African Music and Documentaries on CD, DVD,
and VHS
On richardknight.com
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South African Sounds]
Africa has produced
some great artists. African music is
often related to political struggles. Music played an important role in the
struggle against apartheid as anyone who has hear an impromptu group of South
Africans sing freedom songs such as Nkosi Sikele’l Africa (God Bless Africa). Many of South
Africa’s greatest artists also played an important role in the freedom
movement, often after being forced in exile.
The fused traditional music with jazz and music from other areas of
Africa. Frequently these songs were
banned inside South Africa and had to be recorded outside the country. Music also played a role in the struggle
against the military dictatorships in Nigeria. The items are available as CDs and sometimes
in DVD and VHS video format. You can buy
these items by following the links to the U.S. website of Amazon.com for each
item. I have included Amazon Standard
Identification Number (ASIN) for each product which will aid you in ordering
the items from Amazon websites for other countries.
South Africa
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
This group was formed in 1965 by Joseph Shabalala. They sing in the tradition of the South
African a cappella form of Zulu male coral music known as isicathamiya. It was born in the
mines of South Africa by Zulu migrant workers. These migrant workers lived in
all male hostels neat the mines where they worked, far from home and
family. Themes of Ladysmith Black Mambazo songs, sung mostly in Zulu and English, are both
religious and the trials of daily life. In
1970 they received their first record contract.
In 1986 they recorded with Paul Simon on the Graceland album. Simon
produced their next album, Shaka Zulu, which won the
Grammy Award in 1987 for Best Traditional Folk Album.
Raise
Your Spirit Higher: Wenyukela ASIN:
B00014X8AY
This album was released ten years after the end of apartheid.
The Best of Ladysmith Black Mambazo [Shanachie] ASIN: B000000DXI
The
Best of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Vol. 2 ASIN:
B00000DBV8
Shaka Zulu ASIN: B000002LBQ
In Harmony: Live at
the Royal Albert Hall DVD
ASIN: B00001ZWB5 VHS
ASIN: B00001ZWB4
From the Back Cover of the DVD
Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s musical career spans over four decades as South Africa’s most popular vocal group. This 75-minute DVD features their spectacular performance at the Royal Albert Hall along with an exclusive interview with founder and lead singer of the group, Joseph Shabalala, interspersed with scenes of South Africa and a rare dressing room performance of Paul Simon’s “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes.” The concert is a virtual “Best Of” Ladysmith Black Mambazo--uplifting, soulful and inspirational--as they deliver their beautiful acapella harmonies and delightful “tiptoe dancing” on such signature songs as “Nezazi (The Star and the Wiseman”), “Rain Rain Beautiful Rain” and Paul Simon’s “Homeless.”
Manhattan Brothers
From the late 1940s through the 1950s, the Manhattan
Brothers were one of the biggest names in black South African music. They sing
in both English and Zulu. While primarily male, they did include women at
times, including the young Miriam Makeba.
The Very Best of the Manhattan Brothers ASIN:
B00004T2DX
Miriam Makeba
South Africa’s best known female singer, she is known as
Mama Africa. She was born in South
Africa in 1932. From 1954 through 1957
she sang for The Manhattan Brothers, then the biggest name in black South
African music. In 1958 she went to
London to advance her career and there she met Harry Belafonte. As a result she moved to the New York where
she recorded perhaps her two best known songs: Pata Pata and the Click Song. In 1959 she appeared as the female lead in the
jazz musical King Kong. She was an
active opponent of apartheid. She
appeared in the anti-apartheid documentary film “Come Back, Africa” directed by
Lionel Rogosin which was mostly shot clandestinely in
Sophiatown in 1959. In 1960 the South African government banned
her from returning to the land of her birth.
In 1963 she testified about apartheid at the United Nations. The South African government revoked her
citizenship and she became an exile. She
married jazz trumpeter Hugh Masekela but separated from him and married Stokely Carmichael. Following harassment by U.S.
authorities she moved to Guinea for nine years following her separation from
Carmichael. In 1986 she returned to the
world state performing with Paul Simon on the Graceland tour. The ban on her records was lifted in South
Africa in 1988. The ANC and PAC were unbanned in February 1990 and she returned to South Africa
in December of that year. She has
released over thirty albums. Her autobiography, Makeba: My Story (ISBN: 0453005616),
was published in 1988.
Mama Africa: The Very Best of Miriam Makeba ASIN: B0000501LX
Miriam
Makeba & the Skylarks, Vol. 1 ASIN: B00000JKP4
This CD contains her earliest work from the mid-1950s, with
the Skylarks vocal ensemble.
Miriam Makeba & the Skylarks, Vol. 2 ASIN: B00000JKP5
The 32 selections reissued in this two part collection bring together the greatest recordings of Miriam Makeba and the Skylarks.
