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. 54.95 i iooii-Nik* JUr 06 lwgipm rynnlna 9lt99§ f Nik* Of MMf TW Me mens 6 womens 5 I Mk* Air Tromer SC lo Mens 6 wm*ra 5 I Asics Tiger CT Intensity H mens k womens New lakjnc* CXT 7 70 mens (wide wkjlhsl I I Avia 1162 womens lo ^ Hyka 770 Mid womens (lightweightoootwcl Coming Soon 177.95-5*4.95 590 00-599 95 559 95-5*4 95 579.95 5*4.95 5*9.95