Isja

Formed in Cape Town in 1986, playing bluesy jazz influenced by Cape Malay rhythms.

Karin Jerg (vocals), Moegamat Domingo (keyboards), Eirfaan Gillan (Tenor sax), Solly Domingo (guitar), Shafiek Kimmie (bass), Ian Herman (drums) and Kurt Egelhof (percussion).

They recorded the album One for all with Shifty Records in 1986.

Mr Mac And The Genuines

After releasing the album Goema in 1986, The Genuines joined up with Mac Mackenzie’s father Samuel “Mr Mac” Mackenzie to release the single “Won’t Discuss It”/“Desperately” and the album Mr Mac & The Genuines in 1987.

The album was a one-off project. The group was Samuel Mackenzie (vocals, banjo), Hilton Schilder (keyboards, vocals), Mac Mackenzie (bass, vocals), Gerard O’Brien (guitar) and Ian Herman (drums).

The album also featured Robbie Jansen on alto sax and Tony Cedras on trumpet.

Mzwakhe Mbuli

Mzwakhe Mbuli rose to fame in the mid-1980s as the people’s poet, reciting his resistance poems at political rallies, often sneaking in and out because he was wanted by the apartheid security forces.

Shifty invited him to record an album dub-poetry style, with a backing band. In 1986 the album Change is Pain was recorded with a core backing band of Simba Morri (guitar), Gito Baloi (bass) and Ian Herman (drums). The album was promptly banned because of its outspoken political message.

In 1989 Mzwakhe recorded a second album with Shifty, Unbroken Spirit, which in part documented his time in prison. In the 1990s he continued to record albums but with major labels.

Simba Morri

Born in Kenya and came to South Africa to study in the early 1980s. In 1983 he formed Mapantsula at the same time as befriending James Philips who introduced him to Shifty Records.

In 1986 Simba Morri left Mapantsula and was invited to record a solo album with Shifty. In 1986 he released the album Wasamata with Shifty.

The core of the band comprising Simba Morri on guitar and vocals, Gito Baloi on bass and Ian Herman on drums. Kelly Pitlane played flute and Jannie van Tonder played trombone. After the album was released the band morphed into Tananas without Simba Morri who continued to perform as a solo musician collaborating with others. In 1990 he recorded the album Celebrating Life with Third Ear Music.

Over the next three decades he has continued to perform in South Africa and in southern Africa: Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Malawi and Namibia.

Tananas

Formed out of Simba Morri’s band in 1987 with Steve Newman (guitar), Gito Baloi (bass) and Ian Herman (drums). They began by playing gigs at Jamesons in Johannesburg and recoded their debut album Tananas with Shifty Records in 1989.

This was followed with five more albums with major labels in the 1990s.

Gito Baloi and Steve Newman continued with solo careers and tragically Gito Baloi was murdered while driving through Johannesburg in 2004.

The Genuines

Energetic Cape Malay rock fusion band who formed in Cape Town in 1986 with Hilton Schilder (keyboards, vocals), Mac Mackenzie (bass, vocals), Gerard O’Brien (guitar) and Ian Herman (drums).

Released their debut album, Goema, in 1986. They were joined by Mac Mackenzie’s father, Samuel ‘Mr Mac’ MacKenzie for their second album, Mr Mac And The Genuines released in 1987.

They released two further albums in the early 1990s before breaking up.