South African reggae classics and local sounds – 2009

Selekta Jah Crucial mix 2009

South African reggae artist did not go to an endless slumber this year, they were toiling out in the studio, composing, recording and perfoming. Cape town ites did not disapoint as usual.

Ntando’s latest album is a proverb with many lessons

For a lot of people who took the annual end of the year migrant pilgrimage from the South African city centres the rural peripheries with a copy of  Ntando‘s third album, titled ,

 

Izaga,( when translated simply mean psalms as in the bible) there are no regrets.

This album was released in the summer of 2011,  just  in good time before the end year holiday. Pumping with lovers rock classic , Ngomso, a promise to a lover that , “I am coming home for you”, the title track , Izaga and more .

Ntando – Izaga

If you landed a copy of this album, I am sure it provided the most beautiful soundtrack to your holiday memories and musical taste buds.

 Ntando Bangani’s music  needs no formal introduction to anyone who follows the South African popular music scene. He had long carved himself a niche in the past decade since his debut and signing by TS Records at the beginning of the century.

Jahseed cant retreat, cant surrender

Jahseed

One of the hardest working artist, perfomer and reggae/dancehall dj , Jahseed from the South African music group Bongo Maffin has finally released a solo album titled , No retreat no surrender” in  late November 2010.

This 17 track album is perfomed in Jahseed’s (real name Adrian Anesu Mupemi) mother tounge which is Shona for almost 40% of the album.

“No retreat no surrender” is a pacy dancehall riddim and tune that has a self explanatory message.

 Jahseed  thanks and praise Jah for his life journey and achievements so far. He says in the tune, “ Icant give up, I cant go back”.  The middle of the tune goes to a brigde with a nice mix that incarnates and imortalises this tune as one of the best classic dancehall tunes from Azanialand. Herbert Mupinga blesses this tune with original dancehall delivered verse.

No retreat, no surrender - Jahseed

 

Jahseed was originally born in Zimbabwe but has been plying his trad in South Africa, Johannesburg. As he says in his words, ” A slice of GP is for I ” His Zimbabwe roots are evident in tracks like “Wepamoyo” that resonates with a Shona lyrics and sounds of the Mbira, a traditional and indegenous musical instrument.

The CD also boasts an impressive sleeve design and packaging with authentic and creative African design. This is a true origanal reggae music collector.

One of the tunes featured in this album, Ital stew has been doing rounds in Joburg clubs as well as /Soweto tv, SABC tv as well as Channel O. This tune has a club feel and vibe laced with a raggamaffin delivery that threads carefully between two genres of music. Featured artist in this track is Mncedisi A Dlangamandla. 

The track ” Jah is on their   side” introduces a heavy dub feel throughtout and at the end of the song. This is a unique and distinct since nowadays a lot of reggae from South Africa has lost this reggae musical component as a result of influences from hip-hop and other musical genres.

“Planted” is a message to the thieves, thugs and robber who has been locked away for robbing poor people hence the chorus,” now you got what you wanted. I am so glad that you are reaping what you planted”. The tune has a nice reggae roots sound complemented by synthesizers that sound like a violin melody. This track features an artist known as Game Bansi.

This is a truly African musical masterpiece with a variety of artists from Thandiswa Mazwai from the group  Bongo Maffin, who features on two tracks , “pfuma” and “hakuna ipwa“  These two track have a warm Bongo Maffin up-tempo beats delivered in style and fashion of the Kalawa Jazzmee beats. This tune is truly Bongo Maffin only minus Stoan. This influence was brought in by the production input of Bruce Dope Sebitlo who has vast experience from Kalawa jazzmee records.

Other featured artists  include Herbert Mupinga , Zonke Dikana on the tune  ”sound of sorrow.” I am tempted to say trax no 13 with Zonke is one of the best collaboration in this album after the one with Thandiswa Mazwai Zonke takes herself on to the maximum with the melodies she adds to this duet. She also sound professional and global.

Another dancehall no 1 track is “ times so hard” . It has a dancehall authentic feel but is still original African sound . “A who dem” , anada fire dancehall anthem burn a hotta fire pon politicians who continue to oppress and downpress  as well as corrupt the people in many ways . With Sipho Sitholes ’ constant delivery that echoes like the old Jamaican Supercat m ge adds the right flavor to the tune.

Jahseed has a career spanning more than a decade in music in music perfoming alongside group members Stoan, Speedy and Thandiswa Mazwai. He has been a dj for yfm show Raggatak as well as a selector for the African storm Soundstystem alongside Admiral Kasrils. They have been rocking Joburg venues like Horror Cafe, Thando, Carwash and everywhere else.’

When Sizzla Kalonji, the world wide aclaimed Jamaican international dj and singer visited Zimbabwe and passed a glance in Joburg here in South African, Jahseed and the African Storm soundsystem were pon de controls.

As a true raggamuffin and defender of reggae music Jahseed has thrown in a considerable number of reggae tunes that reflect strongly on the veterans’ farmiliarity with the genre. Tunes like, Champion Bubler, the title track, No retreat no surrender” , “how come“, “a who dem” and “Jah on their side”

The best of 2000- 2010 South African local reggae album classics

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Jahseed, the champion bubler, dj veteran, singer, musician, artists and all the titles you can mention has dropped a wicked album titled, “No retreat no surrender” in 2010. This album cements Jahseed’s roots as on of the best African artists to come out of the continent. Born in Zimbabwe and based in South African, Jahseed is popular from the world aclaimed South African music trio Called Bongo Maffin which is made up of Jahseed, Stoan and Thandiswa Mazwai.

