I'm running a bit behind on the blog this week - I had people staying over who seemed to think I needed to spend time with them instead of writing posts - so instead of the usual preparatory fluff we're heading straight to Africa. Eswatini to be precise.
It is a country I have visited a few times, although not for ages. For a few years in the mid 1970s my family lived in the north of the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa about 100 miles from the border with Swaziland (as it was then called), and we had a couple of enjoyable family holidays there. I also visited in the 1990s when my sister was working as a doctor in a small rural hospital 30 miles from the border, way up in the Lubombo mountains.
If you have tuned in expecting the usual perfectly curated blend of sounds then you are in for a bit of a disappointment. This episode is a real mish-mash. And it starts with a bit of cheating.
Zacks Nkosi is widely considered to be one of the founding fathers of Southern African jazz for his work with the Jazz Maniacs, the African Swingsters and others in the 1940s and 1950s. While he was an ethnic Swazi he was actually born in KwaZula-Natal in 1918, not very far from where we used to live. It is estimated that roughly half the Swazi people are born and live in South Africa.
I decided to include Bra Zacks today because frankly we were a bit short of contenders for Eswatini, and because there is so much competition for places in the South African post that - as great as he was - he wasn't likely to make the shortlist. If you like what you hear below, you can find a reasonably priced compilation of his solo work on Bandcamp.
From smooth jazz we move to more traditional Swazi sounds featuring the makhoyan and umtshingosi, which as you know are the Swazi bow and bark flute respectively. They are showcased on the 2014 album "Akuna'nkomo" by Gogo Mphila & Phayinaphu Mncini (also available on Bandcamp as are all today's featured albums). I hope this will satisfy George's recent demands for more flute.
I don't know what the opposite of 'seamless' is - seamful? - but whatever the word is it can be used to describe this next transition. From Gogo & Phayinaphu we go to Dusty & Stones, three times winners of Eswatini's prestigious Best Country Music Artists of the Year award and now the subjects of a much acclaimed documentary which came out last year.
Off the back of the documentary Dusty & Stones made their debut at the Grand Ol' Opry a month ago - which must be a dream come true for any country musician - and have reissued their 2009 album "Mooihoek Country Fever", from which today's selection comes.
For a long time those three were all I had. The only other music from Eswatini I could find was lots of house and amapiano which did nothing for me. I could have included some but I am incapable of judging what is good and what is bad when it comes to that sort of thing.
Fortunately I was saved by the Lubombo Community Radio station when it was in the process of saving itself. Back in 2013 the station enlisted the help of nine local acts and released an album to raise some funds to enable them to buy much needed equipment.
I could have chosen to include pretty much any of the acts on the album as the overall standard is very good, but I opted for the Happy Sisters because we have not included any female artists yet and Plateau Roots for the Mandatory African Reggae. Enjoy!
"Zavolo" - Zacks Nkosi
"Ungadza Nimdzalakangaka" - Gogo Mphila & Phayinaphu Mncini
"Mooihoek For Me Will Never Be The Same" - Dusty & Stones
"Zandile" - Happy Sisters
"Jah Rastafari" - Plateau Roots
Dusty & Stones are doing well, but they are not the shiniest Swazi star on the scene right now. That honour going to Uncle Waffles. She (no typo) is a DJ and record producer whose single "Tanzania" topped the South African charts last year and has since toured globally, in the process becoming the first amapiano artist to play Coachella.
We kick off the video section with her smash hit. It isn't my cup of tea really, but it is good to know she is out there smashing the avuncularchy one waffle at a time.
An interesting video trio there Ernie!
ReplyDeleteWe aim to please.
DeleteI was going to ask what ampiano was, but thanks to the wonderfully named Doctor Waffles I can see it is music made by young ladies with unfeasibly large hair-dos. Those christ ambassadors have made a great video to go with their belting song (which has not met with my partner's approval FFS!)
ReplyDeletePossibly, but that particular Waffle track sounds a bit derivative of afrobeat from farther West, I fear. Not a patch on the Happy Sisters.
DeleteI've been letting myself down with a lack of comments here (and elsewhere) recently, Ernie. Absolutely not a lack of visits or appreciation of your continually excellent posts, this series especially.
ReplyDeleteWhat I know about Esawtini and its music is pretty much contained in your post so thanks for the quickfire lesson and for the eclectic mix of music for this one. As always, the Mandatory African Reggae tune is gratefully received.
Echoing the comments above, a good trio of videos as always. I liked Uncle Waffles' beats (not a euphemism) but after a sample of her other music, it doesn't do a lot for me.
I liked Ncandweni Christ Ambassadors' energy and some of their intriguing interpretative dance moves that make have been telling me a different story from the one intended but thoroughly entertained all the same.
As is often the case, you saved the best to last with Mshikishi, in terms of music, video and wardrobe.
I should add that I created an "Ernie's African Odyssey" playlist at the start of the series, which gets regular rotation at Casa K (or in Car K). At currently 70+ songs and a colossal collection of corkers, it has to be said. Thanks, Ernie!
"At currently 70+ songs"... I realised I hadn't tagged quite a few and the playlist is nearly 100 songs strong. I salute you, sir.
DeleteVery flattered to be on the playlist at Kasa K where the kool kids hang out (and at Charity Cottage as well)
DeleteWith you on the playlist front K
ReplyDeleteI have to confess you had reached the point of making countries up until your explanation of the former name sent me down an iffypedia rabbit hole investigating Esawtini in far more detail than I'd initially planned. Thank you continually updating my ignorant western perspective.
ReplyDeleteMshikishi appears to be a very entertaining gentleman.
The king (Mswati III) changed the name in 2018 to mark 50 years of independence from Britain.
DeleteThe king is an 'interesting' character. Educated at public school in the UK he is an enthusiastic polygamist (15 wives at the last count) and has been accused of enriching himself and bankrupting the country while many citizens live below the poverty line. Any resemblance to our own public school educated leaders is entirely coincidental.