Mbaqanga

Mbaqanga (or township jive) is a South African music style born in the 1960s in Johannesburg. A fusion of kwela, marabi, jazz and traditional Zulu music, mbaqanga is characterized by catchy guitar melodies, powerful saxophones and a dancing rhythm section. The term comes from the Zulu word amabaqanga, meaning “quick cooking”.

Pioneers include Simon ‘Tshwane’ Mokone (The Skylarks), Emanuel Maphuma and his group Mahlaba, as well as the legendary Mahotella Queens and the Mannenberg of The Soul Brothers. The Mbaqanga of Scatterings and the Mahotella Queens are iconic.

Mbaqanga has influenced kwaito, afro house and South African township music in general. Hugh Tracey, the ethnomusicologist, documented the traditional roots of mbaqanga.

References

• Wikipedia — Mbaqanga
• Wikipedia — Township music
• Guide Stern, Ch. 28 (South Africa) and Sweet Mother, Ch. 6