Reflections ASIN: B000294RS0
In Concert Pata Pata Makeba ASIN: B00007BH7J
This two CD set includes three original albums from the
vaults of Reprise Records, Miriam Makeba
In Concert (1967), Pata Pata (1967)
& Makeba! (1968).
Africa
[LIVE] ASIN: B0000004Y0
Sangoma (1988) ASIN: B000002LDH
Homeland ASIN: B00004S5HC
Welela ASIN: B00000478X
The
Guinea Years ASIN: B00005QEBA
Mixes Makeba with West African music.
An
Evening With Belafonte & Miriam Makeba [IMPORT]
ASIN: B00004SNG7
French reissue of
1965 album for the world music stars. 12 tracks.
Live
at Berns Salonger (Stockholm,
Sweden, 1966) [Import] ASIN: B0001B3XXY
Abdullah Ibrahim (Dollar Brand)
A pianist, composer, arranger, band leader and teacher, he was born Adolphus Johannes Brand in 1934 in Cape Town’s District Six. He adopted the stage name Dollar Brand. His music is influenced by both American jazz and traditional African music. In his early years he played with the Tuxedo Slickers and the Willie Max Band. In 1959, he, along with trumpet player Hugh Masekela and saxophonist Kippie Moketsi, formed the group Jazz Epistles, which made what many consider South Africa’s first genuine jazz record, Jazz Epistle - Verse 1, in 1960. But being an artist in apartheid South Africa, with white prejudice and racial segregation, was stifling. He left South Africa in 1962 for Switzerland where he met Duke Ellington, who helped arrange a recording and Ibrahim’s first performance at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1965. In 1968 he changed has name to Abdullah Ibrahim upon converting to Islam. He moved back to South Africa for a period in 1973 but left again following the events that spread across the country following the Soweto uprising in 1976. He then moved to New York and in 1983 set up the group Ekaya. He returned to South Africa after the release of Nelson Mandela.
The
Very Best of Abdullah Ibrahim ASIN:
B00004U02Q
“This delightful collection presents a chronological selection of the South African pianist’s live and studio recordings for the Enja label from 1979 to 1997. Consisting entirely of original compositions, the album reveals the bittersweet elegance and irrepressible optimism of a rare musical genius in a profoundly lyrical blend of classic modern jazz with the celebratory folk and spiritual traditions of South Africa.” --Michael Stone, Rhythm Magazine
The Best of Abdullah Ibrahim ASIN: B000063WCN
Cape
Town Revisited (Original release date: 2002) ASIN: B00002DFOQ
“South African piano
veteran Abdullah Ibrahim takes his time on this fine
retrospective of tunes inspired by the homeland he can once again visit in the
wake of apartheid’s end. Characteristically, Ibrahim
runs his loping, fetchingly melodic tunes together, creating a sense of reverie
while he summons scenes from marketplaces and townships.” – Amazon.com
Live
at Montreux (Original release date: 1980) ASIN:
B000005C6T
Buddy
Tate Meets Abdullah Ibrahim: The Legendary 1977
Encounter ASIN: B000003H94
African
Piano (Original release date: 1969) ASIN: B0000260C9
Anatomy
of a South African Village [LIVE] (Original release date: 1965) ASIN:
B0000015QH
Duke
Ellington Presents the Dollar Band Trio (Original release date 1963) ASIN:
B000002KO6
Hugh
Masekela
Born in near Johannesburg, Masekela was
introduced to the trumpet by anti-apartheid activist Father Trevor Huddleston.
He played in South Africa with Dollar Brand, Jonas Gwangwa,
and Kippie Moeketsi. In 1961 he went into exile and Harry
Belafonte helped him get established in the U.S. He was an active supporter of the
anti-apartheid movement. He co-wrote the score to the musical Sarafina! He preformed with Paul Simon on the Graceland tour and He returned to South
Africa after the release of Nelson Mandela but continues to tour around the
world.
Grazing in the Grass: The Best of Hugh
Masekela
ASIN: B00005QGB1
“In
1968, a little-known South African-born trumpeter and flugelhornist
named Hugh Masakela released an instrumental single
called “Grazing in the Grass.” Its catchy, percussive rhythms and jazzy horn
lines made it an international hit, and turned Masakela
into an overnight star. This compilation contains 14 of Masakela’s
most celebrated tracks recorded from the ‘60s to the ‘90s.”
