Monday, 26 November 2012

Beat box: The spirit of Kwaai still lives

Kwaito music has played its own role in putting South African music and entertainment on the world map. The genre has produced some of South Africa’s greatest talent and still gives us great talent, from the likes of Arthur Mafokate to your Kabelo Mabalanes to your Professors.


A month ago I was having a discussion with a fellow peer touching on music and the landscape of South African music. We brushed up on music genres such as Jazz, Afro Pop, House and Dance, and hip-hop to mention a few. The reason for the discussion was to really analyse which genre paved the way for our music industry and how it has influenced the music landscape in the republic. And believe it or not after conducting our own research on Social media space and having little focus groups with music lovers, it proved to us that Kwaito music a genre many thought was dead was still alive and was amongst the influential. 

 Spikiri aka King Don Father fixing up a jam in the studio



 Mdu Masilela doing what he knows best, entertaining the crowd

 90s band Boom Shaka
Kwaito is what Rap music is to the American’s; personally Kwaito has influenced youngsters like me to understand the everyday struggles of our townships, but also highlighting the joys too. The music genre has also managed to spread its wings across African.

Many have mentioned that Kwaito is dead, but to prove that it’s still alive we still get music lovers and critics get down to songs by the likes of L’vovo, professor, Oskido, Thebe and Arthur Mafokate.

Boom Shaka, Bongo Muffin, Skeem, Mdu, Mshoza, Alaska, Tkzee, Brown Dash, Isinyoka and Mandoza are some of the acts whose music is still largely enjoyed across South Africa. 

If Kwaito were a boxer, I would probably align it with greats such as George Foreman and Lennox Lewis. Wait! Wait! Wait! Maybe I should approach the king of Kwaito Arthur Mafokate and Spikiri one of kwaito music’s top producers to join forces with me on a roadshow across Southern Africa and remind people what Kwaito is.

My top 5 Kwaito songs:

  1. Vuvuzela- Arthur Mafokate
  2. Why you for me- Mdu Masilela
  3. Thobela- Boom Shaka ft. Thebe
  4. Waar was jy- Skeem
  5. Puff ‘n Pass- Brown dash
Ashley Mokwena

No comments:

Post a Comment