ENTERTAINMENT
South African township rhythms to visit Eugene
By Ming Rodrigues
Emerald Reporter
Before 1962, "Mbaqanga"
simmered in its status as a
poor-man's stew in South Afri
ca.
Then a Johannesburg band
came along and gavn the dish a
now lease of life, capturing tho
hearty "Mbaqanga" flavor in a
musical moiling pot of tradi
tional African rhythms, street
music and international Afro
pop.
Right away, township people
recognized it as their own.
Though dnrived from tradition
al wedding music. It was mod
ern and electric, and
''Mbaqanga” fever was soon
spreading rapidly across tho
country.
Saturday night at 8,
"Mbaqanga” pionoers Mahla
thini and the Mahotolla
Queons, backed by tho
Makgona Tsohlo Band, will
bring thoir throbbing, exuber
ant sound and daneo from the
streots of Soweto to the Hull
Center.
Playing together on and off
sinco 1965, Mahlathini and the
Queens are one man and throe
women who joined the Tsohlo
band, first as dancers. But the
growing popularity of vocal
groups in South Africa com
pelled Mahlathini to begin
singing his rumbling, raspy
lead, and the Queons their hot,
ringing background.
Just by himself, Mahlathini,
known as tho Lion of Soweto
among his fans, is a pow
erhouse performer.
Born Simon Nkabindo, ho
grow up in the South African
country side whore he got his
professional namo Mahlathini
l_———I
moaning “forest" or "junglo on
his head."
Dy the ago of 10. ho had an
amazingly doop and hoavy bari
tone voico.
“Evoryono was so worrlod
about my voico," ho said. "No
one know what to do about this
loud and doop nolso coming
from my mouth. Then my
mothor took mo to tho witch
doctor and it was discovered
that this was my natural voice.
So wo all stopped worrying and
I started to sing likn a now
man."
"Amazing on record, this
voico is unreal live," tho Vil
lage Volea said. "Muhlathinl
makes you gasp and pound tho
wall ... tho show carries over all
linguistic and cultural bar
riers."
Hilda Tloubatla, Mildred
Mangxola and Nobosthu Mbadu
aro the Mahotella Queens,
whose sweet female harmonies
complement Mahlathini's roar.
The group’s sound Is at onco
traditional and contemporary,
with electric guitars, penny
whistle and drums creating a
modern dance treat with tho
singers prancing about energeti
cally in true African tribal
dance tradition.
As Savuka's johnny Clogg,
who performed at the Universi
ty last term, said, "If anyone is
looking for tho music which
brought hope and represented a
humanizing forco during tho
darkest do-humanizing days of
apartheid, they should look no
further than tho incredible
Mahlathini and the Mahotella
Queons."
Tickets aro $15. $12.50 and
$10 at tho EMU Main Desk with
limited student and senior dis
counts.
(ovtrlMry photo
Mhlathini and the Mahotella Queens will bring their South African sounds to Eugene's Hull
Center on Saturday night.
</)
o
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