South Africa: Jazz - Musical Crossover

South Africa: Jazz - Musical Crossover

Business Day (Johannesburg)

MUSIC REVIEW
1 November 2007
Posted to the web 1 November 2007

Gwen Ansell
Johannesburg

MANY South African rugby fans still seem inexplicably incapable of even miming the national anthem, but last weekend's victory shenanigans revealed an unexpected fluency in the lyrics of Shosholoza. In the same way, music fans from every community could probably make their way through the chorus of (Let's Go) 50:50 or Doo Be Doo. Musical crossover is opening up fresh opportunities for all kinds of artists -- at least, if their music is heard.

But below the broadcasting waterline a mass of independent "garage" labels is growing, whose products might have similar appeal if they could command similar resources and promotional muscle.

Even a small sample of what's out there reveals its diversity and quality. Take Zwalaka. This trio's album, In This World (Junga Music: 082-875-6557), presents 10 catchy, well-sung tracks in the Afropop mould, with lyrics in languages from Swahili and Tsonga to Zulu, underpinned by some seriously good guitar playing from co-vocalist Wiggzaro. There's sometimes a relentless busyness in the programming, and the lyrics often state the obvious, but Zwalaka is infinitely better than most overseas pastiches of African sounds, while the trance track Spanish Fly is just waiting for some Ibiza DJ to pick it up.

Lyrics are not a problem for Ruff Wan (Victor Hlongwane) on his debut, the rather awkwardly titled Murwa Muthu: D.A.V.I.C (Ibilion Records 083-498-1807). It's hard to pigeonhole this album, but perhaps it deserves its own category, maybe "Nyabinghi hip-hop". For this is tense, hard-core rapping laid over dazzlingly textured samples and beats, and founded on Rastafarian drums and righteous lyrics. Ruff Wan's flows are beautifully timed, his lyrics edgy andrelevant, and there are even allusions to classic '70s dub vocal styling on the track Eye-Opena ("Be wise: condomise"). Much South African hip-hop is US-referenced, and for that reason is sometimes stale; this album feels more akin to Senegal's Positive Black Soul or Brazil's Naçao Zumbi. It is musically fresh and hard-hitting and deserves a far wider airing.

But what is significantly new about this flowering of independent production is the number of jazz artists getting in on the act. Marcus Wyatt, Andile Yenana, Feya Faku and Mervyn Afrika are only a few of the names whose latest output bears their own production imprint. Such artists might in the past have found a home with Sheer Sound or Chissa. The former now seems to be concentrating on its extensive back catalogue and Sheer Dance, while the latter, after a wonderfully promising start, has been silent on new jazz releases for some months.

The latest jazz player to release his own album is veteran Kimberley-born keyboard player Stix Hojeng. Hojeng has played with just about everybody on his home turf, and made a major contribution to the sound of the Afro-jazz group Afrika-O-Ye.

Hojeng's trademark sound includes mellow, swinging improvisation and George Benson-style scatting to his own keyboard solos, and this release, Ko Kasi, has plenty of both. The dozen tracks range from easy, fusion-style noodling to far more solid, groove-led numbers. All are composed by the pianist, and are a mix of live quartet -- with some tasty saxophone from Ayodele Solanke -- and synthesised studio-programmed tracks.

Unlike the other CDs mentioned, Hojeng has received airplay recognition. Ko Kasi tracks topped the June charts on both Kaya-FM and Jozi-FM. Deservedly so, for tunes such as Cheerful Heart and Smooth Jazz (ironically, one of the most textured) display what a good pianist he can be.

But the programmed tracks, as always, lack bite. That's why artists such as Hojeng need studio resources: to give their songs a full band capable of imbuing them with muscle and pattern. And the songs need a skilled lyricist, to translate Hojeng's rather colourless sung prose into words that ring as vividly as the notes. But with radio success now under his belt, Hojeng's initiative could well win him the label interest his music merits. As track 11 urges: Never Quit.

A recent column reviewed Jonathan Shaw's textbook The South African Music Business but incorrectly referred to it as The South African Music Industry. Apologies.