Next Stop… Soweto Vol. 4 (Strut Records 121CD, 2015)
The Next Stop… Soweto series continues with a fourth volume of music from South. This volume contains Zulu rock, Afro-disco and mbaqanga from the bountiful 1975-1985 musical period.
At the time, South Africans absorbed the rock, jazz, funk and disco sounds coming from the US and Europe and mixed them with South African roots and dance music, creating a wide range of irresistible dance songs.
Highlights include the call and response piece ‘Kokro-ko(Hide And Seek) by The Actions, Almon Memela’s funk jazz on ‘The Things We Do In Soweto’, the jam vibe of Damara on ‘Mmamakhabtha,’ the Zulu rock of celebrated vocalist Margaret Singane on ‘Ubukhwele,’ and the classic wah-wah pedal, synth and flute funk jazz sound of The Brive that could be a perfect soundtrack for the iconic Blacxplotation films of the 1970s.
Next Stop Soweto Vol. 4 was compiled by Duncan Brooker. It will be available on March 23, 2015 on CD, a 2 LP set and digital formats. The physical versions include sleeve notes by author Francis Gooding together with rare photos and sleeve artwork.
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.
