It is the time of year when local musicians start revealing all: how they battle drug addiction, how they were abused as children and all the other tragic episodes in their young lives.
In between the sob stories, musicians will be hoping the media also mentions that they have released new, spectacular albums on which they have experimented with new sounds and worked with the country’s best producers.
Is it all too cynical? Maybe, but we have to spare a thought for these guys — they also have to market themselves and put food on the table for their families. Either way, party animals will be scouring the music stores looking for the best dance songs to take them through the festive season.
Some of the new releases are last year’s best group Malaika, tough kwaito man Mandoza and Trompies members Mahoota and Mandla Spikiri, who have recorded solo albums.
Over the past few years, a plethora of new musicians has surfaced in the South African kwaito market. One such star is Mzekezeke, whose phenomenon as an uneducated, township cleva irritated by celebrities has guaranteed him at least platinum sales (50 000) in the past two years.
But a bigger hit was Malaika, who took a while to worm their way into kwaito hearts. Their album, Destiny, was released in early 2003, but was only noticed midway through 2004. The tracks Destiny and Sebakanyana became chart-toppers and a must-play at parties in every corner of the country. They became the bestselling group, notching a massive 350 000 units. In the kwaito market, the best-selling CDs have sold 500 000, such as Brenda Fassie’s Vulindlela.
Malaika have a new album, Vuthelani, from which at least one track, Muntuza, is receiving airplay.
In the music industry, part of how well you do is based on the strength of your last release. In that respect, Malaika should expect to go platinum, at least.
Music lovers who attended the album launch say they have improved their live performances. In the past, some of these performances have been flat, disappointing audiences with high expectations.
Mandoza has released a Nkalakatha-type album, the one that won him crossover appeal with both white music stations and fans.
Phunyuka Bamphethe is a fast-paced, powerful bass guitar CD with phly-lyrics that tell how he survived a rough neighbourhood to emerge as the tough guy he is.
In one of his songs, Amen, he sings about how he whipped a tsotsi so much that the tsotsi saluted him with an ‘Amen” every time he saw him. It is classic Mandoza.
The most fashionable kwaito producer of the moment, DJ Cleo — the one with the tattered hat and ginger hair — has unleashed new artist Face Brick. The track Sweety My Baby, from the album Face Brick, has at least guaranteed that party lovers will remember his name. It is always difficult introducing a new artist to a market unwilling to test their money on an unknown musician, and DJ Cleo should be happy with this effort.
Some stunts work, some don’t. Arthur Mafokate managed to upset the Christian conservative and women’s groups and SABC radio station Ukhozi FM with his album Sika Lekhekhe. The adverse reaction to the title track, which literally means ‘Cut the Cake”, was because it was really a reference to a vagina and therefore distasteful. Ukhozi FM banned the song from its playlist and there has been a huge controversy. But this has not translated into sales, yet. Mafokate said the people who complained about the song had already written him off as a ‘has-been”. Maybe they have a point.
Vusi Leeuw of EMI Records said Brenda Fassie fans should look forward to a new album from the late artist before December. Like all other musical greats, her record company continues to ‘find songs she recorded just before she died”. It is probably not the last one.
Other artists who should release within a month or so are the inimitable Mzekezeke, Yfm’s Unathi, Lebo Mathosa and KB.