Mbaqanga – The Ulwazi Programme

UJoseph Shabalala

UJoseph Shabalala, owazalwa nguBhekizizwe Joseph Siphatamandla Mxoveni Mshengu Bigboy Shabalala eMnambithi, KwaZulu-Natali, ungumsunguli nomqondisi womculo weqembu i-Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Umsebenzi womculo kaShabalala uqale ngokusuka kwakhe eMnambithi waya eThekwini. Ngemuva kokuhlala isikhashana ne-Durban Choir wajoyina iqembu lesicathamiya ,i- ‘The Highlanders’, eyayiholwa iqhawe uGaliyane Hlatshwayo. Hlatshwayo owayesebenza njengomeluleki, ekhuthaza uShabalala ukuthi asebenzise izwi lakhe ngamandla. Lesi sikhuthazo … Read more

Raymond Chikapa Enock Phiri (23 March 1947 – 12 July 2017)

South African musical giant, and struggle activist, Ray Phiri, has passed away from lung cancer at the age of 70. Phiri, who achieved international fame through his work with Paul Simon, started his career as a professional musician in the late 1960s when he joined the band, The Five Boys. More famously Phiri was the lead member … Read more

Mbaqanga: Your Daily Bread

We’re sticking with our music theme of the last week or two, but this time with a focus on mbaqanga. With its roots in the 1960s, mbaqanga is a style of music with a number of different influences. At a very simplistic level it can be described as an African style of jazz, with western instruments accompanied … Read more