Singer-songwriter who started out as the lead singer for Durban-based Pantha in 1979.
She went on to join Hotline as lead vocalist but increasingly began to perform as a solo singer, including duets with Steve Kekana (backed by Hotline) while still with Hotline.
She released her first solo album Thandeka in 1985 and followed that with several albums including There is an Answer (1986), Living On Dreams (1988), The Secret’s Out (1989), Thandeka … Back Again (1990), Woman Of Africa (1995), Sondela (2006) and Destiny (2013).
A short-lived South African studio project comprising producer Ian Ostrin, Zack Haynes, Sam Wingate and Keith Berel (formerly of Flash Harry and Carte Blanche).
They released the album The Rhythm of Life in 1987 which included the popular single “It’s Amazing”.
Johannesburg-based reggae group who released two albums, Fidi Bou in 1984, and Jah Do That, in 1989.
Pongolo comprised three Mozambicans: Ilidio Motola (lead and rhythm guitar, lead vocals), Gito Baloi (bass and lead vocals) and Morris Mungoy (drums) along with George Sunday (keyboards and guitar), Bayete’s Joe Matsheka (sax and keyboards), John Hassan (percussion) and Rhona Rolls (lead vocals).
Johannesburg group formed in 1986: Mike Seale (guitar, vocals), Graham Seale (bass), Sarah Pontin (sax), Adrian Hamilton (keyboards), Paul Toomer (drums), Sandra Wheatley (vocals).
They released a cassette-only album in 1987 which included the song “Don’t Believe It”.
In 1988 they released the album Have Beans Will Travel which included the singles “Monster From The Bog”, “King Of The West” and “The Christmas Song”.
Johannesburg-based group who formed in 1985 as Qcumba Zoo, later QKumba Zoo and finally Q-Zoo: Jeanne Elizabeth Swart aka ‘Levannah’ (vocalist), Kevin Neill Heyenrych aka ‘Owl’ (multi-instrumentalist) and ‘Tsatsiki’ (dancer). Released the single “The Child (Inside)” in 1985 followed by “I’m Scared, You’re Scared (Cloud Eyes)” (1997) and the albums Wake Up and Dream (1996), B!g (1996), Butterfly Peepl (2000), N3X+ (2009) and Letthelightin (2011). The two 1996 albums strongly overlapped in content.
Johannesburg-based group who evolved out of Conglomeration in 1975.
An earlier version of Rabbitt led by Trevor Rabin has been convened as a studio group to record a cover version of Jethro Tull’s “Locomotive Breath” (1972) for the South African market.
They also released a follow-up single “Backdoor Of My Heart” (1973). The version of Rabbitt that achieved huge success in South Africa were: Trevor Rabin (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Duncan Faure (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Neil Cloud (drums) and Ronnie Robot (Ronnie Friedman, bass).
They released two albums, Boys Will Be Boys (1977) and A Croak And A Grunt In The Night (1977) before Trevor Rabin left the group. The remaining three members released the album Rock Rabbitt (1977) but soon after they broke-up.
Their single “Charlie” (1975) is regarded as a classic South African pop song.
Formed in Springs in 1977. Jonathan Handley (guitar, vocals), Dave Davies (lead vocals), Herbie Parkin (bass) and Niall Bell (drums).
Were signed by Jo’burg Records and released the album Into the Night We Slide and the single “ZX Dan” in 1978. “ZX Dan” was one of the top songs of the year on SABC’s Radio 5.
The band has continued to perform and record intermittently over the years with many changes in their line-up (especially drummers) but with the consistent front duo of Jonathan Handley and Dave Davies.
Singer-songwriter and bassist, born in Scotland in 1946 and moved to South Africa as a child. From 1966 to 1969 he was a member of Freedom’s Children.
Throughout the 1970s he was actively involved in making music with Colin Pratley and PaulClingman and also doing solo work. In 1978 he released the single “Silent Water” and in 1980 “Strange Light”.
In 1982 he released the album Suburbs of Ur.
He returned to Scotlandwhere he died in 2018.
Singer songwriter who was born in Zambia and moved to Cape Town as a child. He was a member of the Lancaster Band in 1979 before joining Steve Walsh’s Root Rhythms.
He released a solo album, At the Corner, in 1983, then formed the band Z-Astaire (Auld on guitar and vocals, Michael Bush on drums, Murray Anderson on keyboards and Robert Hack on bass). They released two albums before Auld went solo again, with his biggest commercial success, Ocean Motion in 1985. It include the singles ‘Baby You’ve Been Good To Me’, ‘All Of Woman’ and ‘After The Fire’.
Auld has continued to release albums on a regular basis and continues to perform in South Africa and abroad.
Durban-based folk-rock singer who became popular on the live folk and club circuit in the mid to late 1970s.
His first album The Road Is Much Longer (1979) included outspoken political songs and was censored by the record company after receiving legal advice. A second album, Half Alive was released in 1980. The South African security police targeted Lucey, effectively putting an end to his career although he carried on in a part-time capacity for a few years, releasing two songs on Shifty Records compilations and re-emerging as Tighthead Fourie and the Loose Forwards in the mid-1980s.
After a break from music for a few years he released Running For Cover in 1991 and then another break before making a comeback towards the end of the 1990s with Back In From The Anger (unreleased, 1996 by several songs from this album were included on the compilation 21 Years Down The Road released in 2000).
His story was featured in the documentary film Stopping The Music (2002). Since then he has continued to compose and perform both in South Africa and overseas and has released two further albums, Homeroad (2004) and Now Is The Time (2015).
