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Golden Sounds of the ’60s: South African Gems

Embark on a journey through the rich and diverse musical landscape of South Africa in the 1960s with this carefully curated compilation of 12 tracks. This era saw an incredible fusion of traditional and modern musical styles, showcasing the exceptional talents of South African musicians across various genres.

  1. Miriam Makeba – “The Click Song (Qongqothwane)”
    Affectionately known as “Mama Africa,” Miriam Makeba embodied hope and resistance against apartheid. “The Click Song (Qongqothwane)” showcases her vocal prowess, blending her native Xhosa language with an infectious Afro-pop sound that resonated with people worldwide.
  2. Chris McGregor’s Brotherhood of Breath – “MRA”
    Chris McGregor’s Brotherhood of Breath was a leading force in South African jazz, fusing African rhythms with avant-garde influences. Their lively improvisations in “MRA” pushed musical boundaries and contributed to a unique sound that remains influential today.
  3. The Flames – “For Your Precious Love”
    The Flames captivated audiences with their soulful harmonies and heartfelt renditions of popular songs. “For Your Precious Love” highlights their emotive vocals and the impact of American soul and R&B on South African musicians during this era.
  4. Abdullah Ibrahim (Dollar Brand) – “Tintinyana”
    Cape Jazz maestro Abdullah Ibrahim, formerly known as Dollar Brand, combined African rhythms with jazz piano to create a distinctive sound. “Tintinyana” exemplifies this unique fusion, which continues to inspire musicians across generations.
  5. The A-Cads – “Down the Road”
    As one of the first South African bands to embrace rock music, The A-Cads drew inspiration from British and American rock bands of the era. Their lively track “Down the Road” captures the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll in 1960s South Africa.
  6. Spokes Mashiyane – “Banana Ba Rustenburg”
    Pennywhistle virtuoso Spokes Mashiyane pioneered the playful kwela genre. His skillful playing on “Banana Ba Rustenburg” showcases the joyous spirit and danceable rhythms that define kwela music, which remains a beloved South African tradition.
  7. The Invaders – “Shockwave”
    South African surf rock band The Invaders brought the energetic sounds of the California coast to their homeland. Their instrumental track “Shockwave” highlights the band’s skillful guitar work and demonstrates the global influence of surf rock during the 1960s.
  8. Letta Mbulu – “Hareje”
    Jazz singer Letta Mbulu began her career in the 1960s, enchanting listeners with her powerful voice and fusion of African and jazz elements. “Hareje” exemplifies her emotive singing and the rich musical tapestry of South Africa during this time.
  9. West Nkosi – “Mazuzu”
    Saxophonist, composer, and producer West Nkosi played a significant role in popularizing mbaqanga and jive music. His lively saxophone playing and infectious dance rhythms in “Mazuzu” showcase the energy and excitement of South African music during the 1960s.
  10. Winston “Mankunku” Ngozi – “Yakhal’ Inkomo”
    Renowned South African saxophonist Winston “Mankunku” Ngozi left a lasting impact on the country’s jazz scene with his emotive playing and soulful compositions. “Yakhal’ Inkomo,” meaning “The Bellowing Bull,” is a beautiful and evocative piece that showcases his mastery of the saxophone.
  11. The Bats – “Shabby Little Hut”
    The Bats were a South African pop and rock band whose catchy melodies and tight harmonies captivated audiences. Their popular song “Shabby Little Hut” demonstrates the group’s ability to craft memorable tunes that remain beloved classics in South African music history.
  12. Solomon Linda’s Original Evening Birds – “Mbube”
    Though originally recorded in 1939, Solomon Linda’s iconic song “Mbube” continued to have a significant impact in the 1960s. This choral masterpiece features intricate harmonies and a call-and-response structure, providing a glimpse into the rich tradition of African choral music that inspired countless musicians in the decades to come.

This compilation of South African gems from the 1960s offers a window into a vibrant and transformative era in the country’s musical history. As you listen, you’ll experience a range of styles that blend local traditions with global influences, showcasing the innovation and resilience of South African musicians during a tumultuous period. From the soulful melodies of Miriam Makeba to the groundbreaking sounds of Chris McGregor’s Brotherhood of Breath, each track on this mixtape offers a unique perspective on the golden era of South African music. So, sit back, relax, and let these timeless classics transport you to a world of rhythmic bliss and melodic enchantment.