- Eugene
Holley Jr., Amazon.com
Hope ASIN:
B0000057QH
Hugh Masekela & Union of South Africa ASIN:
B000001A6T
Collections with various artists
Long
Walk to Freedom – A Celebration of 4 Decades of South African Music ASIN:
B00004TACP
Indestructible Beat of Soweto ASIN: B000000DW2
South
African Rhythm Riot ASIN: B00002JXC5
The Rough Guide to South African Music ASIN: B000001I1S
Homeland: A Collection of Black South African Music ASIN: B0000003N1
Homeland, Vol. 2: Collection of Black South African Music ASIN: B00000038P
Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony [ENHANCED] CD: ASIN: B00007MB6Z
This 29-track soundtrack for the
documentary Amandla: A Revolution in
Four Party directed by Lee Hirsch that features a musical history of the
movement, often highlighting powerful rallying cries of revolution. It took ten
years to make the documentary. It is now available on DVD
ASIN: B0000C2IWO and VHS
ASIN: B0000C2IWP. There are songs from such well-known figures as Mariam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, Abdullah Ibrahim,
and South African star Vusi Mahlasela
and many others as well as members of Pretoria Central Prison and chanting
crowds from various town hall meetings.
Rhythm of Resistance - Black South African Music (1979) You can get this in DVD ASIN: B00004YA70 or VHS ASIN: 6301311744
“Rhythm of Resistance crosses the forbidden boundaries of apartheid and looks at the sorrow and joy of Black South African music. Music that had been ignored, censored or suppressed comes alive in unforgettable moments, often filmed clandestinely. From Zululand roots to Soweto street singing, from the defiant dancing of workers on their day off to all night singing contests, Rhythm of Resistance captures the panorama of Black South African music during the years of apartheid. Features performances and intimate moments with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Philip Tabane and Malombo, the Mahotella Queens, Abafana and more.” – Description from Amazon.com
South African Freedom Songs 2 CDs ASIN: B000063VET
Freedom songs were central to the liberation struggles. The
first CD is a documentary in twelve parts, with interviews from many leaders of
the struggle, which examines freedom songs and their development as the
struggle developed. Among those interviewed
are Pallo Jordon, Walter Sisulu, Ronnie Kasrils, Desmond Tutu, John Matshikiza
and Baleka Mbete. Nelson Mandela also appears. The second CD has 25 songs from various
artists/groups including Mayibuye, ANC Choir Angola, ANC Choir London, Amandla, Workers Choir and Sechaba,
Zambia. These are not professionally
recorded by professional musicians as the other music is on this page.
Nigerian Music
Fela Anikulapo Kuti
“Nigerian band leader,
saxophonist and political activist; credited with the invention of afro-beat.
In a career that spanned 4 decades he established himself as one of the most
popular figures in African music, with a musical influence that has spread
around the globe.” – BBC. Born in Abeokuta, Nigeria in 1938, Fele Kuti was a singer-composer, trumpet, sax and keyboard
player, bandleader. He was also a
political activist and his music reflected his opposition to a long series of
military dictatorships including that of Sani Abacha. His music
was extremely popular in Nigeria except with the military, which he regularly
attacked. He learned to play the
saxophone as a teenager and in 1958 went to London and enrolled in Trinity
College of Music were he spent four year.
At this time he started the group, Koola Lobitos. In 1962 he moved back to
Nigeria. By 1968 he was calling his music Afro-beat. In 1969 Fela and the Koola Lobitos toured the U.S. where he met black activists
including Angela Davis and Stokeley Carmichael. He returned to Nigeria, renamed Koola Lobitos to Afrika ‘70, and by 1972 was one of the
biggest stars in West Africa. His music reflected is political opposition to
the Nigerian state. For more information
see the African Music Encyclopedia.
The Best Best of Fela Kuti (Original release date: 2000) ASIN: B00002ZZ2P
This is a 2 CD compilation of his music. “Political activist,
outspoken radical, and inventor of Afro-beat, Fela Anikulapo (“he who carries death in his
pouch”) Kuti left behind him an incomparable legacy
of music when he died in 1997. His struggles against the Nigerian state became
the stuff of legend in his home country; his denunciations of world leaders
such as Reagan and Thatcher gained him notoriety abroad. But his music remains
as his supreme achievement over and above the details of his amazingly
courageous life.” – Amazon.com
Beasts of No Nation/O.D.O.O. (Original release date: 2001) ASIN: B00004XT2S
Zombie (Original release date: 1977) ASIN: B00000DQJK
The Zombies are the Nigerian military. There have been
several re-releases of this album but it is not clear that the cuts are the
same as the original on all versions.
Underground
System (1992) ASIN: B00004XT2Q
Fela With Ginger Baker Live! T ASIN: B00004Z4YL
Underground Spiritual Game ASIN: B0002OOUNW
Coffin
for Head of State/Unknown Soldier ASIN: B00000JOEW
I believe this was recorded in 1981.
Confusion/Gentleman
ASIN: B00000JOEX
Expensive Shit/He Miss Road ASIN: B00000JOEY
Open
and Close/Afrodisiac (Original release date:
2001) ASIN: B00004XT21