Kwela: The Penny Whistle Phenomenon of 1950s South Africa | Ethnomusicology Explained!
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- Опубликовано: 25 авг 2024
- Step back into 1950s South Africa with Ethnomusicology Explained as we delve into Kwela, the captivating penny whistle music genre that moved audiences across color lines. Discover the rhythms that defined a cultural revolution and the history behind this uniquely South African sound.
Texts:
Alen, 'Kwela: The Structure and Sound of Pennywhistle Music' in Floyd, Composing the Music of South Africa (1999).
Alen, Kwela's White Audiences: The Politics of Pleasure and Identification in the Early Apartheid Period
Music:
The Basement Boys - Kwela Bafana
Spokes Mashiyana - America
The video is about Kwela: The Penny Whistle Phenomenon of 1950s South Africa but also tries to cover the following subject:
Penny Whistle Charm
South African Beats
Cultural Music Journey
TITLE : Kwela: The Penny Whistle Phenomenon of 1950s South Africa | Ethnomusicology Explained!
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I found this on the internet: On the evening of Saturday 17th March 1958, the British independent television channel ATV, broadcast the first of a series of six new plays by Wolf Mankowitz, entitled The Killing Stones. The plays were set in South Africa, and to add local colour, the series used a tune by a group of African musicians by the name of Elias and the Zig Zag Jive Flutes, entitled Tom Hark. Unexpectedly, the record of this tune, (Columbia DB 4109 Tom Hark / Ry Ry), became a best seller, staying in the UK charts for 14 weeks, and reaching No.2. It was unexpected because this type of music was previously more or less unknown in the UK, although kwela or tin whistle jive was increasingly popular in South Africa at this time. Tom Hark stands, even now, as one of the very few records of authentic vernacular music to penetrate so high into the UK charts.
The UK record industry of the time, though, scented the possibility of another trend. No doubt at this early date, many in the business still felt that rock 'n' roll was no more than a passing phase, and were on the look out for what was going to replace it in the hearts of the record-buying public. Spurred on by Tom Hark's success, most other companies had a go with some kwela. Columbia tried another by Elias and the Zig Zag Jive Flutes Zeph Boogie / Vuka Magcabeni (Columbia DB 4146) and one by Black Mambazo, the original group, from which the famous Ladysmith group took its name. One of the most popular kwela groups in South Africa in the 1950s, Matshutshu / Fuzzy Night (Columbia DB4135) was, of course, their only UK issue, as it failed to follow the success of Tom Hark. Decca used Little Lemmy and Big Joe's Kwela No.5 / Little Lemmy Kwela (Decca F11054). Setting the kwela whistle of the teenage Lemmy 'Special' Mabaso against a smooth alto sax, makes this jazzier in flavour than the Zig Zags. The now long defunct Oriole label tried Spokes Mashiyane's Jika Spokes / The Boys of Jo'burg (Oriole 1441). This features some fine relaxed, bluesy solo whistle playing by one of the kwela greats, with sparse rhythm accompaniment, from Ben Nkosi on side one and France Pilane on side two. The label of this record features the description 'Kwela Penny Whistle Jive' in larger type and a more prominent position than the names of the artists, which tells us a lot about the attitude of the record company. Finally, HMV's attempt to get in on the kwela act featured Alexander Shamber's Boys on Dintho / Holom Toe HMV POP496. Alexander Shamba (usual spelling) was a popular kwela artist back in South Africa. All of these attempts to ride the momentum of a new trend were to fail, and while Tom Hark turns up regularly in oldies shops and car boot sales, the rest of these records are now very rare!!
This is a fascinating history, thanks for sharing.
Excellent info tx
Kwela is great !!
Thank you
You're very welcome
Hi, this is great! I have a question though. Would "Tshikona" also have set a precedent for kwela? This tradition is well established in the northern part of South Africa and similar whistle-based traditions were observed among the Khoi and San groups.Those ensembles were quite big as every whistle could only play a single note and thus the music is in a hocket style. Can one assume (in part then), that kwela is a modern commercial and miniaturised outcome of a centuries old South African whistle tradition?
I love the kwela music.
Me too!
Don't explain, dance
You know what, I was just listening to a piece of music by Spokes Mashiyane on a compilation CD, and I'd never heard of kwela music before - it's so catchy! Thanks for the interesting information on it - subscribed (:
Welcome aboard! :D
I worked a British TV series in London about South Africa and a drama about diamonds in the late 1950s. The theme music was Kwela featuring the penny whistle. The star actor was Sir Donald Wolfits. I/m trying to remember the melody.s name and the series title. Anyone out there knows???
Still no title of the British TV series
See answers in messages posted a few years before yours
Thank you for this video
You're welcome!
You forgot to mention "Tom Hark" by Elias & his Zig Zag flutes, which was a big hit in the UK in 1958.
Nick Lane - the electrical origin of life
54 seconds in and i love you
Much love in return!
Too mush talk and not enough kwela!
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Joyous street music explained by a sociologist - you know, those intellectual giants who have given us such revelations as : Poverty can increase criminal behaviour, Coming from a violent background can result in perpetuation of violence, Women resort to prostitution when there is no other source of income available to them. Genius. Couldn't just play the music could you?