I am currently listening to the 1973 album "The Warrior." It's a rather enjoyable slice of South African singing courtesy of Margaret Singana, and I'd thought I'd share it with you.
Front of sleeve
Back of sleeve
A fearsome warrior brandishing what looks from this angle for all the world like a Stanley knife.How to describe this album? Well, let's see what the sleeve notes say...
This is Africa! Her Pulse! Her People! Her Music!Calm down, man. It's just a record. You'll do yourself a mischief. It has some great African choral singing going on, as well as other kinds of music, but with a slight underlying 70s funky vibe. Now some stuffy world music types might scoff at that and call it inauthentic but I say tosh! It's authentic 70s Zulu chanting, even if it's 1970s instead of 1870s. I still think it is good "atmosphere music" for African wargames nights, not to mention a damn good foot-tapping listen in its own right. I think the vibe would also make it a great choice if one were gaming more modern "Wild Geese"-style African adventures too.
Now,
Ipi 'Ntombi is Zulu for
"Where are the Girls?" (direct and to the point, good name, I like it). Well, in answer to that question, here they are:
Now this is the kind of thing to put on the inside of your gatefold LP if you want to get in Plynkes' good books. Perfect.
Some of the tracks warrant specific mention, I think. First the title track
"The Warrior."
Given that the subject matter, the battle of Blood River, where thousands of Zulus were slaughtered without so much as them getting to kick a Boer dog in return, you'd think this would be a mournful wailing dirge filled with bitterness and regret. Nothing of the sort! It's the most catchy, cheerful and foot-stompyist track on the album. In fact it makes me want to put my wellies on and do some Gumboot Dancing right here and now. But I won't, as I don't want to kick my computer tower over by accident.
Ipi 'Ntombi This one has certain nostalgia appeal with me, as it was used in the 70s and 80s to advertise my local safari park on TV. We used to sing it as little 'uns whenever we drove past the place in the car. Happy memories.
Hiya! Hiya!
Hiya Ho 'Ntombi um!
Ipi 'Ntombi um!
'Ntombi um!Remember it? No? Oh well, perhaps it was just me, then.
Finally there's
Soweto By Night, which is the LP at its most Seventies. It is actually what
Abba would sound like
if they were black. It's a good thing, honestly!
"Just in case you have forgotten this is the 70s, check out my motherfuckin' 'fro!"Incidentally, it was Margaret Singana who sang "We are Growing", the theme to the TV series "Shaka Zulu."
I love this record, and am going to listen to it until I am thoroughly sick of it. I hesitate to recommend it to other members though, as musical taste is such a personal affair. By that I mean I have seen the kind of thing you people listen to, and it's bloody rubbish! (Just kidding, folks
)
30 January 2010, 12:54:20 PM