Kwaito

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kwaito dance

Kwaito is the name of a South African music scene or style that emerged in the 1990s and is particularly popular with black youth. The music is based on slowed house beats and chords, plus singing or spoken chanting in isiZulu , Sesotho , Tsotsitaal (or Iscamtho ) or other languages ​​or sociolects . There are also Kwaito musicians in Namibia .

etymology

The origin of the name is not clear: Either it is a combination of Kwaai ( Afrikaans for: being cool , anger or energy ) and To for the townships , or an allusion to the Amakwaitos - gang from the townships southwest of Johannesburg - the later Soweto - in the 1950s.

Origins

The question of the origins and in particular to what extent Kwaito is a form of Hip Hop is controversial. Dancehall / ragga and rhythm and blues are often seen as significant additional influences. Musicians and fans in particular also emphasize the independence of the genre and point to its roots in the Mpantsula , a lifestyle and music style that was formed as early as the 1950s. Similar to hip hop, it was music, dance and lifestyle at the same time and was also heavily influenced by the gangs of the time. Other influences and stylistic devices are: Bubblegum (a variant of Mbaqanga music), Kwela and the South African variant of Gospel music, Isicathamiya .

The two Johannesburg DJs Oskido and Christos played house music slowed down to around 110 bpm . Success led her to found the Kalawa Jazmee Records label . In 1996, President Nelson Mandela ( African National Congress , ANC) criticized some Kwaito texts. After a meeting with Oskido under the auspices of the ANC Youth League , the relationship improved. As a result, Kwaito was increasingly played at ANC rallies.

style

Differentiation from hip hop is an important issue within the Kwaito scene. Typical scene clothes are the Spotti hat (a soft sun hat) and the All Stars shoes: originally made by the US brand Converse , but now often imitated by South African companies. Important media of the radio station, founded in 1997 YFM from Johannesburg , the South African music magazine Rage (German: "Fury") as the scene medium and 1999 emitted to 2004 television series Yizo Yizo who were instrumental in the popular dissemination of the genre.

The basis is usually pre-produced accompanying music to which the piece is performed. Kwaito is characterized as "both stomping, lashing, and restrained and leaning back".

The dances shown at Kwaito are described as openly sexual, women are often depicted as objects. Many texts are about sex, money and violence; they are often misogynistic. At the same time, they are mostly apolitical. Few Kwaito musicians are women.

language

The language of the Kwaito musicians is as diverse as the languages ​​of South Africa. The texts of Mdu or Arthur are for example in English - otherwise uncommon in Kwaito - Afrikaans or isiXhosa . Some of the Kwaito musicians also use the language of their townships, which is a dialect of the language, but difficult to understand for outsiders.

Social background

The music is a symbol of the changes between the apartheid and post-apartheid generations. A prominent example of this is a piece by the Kwaito musician Arthur , published in 1995 , which bears the title Kaffir (German: " Kaffer ") - a South African term for black people that has negative connotations similar to the word nigger . The provocative title together with Don't call me Kaffir! was an expression of the new black self-confidence. Though some radio stations boycotted it, the record became a hit with sales exceeding 150,000. Other characteristics expressing an offensive attitude towards the former apartheid policy: The typical Spotti hat was originally worn primarily in the English sport of cricket , the township slang Tsotsitaal contains numerous characteristics of Afrikaans, which was previously hated by many blacks.

The music was the most popular genre in South Africa around 2010. It is heard primarily by black youth, who are by far the largest group of the population. So far, Kwaito has mainly been black music. White youths are excluded from the scene, among other things, because they almost only speak English or Afrikaans in South Africa. A few years after the turn of the millennium, the first white star of Kwaito, Lekgoa , also developed .

Well-known Kwaito musicians

The most famous Kwaito artists count

Sampler

  • Mzansi Music - Young Urban South Africa , Trikont , songs by Mandoza, Bongo Maffin, Mafikizolo, Zola, Mzekezeke, Brown, Mapaputsi, BOP, Revolution and others

In 2006 three compilations were published that provide a cross-section of the Kwaito:

  • Kwaito Classics Vol. 1 - the Early 90’s (CCP Records, EMI SA)
  • Kwaito Classics Vol. 2 - the Late 90’s (CCP Records, EMI SA)
  • Kwaito (CCP Records, EMI SA)

Examples of style-typical pieces

  • Trompies: Magasman
  • Kabelo: Pantsula 4 Life
  • Mafikizolo: The Journey

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h Sharlene Swartz: Is Kwaito South African Hip Hop? Why the answer matters and who it matters to. (English), accessed June 24, 2017
  2. ↑ Melissa Bradshaw: How Kwaito became a global force. The Guardian, August 11, 2011, accessed June 24, 2017
  3. ↑ The Beat of the Townships.  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. intro.de, accessed on June 24, 2017@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.intro.de  
  4. ↑ Description at thebomb.co.za (English), accessed on June 24, 2017
  5. ↑ Kwaito = Feel Good. Urban Electronic Dance Music from South Africa Telepolis - 1997 report on Kwaito, accessed June 23, 2017