Mzansi house
Mzansi house, or South African house, is a totally different musical phenomenon to its European cousin. Europe’s first ever Mzansi house compilation has just been released, and the Friday Ripple is celebrating with a 2-hour set of the sound that’s making house music acceptable again.
Let’s face it: modern European house music is the single most conservative form of electronic music, and the one that relies most heavily on drugs to keep its audience interested. