Thebe Mabanga
A package of four artists and three DJs are set to take to the road in a big way over the next two months. Touring as Jozi Vibes and Izwe Sound System No. 1, their eclectic, Pan-African sound is set to thrill audiences countrywide.
Jozi Vibes is a development record label formed with BMG records. The main benefit of being a development is that there is a lot of room to experiment, a fact which is reflected in Jozi Vibes’s four artists on this tour. The artists are Umanji, Tidal Waves, Earthquake and Blk Sonshine. Between them, they cover a broad spectrum of sounds ranging from Afro-fusion to a bit of dance hall and hip-hop influenced sounds.
Umanji is a former policeman from Zebediela in the Northern Province. His debut album, Moloi [the witch], has endeared him to niche audiences and earned him a South African Music Award best newcomer nomination – which he lost to Gloria Bosman. He has built a following through stages like Arts Alive and the bushveld blast – Oppikoppi, near Northam on the way to Tabazimbi in the Northern Province, where he returns to kick up a storm with his peers.
Tidal Waves is a reggae outfit that brings an Afrocentric flavoured sound reflectve of their bohemian Yeoville surroundings. In one of their recordings, they describe the Yeoville experience of “hanging out in a balcony at [Yeoville’s former cultural shrine] Tandoor”. It is just a pity they forgot to mention the chicken gizzard kebabs from the Nigerian vendors. Along with Earthquake, they are Jozi Vibes’ youth brigade.
Earthquake has a peculiar mix of kwaito and ragga- their EP is even entitled Kwaai- Ragga. The mixture sounds uncomfortable and the group might find themselves a bit too deep for kwaito audiences and yet not deep enough for a place on ragga dance floors. If they overcome this inhibition, they will have earned their place in this line-up, especially considering that they are with the duo Blk Sonshine.
Blk Sonshine are South African music’s latest and best-kept secret. Masauko Chipembere and Neo Muyanga both play acoustic guitar, with Chipembere also playing bass and Muyanga adding the electric guitar. Their mellow grooves and poetic lyrics combine to yield an invigorating sound. In one track, Born in a Taxi, they bring a heavy Tracy Chapman influence.The track Bahlalefi could very well be penned by Vusi Mahlasela. Over these, the duo boast incomparable, stand- alone efforts. They are this year’s most exciting find.
In between these acts, Kaya fm’s world music DJ Nicky Blumenfeld and Afro Beats maestro S’bu the General will keep the session intact. Their cartel, Izwe Sound System No.1 (Izwe is Zulu for country), is very influential in the world music and dance circuit. Its profile is also raised by Blumenfeld’s butt-kicking Sunday-evening show on one of Johannesburg’s leading adult contemporary radio stations. By the time this roadshow leaves town, Northam will be reverberating for a week afterwards.
The Jozi Vibes roadshow kicks off at Oppikoppi on April 21. From April 27 to June 1 it visits various venues around the country. For more details contact BMG’s Sifiso Ntuli on Tel: (011) 242-3000 CD reviews, PAGE 19