SEA BEE - I Wanda Why?

Afrosynth Records, AFS039 

Originally released in South Africa in 1994 on the Mighty Good Sounds imprint, Sibi Motloung’s debut album was a hit in the earliest days of kwaito, the house-infused soundtrack of a newly democratic nation. 

While it may have been Sea Bee’s release, key to the album’s success was the magic touch of Spokes H, who composed, produced and arranged all the tracks. Sea Bee would soon disappear off the radar, while Spokes remained an influential and popular figure in SA until his untimely death in 2013. 

The latest release on Afrosynth Records removes two tracks from the original six-track album, keeping four of the choicest downtempo dancefloor bombs – ‘Home Boy’, ‘I Wanda Why’, ‘Thiba’ and ‘Stoppa - all heavy on the bass, with uplifting vocals and unique lyrics guaranteed to not let any discerning (or aspiring) DJ down – ever!

Buy it here.

A Spokes H Production. All tracks composed by Ishmael Hlatshwayo
Engineered by Fab Grosso. Recorded at Grosso Studios
Keyboards by Peter Chilly Tshabalala. Backing vocals by Dolphy Maloka, Tutu Mogulatsi, Billy Lethoba & Sylvia Moloi
Mastered by Wouter Brandburg
Cover Art by Grant Jurius/Future Nostalgia
Distributed by Rush Hour

VOLCANO - 'Vanonyana Lava' b/w THE BEAT GANGSTERS - 'Chappies'

Afrosynth Records, AFS035 

Hot on the heels the label’s debut release Burnin’ Beat, Johannesburg-based Afrosynth Records’ second release is a 12” of two bass-heavy cuts of obscure ‘90s kwaito from South Africa.

Founded in the early 80s by Richard Makhubele, Volcano’s signature brand of Shangaan disco made them one of the most popular bands of the ‘bubblegum’ era, releasing a string of big-selling albums with the Gallo label. But by 1993 things in South Africa were changing fast, both politically and musically. Volcano had left Gallo to join Eric Frisch Productions (EFP) in search of greater independence. On their 1993 album Tshigubu Tshanga they began to experiment with the new house-inspired sound of kwaito courtesy of producer Malcolm ‘X’ Makume, with one track in particular standing out: ‘Vanonyana Lava’.

The song, its title Shangaan for ‘These Women’, is according to frontman Makhubele a simple story “about women in a nightclub or a tavern… You buy the women their drinks, but when they’re finished drinking then they run away.”  More important than the lyrics is the song’s massive bass hook and distinctly South African groove, which 25 years after its original release have put it back in demand for DJs and diggers mining the South African sound for fresh inspiration.

‘Vanonyana Lava’ was a notable departure from the typical Volcano sound. “Kwaito music was becoming bigger, more powerful,” remembers Makhubele of the band’s foray into kwaito. “So we decided to do at least a track and see if people would love it, then we’d do more. By that time the Volcano sound was very popular, and that kwaito sound was slowly coming in the market. Our fans were happy for it.”

Volcano soon followed this early kwaito success with The Bold & The Beautiful in 1994, the year of South Africa’s first democratic elections. But with the drastic changes of the decade the band was soon relegated to history as a new generation of young kwaito stars became the voice of South Africa’s youth.

On the flip-side of this new release is an even more obscure track from the record bag of Afrosynth Records’ DJ Okapi. The Beat Gangsters were a short-lived studio project made up of Willi Mau Mau and Mad T Doctor, in-house producers for Mob Music, an independent label set up by Eric Frisch (after the demise of EFP) that put out a string of influential club releases in the mid-90s, among the last albums to be pressed to vinyl in South Africa. Named after a popular South African brand of gum, ‘Chappies’ was originally released on the 1995 album Mob Table Dance. 

With the music of South Africa currently gaining international acclaim thanks to a new generation of DJs, diggers and fans, Afrosynth Records continues to shine a light on the origins of South African dance music. Released as a 12” at 45rpm for maximum dancefloor satisfaction, AFS035 has been remastered by Brandenburg Mastering in Amsterdam and comes with original cover art by Cape Town-based artist and DJ Grant Jurius depicting the notorious okapi knife. It’s due out in April 2018, distributed exclusively by Rush Hour Music. Order here.

VUSI SHANGE - Mofe (1994)

Cool Spot, SPOT015B
Producer: Mally Watson
Recorded at: Mixmaster, Jhb

Dynamic frontman Vusi Shange started in The Eagles before joining seminal 70s soul act The Movers. In the 80s he signed to Hit City with Blondie Makhene and John Galanakis and released his debut solo maxi Lunch Boy and album Room Service in 1985. "His dance routine on stage reminded us the 'The Godfather of Soul' James Brown...This dance earned Vusi the nickname 'Mr Electricman' (Mojapelo, 2008:34). He later released Teacher We Are The Future (1986) and covered Jimmy Cliff's 'Remake The World' (1988).

In the 90s he joined Cool Spot, producing albums such as Zizi Kongo's Ibhandishi (1995) and as a solo artist embracing the new kwaito sound. After South African record presses pumped out hundreds of thousands of vinyls during the 1980s, LPs went into sharp decline in South African after 1992 culminating in the closure of all local pressing plants, making Mofe one of the last.

PT HOUSE - Big World (1991)

Music Team/Azania/Roi, AZR07   
Producer/Engineer: Danny Bridgens       
Composers: D. Bridgens & N. Mohale   
Recorded at: Kitchen Sync       

The missing link between the new school sounds of the early 90s - house, hi-NRG, hip-hop and kwaito. Revolutionary at the time, today it's got some retro charm but the rudimentary, frantic dancefloor beats (except on the downtempo, funked up 'Unity') show just how far things have come since then.

BRENDA - Abantu Bayakhuluma (1994)

CCP/EMI, BREN94   
Producer: Neil Snyman       
Composers: Fassie/Xaba   

Following her early rise to stardom with the Big Dudes and her Chicco-produced bubblegum heyday, Brenda re-invented herself again to make a kwaito comeback in the early 90s. Abantu Bayakhuluma ('People are talking') saw her team up with internationally renowned Neil Snyman and includes the hit 'Kuyoze Kuyovalwa" and a cover of The Beatles' 'Let It Be'.

MM DELUXE - Be Free My People (1990)

Cool Spot / EMI, SPOT(V)009  

Producer: Mally Watson (exec: Ken Haycock)

Recorded at: Cool Spot Studios, Jhb

Following on from 1989's Where Were You?, new school pioneers Mandla "Spikiri" Mofokeng and Mduduzi "Mdu" Masilela built further on Chicco's bubblegum grooves and forged the new kwaito sound that would resonate throughout the nation for the next 20 years. Both are still at the top of their games today, proving the lyrics of 'There's No Stopping Us' quite right:      

"There's no stopping us,

We are rising to the top.

We are aiming high,
we gonna reach the top.

We know we can do it.

Never mind what people may say,

We know we can do it.

We are looking forward to our future.

Whatever they say or do,

They can say whatever they say,

We are determined to be what we wanna be!"

MM DELUXE - Where were you? (1989)

Cool Spot, SPOT(V)005
Producers: Mally Watson & Monwabisi Yekani
Executive Producer: Ken Haycock

Early release from two of the biggest stars of the 90s kwaito scene, M'du and Spikiri. Featuring labelmates Monwa & Sun's input on production and backing vocals and inspired by Sello Chicco Twala. "Where were you?", "Muchacho", "Hurry Up",  "New Generation", "Dangerous" and "Hip-o-Jo" - all six tracks are slick early house tunes made without any real instruments, the missing link between bublegum and kwaito.

"Cool Spot Productions in 1989 released the music of yet another young male duo, MM Deluxe. The name was made up of the first letters in the names of the two musicians, Mduduzi and Mandla. It was co-produced by Monwabisi Yekani and Mally Watson. Backing vocals were provided by Poth Nkotsoe, Gabi Mdlulu, Amelia and Khulukazi Mnwela. This was the beginning of another musical journey as the two musicians, Mduduzi Masilela and Mandla Mofokeng later went their separate ways to unleash a string of hits in the new genre called kwaito music."

"M'Du was born Mduduzi Masilela in Zola South, Soweto...M'du worked with musicians like Pat Shange, Yvonne Chaka Chaka and Chicco at Dephon to gain more experience and exposure. It was in 1988 on completion of his matric that the above MM Deluxe was conceived. He started experimenting with sound, mixing European and township sounds to create new sound. In 1990 he found himself working with Peter Snyman as producer and engineer and released LA Beat, which did very well and encouraged him to continue with production..." (Mojapelo 2008:169)

"The other half of MM Deluze, Mandla Mofokeng, joung M'Du's brother-in-law Jairus Nkwe, Eugene Mthethwa and Zynne Sibika to form a kwaito music group called Trompies. The name was insipred by a naughty, always-in-trouble but bright kid in an Afrikaans cartoon titled Trompie En Die Boksombende." (Mojapelo 2008:170).