Amampondo
Amampondo – An Image Of Africa – Live In Cape Town – Umfanekiso we Afrika (Mountain Records, 2006)
This enthralling DVD by South African group Amampondo reveals a fascinating story about urban African musicians who returned to their ancestral roots. The majority of the members of Amampondo are were born in the coastal city of Langa. It was there that they decided to research the musical roots of their forefathers. The majority of the ancestors were originally from Pondo Land and thus the name Amampondo: the people of Pondo Land.
As the DVD reveals, the musicians have gone beyond South African music. In their travels throughout Africa, they have acquired new songs and instruments.
The first part of the video is a live performance, where you can enjoy the beautiful harmony of up to four marimbas played simultaneously. Each marimba us tuned differently and varies in size. The marimbas used are: tenor marimba, bass marimba, double bass marimba, and soprano marimba. in addition, the group uses large ancestral drums, congas and other percussion instruments. The percussionists are accompanied by four singers and dancers.
Dressed in traditional outfits, with beautiful body paint, Amampondo introduces amazing instruments throughout the live concert, like the enormous Ugandan akadinda, a xylophone that is played by four musicians on stage, creating a trance-like experience.
Other instruments used are a flute from Botswana, the mouth bow, traditionally played by mothers. as a tribute, Amampondo invited three female elders to sing and play. There are also animal horns and jew’s harp (played by the female elders).
The second part of the DVD is a great documentary about Amampondo, showing their hometown, interviews and life in Langa. What’s interesting is that while other urban black South Africans embraced pop and Western culture, Amampondo brought out their roots. They are modern men who have decided to preserve a venerable culture.
Buy Amampondo – An Image Of Africa – Live In Cape Town.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
