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A South African Christmas

After a few years of mixtapes we have finally relented and compiled a Christmas mixtape. Yup, that pagan festival adopted and co-opted by one of the world’s leading religions, and which, in some places, has turned into a shopping, eating, and drinking festival. This mixtape is not motivated by the desire to celebrate or commemorate Christmas, rather it is an attempt to provide an alternative soundtrack to the stuff we are subjected to every time we venture into a shopping mall or supermarket during December. So you won’t find any Boney M or Mariah Carey here. But that doesn’t mean you won’t wince now and then. That’s the nature of Christmas-themed compilations.

Nevertheless, the plan has been to put together something clearly South African but also not too cringey, so something you wouldn’t mind accompanying you on a shopping outing. We have managed to find 25 pieces which vary in all sorts of directions and which span well over half a century of recordings. Some are very different to what we normally hear at Christmas time and some are different – perhaps even subversive – versions of Christmas songs with which we are very familiar. Hopefully you can put your ear or headphones on, block out the pervasive hackneyed stuff, and listen to these songs instead.

  1. Happy Christmas Happy New Year – Mabel Mafuya
  2. O Little Swinging Town Of Bethlehem – The Buskaid Soweto String Project
  3. Silent Night – Soweto String Quartet
  4. The Sun Shines Down (On Christmas Day) – Ed Jordan, Shaluza Max & Bongani Masuku
  5. Ke Mmoloki Jesu – Kings Messenger Quartet
  6. Ukhisimusi Uqedo Amadola – Mahlabathini
  7. Jabulani Christmas – Mabel Mafuya
  8. Kisimus Time – The Skylarks
  9. Xmas Message – The Heroes
  10. Compliments Of The Season – Reggie Msomi And His Hollywood Jazz Band
  11. Inkanyezi Nezazi (The Star And The Wiseman) – Ladysmith Black Mambazo
  12. O Holy Night – Q Zoo
  13. An African Christmas – Judith Sephuma
  14. All I Want For Christmas – Ndlovu Youth Choir
  15. Christmas In Kakamas – David Kramer
  16. Happy Christmas To All In The Land – Richard Jon Smith
  17. Christmas Song – Duncan Faure
  18. Happy Christmas (War Is Over) – Toxic Shame
  19. My Heart Is Heavey (AS A Stone Is) – Marshall Harmse
  20. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town – Soft Shoes
  21. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town – Jimmy 12 Inch
  22. Psycho Christmas – Psycho Reptiles
  23. Little Drummer Boy – Martin Rocka & Danny De Wet
  24. Merry Xmas – Jack Parow
  25. Xmas In Krugersdorp – Kalahari Surfers
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Songs by South African artists on the UK and USA Top 100 singles charts

With Tyla’s ‘Water’ making it into the US charts, going viral on social media, and being awarded a Grammy, there has been some discussion in the media about previous songs by SA artists making the US charts. There haven’t been many, and there have been a few more that have made the UK charts. We decided to research the US Billboard and UK top 100 charts and put together a mixtape of songs which have charted in either country. They appear in the chronological order in which they charted. The list below indicates the peak position of each song, and the date on which it reached that position.

Interestingly there are no songs which appeared on both the USA and UK charts. In fact there isn’t even a single South African artist who has charted in both charts. One song charted twice on the UK top 100: ‘Scatterlings Of Africa’ – first the Juluka version, and four years later the Savuka version.

The mixtape selection is restricted to South African musicians and groups who are regarded as wholly South African (for example, this does not include songs by Manfred Mann who only began his musical career once he had emigrated to the UK, Yes when Trevor Rabin was a member, or Freshlyground doing a collaborative song with Shakira, and so on). Collaborations of those sorts can be a focus for a future mixtape!

Some of these are probably very familiar to you, and others you might have hardly ever heard at all. Give them a listen and enjoy!

  1. Pata Pata – Miriam Makeba no 12 on 25 November 1967 (USA)
  2. Up Up And Away – Hugh Masekela No 71 on 13 and 20 January 1968 (USA)
  3. Master Jack – Four Jacks And A Jill No 18 on 8 June 1968 (USA)
  4. Grazing In The Grass – Hugh Masekela No 1 on 20 July 1968 (USA)
  5. Puffin On Down The Track – Hugh Masekela no 71 on 19 October 1968 (USA)
  6. Riot – Hugh Masekela No 55 on 8 and 15 February 1969 (USA)
  7. He’s Gonna Step On You Again – John Kongos No 4 on 22 May 1971 (UK)
  8. Tokoloshe Man – John Kongos No 4 on 20 November 1971 (UK)
  9. Substitute – Clout No 2 17 June 1978 (UK)
  10. Scatterlings Of Africa – Juluka No 44 on 5 Feb 1983 (UK)
  11. She’s The Master (of the game) – Richard Jon Smith No 63 16 July 1983 (UK)
  12. Impi – Juluka No 87 on 6 August 1983 (UK)
  13. The ABC Of Kissing – Richard Jon Smith No 77 on 30 March 1985 (UK)
  14. Scatterlings Of Africa – Savuka No 75 on May 10 1987 (UK)
  15. Lies – Jonathan Butler No 18 on 1 August 1987 (UK)
  16. Holding On – Jonathan Butler No 92 on 24 October 1987 (UK)
  17. Asimbonanga – Savuka No 94 on January 24 1988 (UK)
  18. Take Good Care Of Me – Jonathan Butler No 89 on 13 February 1988 (UK)
  19. Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World – Savuka No 86 February 4 1990 (UK)
  20. World In Union ’95 – PJ Powers & Ladysmith Black Mambazo No 47 3 June 1995 (UK)
  21. Inkanyezi Nezazi (The Star And The Wiseman) – Ladysmith Mambazo No 33 15 November 1997 (UK)
  22. Ain’t No Sunshine – Ladysmith Black Mambazo No 42 16 October 1999 (UK)
  23. Broken – Seether No 20 in 2004 (USA)
  24. When You Come Back 2010 – Vusi Mahlasela No 70 on 10 July 2010 (UK)
  25. Water – Tyla No 10 on November 28 2023 (USA)