Ramotena Mabote and Keith Henderson run the rule over the local bands who will be appearing at Womad
Amersham: Four-piece Johannesburg pop outfit that has cornered a large number of rebellious youths of the harmless garden gnome variety.
Boo!: The Munki Punkers deluxe. With gender bending, whacky accents, wild personae and tons of cheek this is a live performance not to be missed. The quirky combination of Chris Chameleon, Ampie Omo and Princess Leonie is an aural experience second to none.
Boom Shaka: The kwaito supremos that have instigated one of the hippest crossover cultures in South Africa. Combining Jamaican ragga, dancehall and hip-hop, Boom Shaka has paved the way for kwaito to become one of SA’s most popular music styles. Number one.
Fetish: The first South African group to be signed by Virgin, this dark Cape-based band is headed by the powerful Michelle Breeze whose voice has seductive echoes of Tori Amos, PJ Harvey and Mazzy Star. On Wednesday February 17 at Hoods in Rosebank Fetish release the first single, Siren, from their much-anticipated debut EP Shade of a Ghost. Expect the best with brooding sultry vocals, gut-wrenching guitar and orchestral fills.
Guitars for Africa:A loose live collaboration by what may be considered eight of South Africa’s top guitarists. Well worth catching.
Gauteng Youth Jazz Orchestra:Johnny Mekoa, one- time leader of the legendary Jazz Ministers, is the bandleader of this energetic big band from Daveyton. In the East Rand township Mekoa started a school that was to lead his young music students to a series of concerts in America, in 1997, where they played to great acclaim.
Johnny Clegg & Juluka:Johnny Clegg, “Le Zulu Blanc”, and Sipho Mchunu formed Juluka almost 20 years ago and then put South Africa on the world map. After a five-year they’re back with gusto still playing their unique mix of Afro/Euro pop.
Just Jinger: South Africa’s very own Counting Crows. Enough said.
The Led:This band of Stellenbosch students is fronted by the enigmatic Skye Stevenson singing a mix of rock and pop. They hit the big time with their single The Boy from Apricot Smells. The Led stands for: Lawyers, Engineers and Doctors.
Mshengu Brothers:A new isicathamiya group founded by Joseph Tshabalala’s son and ex- Ladysmith Black Mambazo member, Vivian Tshabalala. This pioneering 11-piece vocal group pushes the boundaries of the traditional genre and includes influences from around the world, most notably gospel.
Plum:Funky Johannesburg-based trio combining a rap/hip-hop style with their own uncompromising rock roar. Part of a unique Johannesburg collaborative movement that includes fellow soldiers Seed, with whom they occasionally team up to form the eight-piece Morphattack. Sound of: Rage Against the Machine.
Pops Mohamed & Bruce Cassidy: Mohamed and Cassidy released an album called Timeless in 1997. Mixing different African sounds and instruments like the mbira, the kora and serankure, these two musicians produced a rare album that’s decidedly uncommercial.
Prophets of da City: The real McCoy. Possibly the number one rap/hip-hop group in South Africa, Cape-Town-based POC have done much to pioneer the movement in this country and have done incredibly well overseas.
Ringo: Ringo Mandlingozi’s recent winning of two Kora awards has turned him into an overnight success. But this Xhosa and Afrobeat balladeer has a long history in the music scene. He’s already made three albums in his brief solo career, the second one – Sondelani – changing his fortunes in terms of sales.
Rebecca Malope & Pure Magic: Dubbed the Queen of South African Gospel, Rebecca Malope has carved a niche for herself over the past decade, winning every award on offer. She’s performed extensively overseas and her backing group, Pure Magic, has also cut a few albums on their own.
Robin Auld: This pretty boy, ex-surfer broke with his teen image in 1994, broadening his range to include sounds both ancient and more enigmatic. His 1995 hit Love Kills got some play in Europe. These days he splits his time between SA and London.
Sibikwe Players:Founded in 1989 and resident on the East Rand since the early Nineties, this significant community group has performed in Europe, Canada and Asia. At Womad they’ll be performing a selection from their acclaimed musical Kwela Bafana, a tribute to the close harmony groups who made the East Rand the centre of local music in the Fifties.
Soul Brothers: If there was ever a successful music group in SA in terms of sales, then it’s the Soul Brothers. Having been around for about three decades, this mbaqanga outfit is widely regarded as the king of the genre.
Springbok Nude Girls:The band that got South Africans to sell their karaoki machines and have faith in local. Still one of the best live performances you’ll ever see. Despite a few years of rocking and rolling, frontman Arno Carstens is still fresh and ready for action.
THC:Durban-based drumming and performance group that fuses electronica and drumming to produce what can be described as an incredibly powerful live performance that swings from rastafarian rhythm to eastern trance. Their fire and juggling performance is second to none. Not to be missed.