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Songs About South African Places

To mark Heritage Day we have chosen a playlist of songs by South African musicians about South African places. Something homely to cuddle up with, or if you’re feeling active, to jive to. There are far more songs about South African places than we can fit on one mixtape, but we hope this is a good representation of songs and places. It’s a starting point: there will be more to come in this series where music and places meet.

There are all sorts of reasons someone could write and perform a song about a place. Often it is out of fondness, sometimes out of loathing or frustration, or simply because it is where one happens to be when a moment of song-writing inspiration hits. And at times it could be ironic, out of both loathing and attraction, where one isn’t entirely sure which it is.

The twenty songs on this mixtape begin in Cape Town, with Sabenza’s “CT Blues” and then Dollar Brand’s iconic “Mannenberg”, both of which feature Basil Coetzee. We end our stay in the Western Cape with Hotep Idris Galeta’s “Cape Town Before Midnight” before travelling north east along the coast to “Ebhayi”, as celebrated by Ami Faku. Then it is to the KwaZulu-Natal coast for Trans.Sky’s song about “Durban Poison” and Urban Creep’s “Sea Level”, both of those songs feature Brendan Jury and both are somewhat ambivalent about Durban, as many residents are. In 1977 Rabbitt were asked to write the theme tune for a new tv programme – The Dingleys – about a bookshop in Pietermaritzburg. Although the shop is fictional, Rabbitt nevertheless captured various aspects of Pietermaritzburg which remind us of the city at that time.

Next we move up to the Gauteng region for the remainder of the mixtape, starting with the Radio Rats’ celebration of Springs in “East Rand Town Called Springs” and then onto a series of Soweto-themed songs: “Orlando” by Miriam Makeba & the Skylarks, “Soweto Inn” by the Movers, Sipho Mabuse’s “Jive Soweto” and Tribe After Tribe’s “Suburb In The South”. Just a short drive from Soweto is the southern suburb of Rosettenville to which Van der Want/Letcher pay homage in the satirical “Rosettenville Blues”. The Julian Laxton Band contribute the offbeat “Johannesburg” and the Gereformeerde Blues Band pay tribute to Hillbrow with a classic Voëlvry song of that name. Then on to “Living In Yeoville” by the Aeroplanes, a song which will tweak on the heartstrings of lefties who lived in Yeoville in the 1980s and 1990s.

Lesego Rampolokeng & the Kalahari Surfers bring us back down to earth with “Johannesburg”, a city where dreams come to die. We move north east with Moses Molelekwa’s “Spirit Of Tembisa” and further north east again with Vusi Mahlasela’s tribute to Mamelodi, “Hello Mams”. James Phillips as Bernoldus Niemand ends things with his ironic tribute to Pretoria (as it was then), “Snor City”, about the growth of hair above the lip of every white man who passed him by on the street. As he lamented, the longer he waited, the more his hope diminishes.

Thanks to South African musicians for writing and performing songs that have become the soundtrack of our lives, and for those moments, celebrated on this mixtape, when creativity captures this place we come from.

  1. CT Blues – Sabenza
  2. Mannenberg – Dollar Brand
  3. Cape Town After Midnight – Hotep Idris Galeta
  4. Ebhayi – Ami Faku
  5. Durban Poison – Trans.Sky
  6. Sea Level – Urban Creep
  7. Dingley’s Bookshop – Rabbitt
  8. East Rand Town Called Springs – Radio Rats
  9. Orlando – Miriam Makeba & the Skylarks
  10. Soweto Inn – The Movers
  11. Jive Soweto – Sipho Mabuse
  12. Suburb in the South – Tribe After Tribe
  13. Rosettenville blues – Van der Want/Letcher
  14. Johannesburg – Julian Laxton Band
  15. Hillbrow – Gereformeerde Blues Band
  16. Living in Yeoville – The Aeroplanes
  17. Johannesburg – Lesego Rampolokeng & the Kalahari Surfers
  18. Spirit of Tembisa – Moses Molelekwa
  19. Hello Mams – Vusi Mahlasela
  20. Snor City – Bernoldus Niemand