Gumba Fire: Bubblegum Soul & Synth​-​Boogie in 1980s South Africa cover

Gumba Fire: Bubblegum Soul & Synth​-​Boogie in 1980s South Africa

Recorded
1980-1989
Released

With its joyous township harmonies, bright synths and drum-machine rhythms, bubblegum soundtracked a pivotal era for South Africa, and crossed racial devides when the country’s apartheid government was willing to do anything to prevent that. With a selection of 18 tracks chosen by Soundway’s Miles Cleret and DJ Okapi of Afrosynth Records (the heir of afrosynth, the blog dedicated to the discovery of South African bubblegum/disco from the 80s & early 90s),  Gumba Fire: Bubblegum Soul & Synth offers a snapshot of this particular, if fleeting, moment in the evolution of South African dance music. 

Megan Iacobini de Fazio

Recommended by

Suggestions
Remind Me: The Classic Elektra Recordings 1978-1984 cover

Remind Me: The Classic Elektra Recordings 1978-1984

Patrice Rushen
Disco Jazz cover

Disco Jazz

Rupa
Saturday Fever cover

Saturday Fever

Jivaro
Bulky Backside: Blo Is Back cover

Bulky Backside: Blo Is Back

Blo
Club Meduse compiled by Charles Bals cover

Club Meduse compiled by Charles Bals

Various Artists
Peace & Harmony cover

Peace & Harmony

Harry Mosco
P.O.X. Sound cover

P.O.X. Sound

Paolo Ormi e la sua Orchestra
Antoinette Konan cover

Antoinette Konan

Antoinette Konan
Be What You Want To Be cover

Be What You Want To Be

Ernest Ranglin
Steve Weichert cover

Steve Weichert

Steve Weichert
Cosmic Sounds cover

Cosmic Sounds

N'draman Blintch
Prime Choice cover

Prime Choice

Popcorn