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Getting to Know These African Women
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World Music Central, Getting to Know These African Women >>
-By Tom Orr
Thandiswa Mazwai has been big in South Africa for a few years as a singer with kwaito band Bongo Maffin. Kwaito, the post-apartheid musical style that straddles traditional and contemporary, is one of the prevailing sounds among the country's younger set. Thandiswa appropriately brings a youthful energy to these songs that carry a distinct R&B/soul/gospel feel alongside the african rhythms that lay the foundation and serve as interludes between tracks. Her voice has the reach and energy of a young Miriam Makeba (an obvious comparison, yes, but it holds true) and she connects whether singing in English or indigenous tongues. For Zabalaza, her solo debut, she auditioned young up-and-coming musicians to provide the instrumental backing, which twists and turns strongly from song to song. Though my favorite cut is the mbaqanga/reggae/Afropop fusion of "Lahl Umlenze," there's enough range and passion here to make the whole album consistently exciting. 03/09/06 >> go there
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