South Africa's rhythm - the popular music of South Africa is popular in the US also

American Visions, Dec-Jan, 1997 by Michael Gaitor

As recently as a decade ago, few of us had heard much of the music of Africa. Yes, there were the occasional songs that made the American pop charts through the years, mainly as novelties--songs like the Tokens' "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and Miriam Makeba's "Pate Pata." Nigeria's Fela Anikulapo Kuti (Arts Scene, October/ November 1997) had a small following in the United States. By and large, however, African music received little notice here. Today, the music coming out of South Africa alone, from such artists as Rebecca, the Soweto String Quartet and Letta Mbulu, commands considerable attention.

The scene changed drastically in 1986, when England's Peter Gabriel (of art-rock group Genesis fame) released his So album. One of the album's cuts, "In Your Eyes," introduced us to Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour, whose band opened the show on Gabriel's So tour. N'Dour, already a huge star in his homeland, immediately became popular in Britain and the United States.

The Senegalese singer's popularity--and that of African music generally--accelerated in the United States when singer Paul Simon included N'Dour and South African musicians and influences on his Graceland album. Also released in 1986, Graceland brought Ladysmith Black Mambazo to international prominence. Two years later, continued interest and the political climate of the times helped ensure the success of the Broadway play (and later film, starring Whoopi Goldberg) Sarafina! about the 1976 Soweto uprising against apartheid.

Graceland and Sarafina! constituted our first large-scale exposure to the South African sound. One of the music's hallmarks was its large choral arrangements (similar to gospel singing in the black church); another was its rhythmic element, which could be both different from and much more complex than that of our rhythm and blues and rock. Based on four beats, with accents on the downbeats (beats one and three), its novelty seized our attention. (We were used to clapping on the upbeats--two and four.)

African music also commonly employs polyrhythms, with some musicians playing in three and six beats while their colleagues in the band simultaneously play in four beats? creating a dense rhythmic texture that can be difficult to follow. This, too, was unfamiliar--and hence fascinating--to us.

While we were absorbing Africa's musical resources, Africa was also listening to America and Britain, expanding its music to meld synthesizers and samplers--to say nothing of rhythrm and blues, gospel, rock and rap influences--with their traditional instruments, such as koras (guitar-like string instruments), mbiras (thumb pianos), and tame and djembe drums. Like any marriage of traditions and innovations, a creative tension ensued, with artists seeking a balance between the old and the new, the indigenous and the foreign.

Three recent CD releases by South African artists highlight differing approaches to this balancing act. Singer Rebecca's Uzube Nam [CCP Record Company, CDFLY(WL)564] is in many ways the most "traditional" of the three offerings. Most of her songs have the familiar sound of South African music, like that of Sarafina!; other songs exhibit gospel and even country influences. "Nginikela Kuwe" has a rhythm and blues ballad feel, complete with synthesizer bass.

There are 10 selections on this CD, only one of which is sung in English, and most are slow-to-mid-tempo ballads with "big" choruses. Sadly, there is a lack of African percussion or other instrumentation and of the rhythmic detail that can be so intoxicating. In fact, much of the time the drums sound like samples and sequenced patterns playing simple parts.

Regardless of this distraction, the sing-along quality of these songs grows on you. (An attempt to appeal to western audiences?) While the music could use more bite, the singing and the songs are pleasant to the ear and may well win you over with their easy-listening style.

The Soweto String Quartet is full of surprises. Its configuration--two violins, viola and cello, most often associated with European art music-- is not what normally comes to mind when one thinks of African music. Yet those are the instruments the musicians in this group, all of whom are black South Africans, play.

The quartet's second album, Renaissance [BMG/Colossal Records CDBSP(WF)7009], largely features the South African sound, but encompasses many other styles as well, often simultaneously within a piece. Some of the textures are traditional; others have a more modern African feel. There are elements of "classical" music and sections that sound like "smooth jazz" and "fusion" music. The group makes use of traditional African melodies woven into the arrangements of its original pieces.

There's even a song, "Weeping," that ironically sounds like Peter Gabriel's Africa-influenced rock. (Coincidentally, the quartet does versions of both "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"--called "Imbube"--and "Pate Pata" on this album.)

Underpinning all of this diversity is the use of African percussion and rhythms that serve as a unifying factor on the album. Though this mixture produces a somewhat homogenized, commercial sound, the Soweto String Quartet achieves its stated goal: to "cross all language, cultural and musical barriers." Renaissance is an interesting and, in places, challenging work.