Ilanga - Nathi B

Nathi B, originally from Eastern Cape(Emonti & Xesi) produced what is probably the best isiXhosa reggae album in the decae if not in 30 years of South African reggae music. Laced perfectly with a collabo or combination with a fire Sister , Thantaswa Nomatshobongwana. Together, they fit like hand and glove.

Tunes like the title track, Ilanga, Hashe lam, izithembiso njalo. When he steps up on stage, he oozes energy displayed equally by international reggae stars like Beenie Man, Capleton, Sizzla and the whole medley.

As we look at the passage of the decade and forge foward with a new sound that is distinctively South African, original and authentic local reggae sound. Nathi B brings back just that without a doubt and apology. This album is a true collectors item and poses a challenge for Nathi B in his second album if it would be possible to equal this climax and musical supremacy.

Umculo wereggae uphuma eJubase eMthatah

Gimme de woman deh

Originally uploaded by thonjeni@yahoo.com

Umculo wereggae kudala waba kukutya kweendlebe nomphefumlo eJubase , eKhwezi, ilokishana encinane kude kufutshane naseMthatha. Ingoma neealbum zika Bob Marley, u Joseph Hill, iBurning spear, Donna and Althea zezinye zezandi abantwana bale ngingqi abakhula ngazo.

Lonto yenza ukuba nothando lomculo wereggae nokuba ngowalapha emzantsi nokuba ngowaphesheya, unikwe inkathalo emandla.

Kule ngingqi yezindlu ezimagumbi mane sineeproducer noodj abaphume izandla kulo mculo abasezakuliphakamisela phezulu igama lomculo wereggae no Jah Rastafari.

Sunsplash 2010 will be in Spain in Benicassim from 21 to 28 August

Rototom Reggae sunsplash will be in Spain in Benicassim from 21 to 28 August 2010.  A new location for a new adventure, with reggae, sea, sun and unity.

Located between Valencia and Barcelona on the coast, Benicàssim boasts 300 days of sun per year and is easily accessible from all over Europe via plane, train, bus, car or boat. What’s more, many people have already begun organizing bus trips from many cities.

The Exodus has just began.

Ghetto Sound release a local and international album

This is one of the best Reggae albums to come out of South Afrika, locally produced by the Ghetto Sound Production team from Cape Town. On this compilation album the producers once again brought together the people of African descent from both Africa and the Diaspora to come up with this great production ranging from Lovers Rock to Roots and Reality songs.

Ghetto Sound vol. 2 new CD

The album features Cape Town artists like Crosby, Chad Saaiman, Supreme and Vido Jelashe (Now based in Germany), from the UK the album features Prince Malachi and Peter Spence from Jamaica the album features Jimmy Riley, Yellowman, Laza of LMS, C-Sharp, Systa Irie, Anthony John, Iceman and Thriller Blacks.

Da Live Eastern Cape Reggae Coastal Tour-2010

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Ancient Monarchy, Firetown’s no 1 reggae music promoter through the works of Lava is back pon top a tings. This time around they are rocking 2010 in a local raggamuffin style and fashion.

Ancient Monarchy reggae tour poster

We are pushing local reggae music to the maximum by taking the artists to the people. Reggae music in South Africa is under strict media shutdown so it is tought to be a reggae music promoter, you have to start from zero.

Alleged collusion and price fixing by Mtn and Vodacom

 

South Africans  may be having a high cellphone penetration but that does not  instantly translate to mean that communication  is accessible to the ordinary citizen.

A young Grahamstown resident browsing a cellphone

According to a brief  survey conducted by the Chair of Media and information society at Rhodes University school of journalism  in about 100  Grahamstown homes and residents in Joza township in the end of 2009, it was discovered that although  a lot of people have access to mobile handsets, they seriously cannot afford airtime, receive bad service and technical quality sound. This also impacts negatively in their lives.

Almost 85% of the survey respondents said they use a free 10 letter word customisation call ‘please call me’ offererd by the mobile service providers or dial and drop for someone to call back. Other than that, their  cellphones work as a clock, a receiver handset with minimal or no outgoing calls at all.

Plz call me

Sebenzile Sankobe , a local resident and member of the Unemployed People’s Movement said,

 ”the inability to comunicate ‘like a disease that will disable you to reach a certain point in life because once you miss some opportunities in life they will never come back at least for as long as you live”.

Spaanyard, the freshest summer mix

Spaanyard, a Joburg based soundsystem crew from Rockville in Soweto  released a wicked reggae summer mix in the run up to the 2009-2010 summer titled “2009 roots and culture summer mixxx.

Stuffed by wicked selectors like Lion King, Miagi, Ping Pong  and Mega Blues and they know the selector business.  Jamaican and South African artists never sounded so pefect in a mix tape.

 The sound picks up at an easy pace with Beenie Man, Queen Afrika and Luciano to heightening vibes of Burro Bunton, Sizzla and Lukie D on a mad selection of ganja anthems.

The mix is not over as the crew buss up Vibez Cartel like nobody’s business. Later on a spice with a variety of female sensations like Etana, Cecile and well reknown artists like Capleton, Buju and John Legend, Richie Spice, Marcia Griffiths, I mean, the name dropping cant stop.

Spaanyard summer mixx 2009

Mindblast conference in pictures-Upington 2009