Pretoria-based Desmond & The Tutusplay infectious, guitar-flanked indie pop/rock injected with the kind of carefree humor apparent in their name. For this installment of Africa In Your Earbuds, lead singer Shane Durrant crafted a chronological, three-part mix to soundtrack a transition from youth to adulthood in Pretoria. He told us,

We grew up in suburban Pretoria, attended public school in a mixed area. So naturally the music we grew up on wasn't always what was playing on MTV. I was a big fan of early 90s kwaito and hip-hop, when I left school I started discovering that South Africa has an amazing wealth of great pop music. In my early twenties I got in touch with my honky roots and started learning about rock music, and when we formed the band around 2005 I was drawing on a pretty weird collection of music for inspiration.

The mixtape goes through three sections: School Daze on the golden age of kwaito and the mid 90s, Education on SA pop and 80s discoveries, and Now on current alternative music coming out of South Africa.

Grab AIYE #40: Desmond & The Tutusbelow! Big up to Underdog for the amazing cover artwork. For more, check out our exclusive interview with Desmond & The Tutus.

TRACKLIST

SCHOOL DAZE

Alaska - Accuse

Makendlas - Iminwe

Trompies - Magasman

Mashamplani - Is Fokol Is Niks

Boom Shaka - Thobela

EDUCATION

Chicco - We Can Dance

Thomas Chauke - Baji

Harari - Give

Yvonne Chaka Chaka - Thank You Mr DJ

Mahlatini & the Mahotella Queens - Kazet

NOW

Beatenberg - die for you

Rambling Bones - baby shoes

Yo Grapes - it's nice outside

Thomas Krane - build us a tower

Shortstraw - underfed

Like African music? Previously on Africa In Your Earbuds:MATHIEU SCHREYER II, YOUNG FATHERS, BBRAVE OF AKWAABA, OLD MONEY, DJ NEPTUNE, SAHEL SOUNDS, BEATENBERG, M1 [DEAD PREZ], BODDHI SATVA, L’AFRIQUE SOM SYSTEME, NOMADIC WAX, THE BROTHER MOVES ON, LV, BEN ASSITER [JAMES BLAKE'S DRUMMER], JAKOBSNAKE, CHRISTIAN TIGER SCHOOL, SAUL WILLIAMS, TUNE-YARDS, MATHIEU SCHREYER, BLK JKS, ALEC LOMAMI, DJ MOMA, AWESOME TAPES FROM AFRICA, PETITE NOIR, OLUGBENGA, RICH MEDINA,VOICES OF BLACK,LAMIN FOFANA,CHICO MANN, DJ UNDERDOG, DJ OBAH, SABINE, BROTHA ONACI, DJ AQBT, JUST A BAND, STIMULUS, QOOL DJ MARV, SINKANE, CHIEF BOIMA