Kwela

Style de musique township sud-africaine au penny whistle

Kwela

The kwela is a South African township music style born in the 1950s, characterized by an upbeat 2/4 rhythm played primarily on the penny whistle (flute with a beak), guitar, and percussion. The name kwela would come from Zulu meaning “climb on top” (to get on a bus). Kwela is an urban dance music from the Durban and Johannesburg townships.

The most famous kwela group is Spokes Mashiyane (the father of kwela) and the orchestra of Eugene Marais, nicknamed “the king of kwela”. The style was popularized internationally by Benny Krug (South Africa, exiled in France) and Samuel Mlangeni. Kwela evolved directly into the mbaqanga and still influences amapiano.

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