The Mahotella Queens / Best Of The Township Idols / cdRoots

The Mahotella Queens
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The Mahotella Queens
Best Of - The Township Idols (Wrasse)

A 20 track career review of one of the most important of the South African pop groups to emerge in the 70s, and that is still going strong today. These women set the standard for the sound of Soweto, with incredible vocals backed by superb musicians with a rock-solid groove. The tracks cover their earliest work right through to recent, turn-of-the-century hits.

Tracks:
1. Malaika
2. Amabhongo
3. Matsole a Banana (Female Soldiers)
4. jive motella
5. I'm in love with a rastaman
6. Stop Crime
7. Women of The World
8. I'm Not Your Good Time Girl from Women of the World
9. Ifa Lenkosana (Heir To Wealth)
10. Kumnyama Endlini
11. Umculo Kawupheli (No End to Music)
12. Zibuyile Nonyaka (Things have happened this time)
13. Uthuli Lwezichwe (Dance up a dust storm)
14. Mbaqanga
15. Thina Siyakhanyisa (Bringing the Lights)
16. josefa
17. Gazette
18. Senon-nori
19. sebai bai
20. Dilika Town Hall

The Mahotella Queens are part of the legend of the urban South African music that helped create what is known as Mbaquanga. Mbaquanga: a fusion of traditional South African tribal music with Marabi (South African jazz), blues, soul, and gospel.

The Mahotella Queens were established in the 1960’s as a harmony group and were fronted by legendary Simon Nkabindé Mahlathini. The group performed all over southern Africa, becoming the idols of the townships by the end of the sixties.The "Queens" represent the South African township style with absolute perfection and their music started to embody the spirit of the oppressed peoples of the townships and was dubbed the "Indestructible Beat of Soweto".

In 2000, they received the second annual WOMEX Award, presented for outstanding contribution to World Music. At the award ceremony, it was said that "the Mahotella Queens represent so much of what is the best in the music of South Africa: the finely honed art of passionate singing, the latticework of funky rhythms, and the breathtaking art of spectacular live performance."

Most recently, they appeared on the “1 Giant Leap” album to great acclaim and now tour the world extensively.

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