The Kings and Queens of Township Jive: Modern Roots of the Indestructible Beat of Soweto

It’s interesting to wonder how many people in the USA would ever have been introduced to mbaqanga (a.k.a. township jive) if it hadn’t been for Paul Simon’s willingness to defy the United Nations’ cultural boycott of South Africa and record Graceland in Johannesburg with a bunch of black artists – a decision that got him in quite a bit of political trouble but also resulted in his biggest-selling solo album and brought some great African musicians to international acclaim. This compilation was one result of that phenomenon; it pulls together some fantastic recordings from the 1960s and 1970s by the likes of the Mahotella Queens, the Soul Brothers, and the great saxophonist and bandleader West Nkosi, and presents a nicely varied array of township substyles, from the “groaner” vocals of Mahlathini to Nkosi’s joyful saxophone jive. This album is an outstanding introduction to an important genre and a great place to start your exploration of South African pop music.