Beyond Memory

Sello Galane

Description

South Africa possesses one of the richest popular music traditions in the world – from marabi to mbaqanga, from boeremusiek to bubblegum, from kwela to kwaito. Yet the risk that future generations of South Africans will not know their musical roots is very real. Of all the recordings made here since the 1930s, thousands have been lost for ever, for the powers-that-be never deemed them worthy of preservation. And if one peruses the books that exist on South African popular music, one still finds that their authors have on occasion jumped to conclusions that were not as foregone as they had assumed. Yet the fault lies not with them, rather in the fact that there has been precious little documentation in South Africa of who played what, or who recorded what, with whom, and when. This is true of all music-making in this country, though it is most striking in the musics of the black communities.Beyond Memory: Recording the History, Moments and Memories of South African Music is an invaluable publication because it offers a first-hand account of the South African music scene of the past decades from the pen of a man, Max Thamagana Mojapelo, who was situated in the very thick of things, thanks to his job as a DJ at the South African Broadcasting Corporation. This book – astonishing for the breadth of its coverage – is based on his diaries, on interviews he conducted and on numerous other sources, and we find in it not only the well-known names of recent South African music but a countless host of others whose contribution must be recorded if we and future generations are to gain an accurate picture of South African music history of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Sujets

• Musique

Informations

• Publié par: African Minds
• Date de parution: 28 mai 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781920299286
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

BEYOND MEMORY

RECORDING THE HISTORY, MOMENTS AND MEMORIES OF SOUTH AFRICAN MUSIC

From the diary of Max Mojapelo Edited by Sello Galane

AFRICAN MINDS

Published in 2008 by African Minds 4 Eccleston Place Somerset West 7130 South Africa www.africanminds.co.za

Originated by KAMR – Kgapana African Music Records 12 Rio Grande Street, Westenburg, 1699, Polokwane, SA [e-mail] P.O. Box 968 Oliefantsfontein, 1665

Copyright © 2008 by Thamagana Maxwell Mojapelo

All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

ISBN 9781920299286

Produced by COMPRESS.dsl www.compressdsl.com Proofread by Karen van Eden

Cover images:

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1. 2. 3. 4.

Chris Ledochowski / South (africanpictures.net) Motlhalefi Mahlabe / South (africanpictures.net) Paul Weinberg / South (africanpictures.net) Rodney Barnett / South (africanpictures.net)

Great care has been taken to acknowledge all sources used in this book. If, through an inadvertent oversight on our part, any information has been used without acknowledgement thereof, we undertake to correct the matter as soon as it is brought to our attention.

Equal care has been taken to spell correctly the names of bands, their members and other people who appear in this book. However, should you note any incorrect spelling(s), please email the publisher on [e-mail] and we shall make the necessary corrections to future editions.

he first copy ofBeyond Memorywas presented to the first state president T of the democratic, nonracial and nonsexist Republic of South Africa, Dr R.N. Mandela, on his 90th Birthday.

THANK YOU TATA As a child I learned you were a Prisoner Your Rivonia Trial became a Protest Later History taught me you were a Prince. On the island you were Prominent To millions of Blacks you were a Prophet. On your release you wished us Prosperity Reconciliation is what you Preached. Through the struggle you became President Your inauguration was Prestigious. As author your pen is Prolific. You chose to be a Premier Pensioner You continue to be our Principal. A globetrotter who champions Projects You make all South Africans Proud Not long ago you rushed to Paris To save humanity from Perish. Your 46664 campaign is a Platform To fight the HIV/AIDS Plague. Arrow, arrow shoot away Prostate Arrow, please shoot away Ulcer Arrow, kindly shoot away Cancer. Mother, Mother, Mother Nature Father, Father, Father Future Please give him more Coffee No, not yet a Coffin. 100 is Mighty So is Ninety.

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DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my friend, my uncle and my mentor, Matsetsebale Athanas Mojapelo, who was known to the music fraternity as “Bra Jimmy”. He was the most knowledgeable, straighttalking, professional and progressive person I had the privilege of knowing. His blindness opened my eyes.

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgements vi Acronyms & Abbreviations vii Editor’s Noteix Preface xi Introduction xiii

 1. Soweto Soul Music 1  2. Alex Soul Menu and Beyond 38  3. Quick Quick 50  4. The Cape Connection 67  5. Into the Vibrant 80s 72  6. Ladies of Song 84  7. In Twos and Threes 115  8. When Two Cultures Kiss 122  9. The Era of The Steam Train 136  10. Ska Flowers 157  11. New School 166  12. Fine Male Voices 195  13. Contemporary African Music 201  14. Joy or Jazz 223  15. Exile Blues 263  16. Trading in Tradition 293  17 Voice Power 303  18. Welcome Madiba 308  19. Praising and Praying 319 Bibliography 342 Internet Resources 342 Index 343

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

These are the musicians, producers, engineers, and industry officials and practitioners consulted before or during the writing of this book: Sabata Koloi Lebona, Mosa Jonas Gwangwa, Mahwetša Don Laka, Tebogo Steve Kekana, Condry Ziqubu, Sibongile Khumalo, Jabu Khanyile, Thami Mdluli, Moses Ngwenya, Kenny Mathaba, Joe Nina, Sello Galane, Jaws Dlathu, Rebecca Malope, Orrack Chabangu, Abram Mija, Master Sechele, Arthur Mafokate, Ray Mkhize, Vusi Mahlasela, Rupert Bopape, Hildah Tloubatla, Simon Nkabinde, Albert Ralulimi, Moses Jabu Dlamini, West Nkosi, Blondie Makhene, Marks Mankwane and Bongani Ngubani. Let me also thank the many musicians, industry colleagues and friends who knowingly or unknowingly contributed towards the fulfilment of this dream.

