Customer Reviews

Zulu Choral Music From South Africa, 1930s-1960s

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This is good stuff for fans of S/A music.

Solomon Linda & His Original Evening Birds' recording of "Mbube" (aka Wimoweh) is well known to S/A music fans and is on numerous compilations, but along with this we get to hear our heroes on some other songs. These guys were really talented.

There are some other mbube groups featured in unreleased recordings and well as ultra-rare recordings from SABC radio. Some of these tunes feature minor instrumentation via piano or banjo, but these are as much fun as the acapella songs.

All of the songs are in Zulu, but you get an idea of what's going on as the titles of the songs are translated on the liner notes.

As a bonus, we have the VERY FIRST radio recording of Ladysmith Black Mambazo (1967)-the group that made this style internationally known. Thier sounds has remained consistant through the years.

If you like S/A music, you'll love this. Get it.

This CD is a guide to South African music. It's reveal the roots of famous musicians like Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Miriam Makeba and others. The tracks vary from clasical chorals (listen to Mbube) to some African country music with nice instrumental parties. The only disadvantage is the recording quality of some tracks transferred from old LPs. Nothing to do - it's history!

This is a great recording. Featuring the original stars of "Isicathamiya" and "Mbube" type singing like Solomon Linda and the Evening Birds, the Crocodiles and of course, the current Isicathamiya legends Ladysmith Black Mambazo with their first ever radio transcription, from 1967. This album is a great, brilliant and factual insight into South African music, with the original so-called 'Wimoweh', "Mbube". The latter sounded very original and yes, more rhythmic than the American versions. The inlay and booklet features information on the songs and artists, with a great picture of Ladysmith in 1968 and Solomon Linda's Evening Birds, in 1941. If you want to listen to the music that made Ladysmith and other stars famous for what they do today, buy this album. A definate 5 stars.