Folk duo who both released music as solo artists but became most well known as Des & Dawn.
They married in 1965 and released their first collaborative album, Folk On Trek in 1967. That was followed by Unicorns, Spiders And Things (1967), On Stage In Rhodesia (1967), What’s The Difference (1968), The Seagull’s Name Was Nelson (1971), What D’you Know (1973), Raindrops, Whales & Dragon Tails (1977) and Memories Are Made Of This (1987).
They were also involved in producing a South African version of the rock opera Godspell, both as a stage production and album, Godspell (1972). They released several popular singles in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the most successful of which was “The Seagull’s Name Was Nelson” (1971).
After 1972 they became increasingly involved with theatre production, including children’s theatre.
Dawn died in 2020 after contracting Covid-19.
Not officially a group but the name which Gary Herselman gave to the loose affiliation of musicians who contributed to his 2014 solo album, Rigtingbevok.
Contributing artists included Albert Frost, Arno Carstens, Chris Letcher, Paul Riekert, Syd Kitchen, Rian Malan, Warrick Sony, Lloyd Ross, Toast Coetzer, Jannie van Tonder, Willem Moller, Francois van Coke, Valiant Swart, Frank Opperman, Max Mikula, Richard Haslop, Robin Auld, Tonia Selley, Kathy Raven, Sannie Fox, Dave Davies and Jonathan Handley.
Formed in London in the early 1980s by South African musicians in exile, and an American, and British musicians. The 1984 line-up was: Ruthie Smith (soprano saxophone), Dill Katz (bass), Brian Abrahams (drums, vocals, percussion), Russell Herman (guitar, vocals), Mervyn Africa (Piano, vocals), Harrison Smith (tenor saxophone) and Jim Dvorak (trumpet). (Abrahams, Herman and Africa were originally from South Africa, Dvorak from the USA and the others were British). This line-up released the home-produced demo cassette District Six in February 1984, followed by the album Akuzwakale (Let It Be Heard) in 1985 .
By the time they recorded the live album Leave My Name At The Door in October 1985 the membership had slimmed down to: Dill Katz (bass), Brian Abrahams (drums, vocals, percussion), Mervyn Africa (piano, synths), Harrison Smith (saxophone, clarinet) and Jim Dvorak (trumpet).
For the 1987 To Be Free album, British-based South African Chris McGregor had replaced Mervyn Africa on piano and vocals.
Their final album was Ingoma Yabantwana (Song For The Children) released in 1989, for which British musician Steve Lodder (piano, synths) replaced Chris McGregor.
Johannesburg band formed in Johannesburg in 1980, transformed into Dog Detachment in 1981.
Dog were Brian Armstrong (vocals, lead guitar), Mike Adams (rhythm guitar), Terry Armstrong (bass, vocals) and Alan Armstrong (drums).
Released the 7 inch EP “In the City” in 1980 which included the songs, “In The City”, “The City” and “Born Free”.
Reggae band formed in Johannesburg in 1982. Pete Spong (lead guitar) Punka Khosa (drums, vocals), Dennis Hlangwane (bass), Dumi Hlangwane (guitar and keyboard), Risenga Makondo (percussion) performed on their debut album Dread Warriors in 1983.
They recorded a second set of songs with Shifty Records in 1986, later released as The Shifty Sessions.
Port Elizabeth musician . Began with The 4 Yanks as a young man and then joined Chris McGregor’s Blue Notes in 1960. In 1969 he left The Blue Notes and in 1970 formed Spear, also played with various musicians, including a session with Jabula.
In 1977 he released his first solo album, Diamond Express, and continued to release solo albums throughout the rest of the 70s and 80s
He died in London in June 1990.
Duo who met in Cape Town in 2017. Dumama features on vocals, uhadi and baby synthesiser while Kechou performs on calabash, guembri, cascas, chitende, guitar, bass guitar, synthesisers, drums and percussion, darbuka and shakers. They released their debut album, Buffering Juju, in 2020.
Botswanian band formed in 1985 by Duncan Senyato (lead guitar, vocals), Caxton Senyatso (bass) and Somin Jaquet (mandolin). They were joined by Misja Carbo (electric guitar), Maipelo Senyatso (vocals) and Anu Thuto (drums, precussion).
The band toured Botswana regularly from its inception and opened for Southern African concerts by UB40, Eric Clapton and Paul Simon.
Singer songwriter who appeared on the South African folk scene in the late 1960s but was unable to secure a recording contract until she recorded her debut album Ancient Dust with Mountain Records in 1986.
It featured some songs she has been singing for over a decade. The song “Ancient Dust of Africa” appeared on the Jock of the Bushveld soundtrack of the same year and reached SABC’s Radio 5 Top Twenty.
She recorded a follow-up album Hear No Evil in 1989 with some chart success with the single “Dance to Me”.
She released a third album, Dreamland in 2001 and has continued to perform live.