MAGAZINES Club, Jive, Drum, Pace, Hit City, Pulse (City Press), Inside (Sunday Times), True Love, Ubuntu

NEWSPAPERS City Press, Sowetan, Sunday Sun, Sunday Times, Sunday World, Mail & Guardian

OTHER SOURCES etv, SABC, Gallo Records, Sheer Sound, Kora All Africa Music Awards, Sony Music Entertainment, RISA (SAMAs)

APPRECIATION FOR YOUR SUPPORT Mmamaje Mojapelo, Mampaka Mojapelo, Moss Matlalepoo, Lucas Nocky Mphahlele, Ike Kekana, Tlou Setumu, Puleng Nkomo, Lucas Mahlakgane, Chaka Chaka Mthombeni, John Maluleke, Moloko Mashamaite, Cyril Ngoasheng, Kgwathi Mothapo, Edward Maahlamela, Klaas Mashilo, Setabo Maphalla, Willie Mooka, Professor Sekgothe Mokgoatšane and my children.

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ACRONYMS & ABBREVIATIONS

ABSA AC AFUBI AIDS AIRCO AJP aka AMAHA AMPAS APEU ASAMI AUAA AYB BMG CASA CCP CD CISAC

COSATU CSR CWUSA DOCC DPMC DVD EFP EMI FIFA FNB FUBA GRC HIV ICASA IPCC KZN MAAPSA MACUFE MFM MIDEM

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Amalgamated Banks of South Africa African Connection Afro Funk and Blues Investigation acquired immune deficiency syndrome Association of Independent Record Companies African Jazz Pioneers also known as African Musicians Against HIV/Aids Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences AntiPiracy Enforcement Unit Association of the South African Music Industry Artists United Against Apartheid African Youth Band Bertelsman’s Group Composers’ Association of South Africa Clive Calder Productions compact disc International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers Congress of South African Trade Unions Creative Sound Recordings Creative Workers’ Union of South Africa Donaldson Orlando Community Centre Dave Penhale Music Company digital video disc Eric Frisch Productions Electric and Musical Industries Limited Federation International Football Association First National Bank Federated Union of Black Artists Gramophone Record Company human immunodeficiency virus IndependentCommunicationsAuthorityofSouthAfrica International Pentecostal Church Choir KwaZuluNatal MusiciansandArtistsAssistanceProgrammeofSouthAfrica Mangaung African Cultural Festival Mike Fuller Music marché international del’edition musicale

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MIDI MITT MMFSA MNet MOBO Awards MU MTN MUSA NEPAD NGO NPA NORM

PanSALB PAWE POC R&B RISA RPM RSFP Band SA SAA SABC SABMA SADMA SAFACT SAMA SAMPA SAMRO SAMU SARA SARRAL SATMA SOS SOWETO SSQ TKZee UCT UK UNICEF WEA WIN USA ZCC

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– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Music Industry Development Initiative Music Industry Task Team The Music Managers Forum of South Africa Electronic Media Network Limited Music Of Black Origin Musicians Union Mobile Telephone Networks South Africa Musicians Union of South Africa New Patnership for Africa’s Development nongovernmental organisation National Prosecuting Authority NationalOrganisationforReproductionRightsinMusicin Southern Africa Limited Pan South African Language Board Performing Arts Workers’ Equity Prophets of the City rhythm and blues Recording Industry of South Africa Records Producers and Manufacturers Reggae Strong For Peace Band South Africa South African Airways South African Broadcasting Corporation South African Blind Musicians Association South African Disabled Music Association South African Federation Against Copyright Theft South African Music Awards South African Music Promoters Association Southern African Music Rights Organisation South African Musicians’ Union South African Roadies Association South African Recording Rights Association Limited South African Traditional Music Awards save our souls South Western Townships Soweto String Quartet Tokollo, Kabelo and Zwai University of Cape Town United Kingdom United Nations Children’s Fund Warner Elektra Atlantic Worldwide Independent Network United States of America Zion Christian Church

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Beyond Memory is a collection of Max Mojapelo’s diaries, written in a very personalised style. Critical details lie in the deep meanders of the history, moments, and memories that Mojapelo has about the world of music in South Africa. Mojapelo’s style blurs the lines across styles of many literary genres. It is personalised, conversational, reportorial, analytical and poetic – styles that assume a kind of an African, free authorial narrative. Beyond Memoryengages in direct speech and makes reference describes, to a myriad episodes of Mojapelo’s memories, and still tells the same story that touches on the collective history, moments, and memory of the South African music industry. As former deejay, powerful festival compère, former station manager, writer of learning material for schools and a passionate music development leader, Mojapelo has captured the details about everybody and anybody that he has met and interviewed, as well as of those that he followed on the airwaves during and beyond his years as an active radio personality. Mojapelo’s keen eye on every turn of development in the South African music industry and on those whose contribution has impacted directly or indirectly on its development, shape and character, is commendable. It is both a longitudinal and transversal record of the development of South African music and its parallel links with the sounds of the diaspora. The biggest strength ofBeyond Memory, is on the one hand, Mojapelo’s sterling chronological classification of different epochs of the development of music in South Africa, and, on the other hand, the themes alongside the rudimentary historical time line. The book therefore, does not take the dry and trite historical nomenclature route of exegesis of historical data. Rather, history ensues from the memory of the stories told in time. For Mojapelo, it is a daunting ask to go beyond memory. He believes that we often get trapped in shackles of ‘tabloidtisation’, and never go beyond memory of unfortunate events in the lives of artists. InBeyond MemoryMojapeloevidences that it is critical to go beyond such memory to the human spirits that the artists essentially are. It is interesting to note that Mojapelo has chosen, throughout his encounter with these artists, to search for humanistic elements of their characters and careers, and move beyond a perception that views artists as mere media objects that spur on wanton ecstasy and adrenaline in the world of ‘who is who’. Mojapelo takes the readers through meaningful small bites of histories, moments and memories in a manner that informs and avoids gossip. Mojapelo takes the reader to a moment in time, so that once we have taken stock of our

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history as South Africans, we then meaningfully traverse new heights of the human spirit, and thereby go beyond mere memory. The use of the African narrative style could be mistaken for inconsequential name dropping. These brief references to some artists in a story told about the other, is Mojapelo’s conscious refrain from merely presenting curriculum vitae of different South African artists. Quite simply, those whom he has encountered more, receive more coverage. It should be kept in mind that this is not a study but a glimpse into Mojapelo’s diaries kept over the years. The story of South African music life that he has experienced personally is uptodate and covers information that can usually only be covered by daily publications and daily news bulletins. The tiny bits of information that Mojapelo’s diaries offer, are therefore informative and invaluable. In these diaries, Mojapelo records real names of musicians, dates of events that link with their achievements and, in some cases, their dates of birth. The information in his dairies has been so carefully captured and systematically recorded, so that they become a useful record that, when read with the other publications that are out there, adds in a meaningful way to the jigsawpuzzle of the national quilt of the South African music landscape. Beyond Memoryis evidence not only of a life dedicated to keeping records but of a rare cadre and deejay. Mojapelo, is to the world of radio what Philip Tabane is to the world of music innovation. He is to the world of radio what Pele is to the world of soccer. Thank you for this wealth. Dear readers, let us drink from the well of memory which, from the time of its release to you, will begin to go beyond memory for every generation that is born. Enjoy reading.

Sello Galane

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FOREWORD

South Africa possesses one of the richest popular music traditions in the world, surpassed in its variety and inventiveness perhaps only by the United States. Frommarabi tombaqanga, fromboeremusiek to bubblegum, fromkwela to kwaito: as varied as are the many peoples of South Africa in origin, culture and pigmentation, so dizzy is the array of popular music styles and genres that one encounters here. Yet the risk that future generations of South Africans will not know their musical roots is very real. Of all the recordings made here since the 1930s, thousands have been lost for ever, for the powersthatbe never deemed them worthy of preservation. And if one peruses the books that exist on South African popular music, one still finds, despite their wealth of scholarship, that there are misspelt names and inaccurate dates, and that their authors have on occasion jumped to conclusions that were not as foregone as they had assumed. Yet the fault lies not with them, rather in the fact that there has been precious little documentation in South Africa of who played what, or who recorded what, with whom, and when. This is true of all musicmaking in this country, though it is most striking in the musics of the black communities. Part of the reason, at least, is obvious: apartheidera Bantu Education was a means of mass subjugation intended not only to deny our black fellow citizens a future, but also, through withholding access to higher learning, to prevent them from recording their past. The goal, albeit unstated, was to ensure that the impossibility of a future and the absence of a past would resign the masses to an unquestioning acceptance of an immutable present of servitude. With few exceptions – such as the moving, but alltoobrief autobiography of the brilliant Todd Matshikiza (hisChocolates for my Wife, now almost fifty years old) – the little that was committed to paper about black music was done so by whites who, however liberal, wellmeaning and empathetic, were by virtue of their colour on the privileged side of the great divide that apartheid was constantly endeavouring to render unbridgeable. The present book is invaluable to all of us, in South Africa and beyond, because it offers a firsthand account of the South African music scene of the past decades from the pen of a man, Max Thamagana Mojapelo, who was situated in the very thick of things, thanks to his job as a deejay at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). This book is based on his diaries, on interviews he conducted and on numerous other sources, and we find in it not only the wellknown names of recent South African music – from Hugh

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