Located on the outskirts of Johannesburg, the South Western Township AKA Soweto is known to outsiders as the location of the Soweto Uprising of the 70s. Nowadays however, Soweto’s musical scene is beginning to surpass the area’s previous political reputation through the birth of musical styles such as Kwaito in the 90s, and more recently, Shangaan electro.
Cell phone repair shop owner turned musician and record label guru, Richard “Nozinja” Mthethwa, pioneered Shangaan electro in 2005 by re-working and speeding up the tempo of traditional Shangaan music. Unlike the original sound of Shangaan that ran at around 110 BPM, with the help of synthesizers, MIDI keyboards and marimba rhythms, Shangaan electro beats hit the 180 BPM mark and create an infectious new wave sound that’s intensely quick, but surprisingly easy on the ears. These hyperactive pulsating rhythms are paired with some hip action and pantsula-inspired moves called the Xibelani dance (check the videos above and below). We can’t wait to hear more from Nozinja’s label, Honest Jon’s Records.
Okayafrica TV: Spoek Mathambo’s Father Creeper
Afro-futurist singer/rapper/producer Spoek Mathambo is South Africa’s music equivalent of the mad scientist. The 26-year-old maverick’s sound, a colourful collage of genres and influences from grunge, dubstep to kwaito, has been described as “township tech.” His unique blend of music has earned him both critical acclaim and loyal audiences from the continent and across the Atlantic. The former med student spoke to Okayafrica TV in sunny Brooklyn yesterday about his second full length project, Father Creeper (Sub Pop), due for release today. Mathambo tells us about the Xhosa roots of his cover art, the remaking of “Let Them Talk,” and the organic development of his sound. The Father Creeper launch party is March 22, 2012 in NYC (details to come), buy the album here.
Video shot by Myo Campbell.