RARE AFRICAN KWELA 78 BLACK MAMBAZO - "MATSHUTSHU" EX+
£
24
$
31
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Description
A REALLY EXCELLENT COPY OF THIS ULTRA RARE KWELA 78 ON THE UK COLUMBIA LABEL
BLAC MAMBAZO
MATSHUTSHU b/w FUZZY NIGHT
On the evening of Saturday 17th March 1958, the British independent television channel ATV, broadcast the first of a series of six new plays by Wolf Mankowitz, entitled The Killing Stones. The plays were set in South Africa, and to add local colour, the series used a tune by a group of African musicians by the name of Elias and the Zig Zag Jive Flutes, entitled Tom Hark. Unexpectedly, the record of this tune, (Columbia DB 4109 Tom Hark / Ry Ry), became a best seller, staying in the UK charts for 14 weeks, and reaching No.2. It was unexpected because this type of music was previously more or less unknown in the UK, although kwela or tin whistle jive was increasingly popular in South Africa at this time. Tom Hark stands, even now, as one of the very few records of authentic vernacular music to penetrate so high into the UK charts.
The UK record industry of the time, though, scented the possibility of another trend. No doubt at this early date, many in the business still felt that rock 'n' roll was no more than a passing phase, and were on the look out for what was going to replace it in the hearts of the record-buying public. Spurred on by Tom Hark's success, most other companies had a go with some kwela. Columbia tried another by Elias and the Zig Zag Jive Flutes Zeph Boogie / Vuka Magcabeni (Columbia DB 4146) and one by Black Mambazo, the original group, from which the famous Ladysmith group took its name. One of the most popular kwela groups in South Africa in the 1950s, Matshutshu / Fuzzy Night (Columbia DB4135) was, of course, their only UK issue, as it failed to follow the success of Tom Hark. Decca used Little Lemmy and Big Joe's Kwela No.5 / Little Lemmy Kwela (Decca F11054). Setting the kwela whistle of the teenage Lemmy 'Special' Mabaso against a smooth alto sax, makes this jazzier in flavour than the Zig Zags. The now long defunct Oriole label tried Spokes Mashiyane's Jika Spokes / The Boys of Jo'burg (Oriole 1441). This features some fine relaxed, bluesy solo whistle playing by one of the kwela greats, with sparse rhythm accompaniment, from Ben Nkosi on side one and France Pilane on side two. The label of this record features the description 'Kwela Penny Whistle Jive' in larger type and a more prominent position than the names of the artists, which tells us a lot about the attitude of the record company. Finally, HMV's attempt to get in on the kwela act featured Alexander Shamber's Boys on Dintho / Holom Toe HMV POP496. Alexander Shamba (usual spelling) was a popular kwela artist back in South Africa. All of these attempts to ride the momentum of a new trend were to fail, and while Tom Hark turns up regularly in oldies shops and car boot sales, the rest of these records are now very rare!!
This Black Mambazo record sometimes turns up on a 45 but I have never seen a 78 of it before!!
RARE AS HEN'S TEETH!
DISC DETAILS:
UK COLUMBIA DB 4135 10" 78rpm SHELLAC (1958)
MATSHUTSHU / FUZZY NIGHT
CONDITION - EX+
THIS IS A MEGA RARE UK ISSUE OF A SOUTH AFRICAN KWELA GROUP
DON'T MISS IT
BID NOW!!
IF THE RECORD DOES NOT MEET THE £50 RESERVE I WILL KEEP IT IN MY DJ SET BOX! IT'S QUALITY!
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