyDeleteCongrats uncle E!
ReplyDeleteWell done
ReplyDeleteHi there. It's pretty remarkable that you've had the patience/stamina to reach a thousand posts. So much respect. I've just tweeted a couple of YouTube clips of your First Cut cover versions. Hope you don't mind. Couldn't see you on Twitter - do you dabble?
ReplyDeleteDon't mind at all, glad you enjoyed them. I am on The Twitter as @ErnieGoggins but don't dabble very often. I much prefer rambling on incoherently at great length to being incoherent succinctly
DeleteIt's quite an achievement. Ernie - congratulations! So much fine music has been presented here.
ReplyDeleteBetter late than never but I've only recently found my way here - a brilliant blog and big congrats on 1000 posts. I was also intrigued by your mention of the 'overheated abuse' so went back and found your original post.... whoahhh!... those comments! All noticeably anonymous, of course - glad to see it's a bit different this time around.
ReplyDelete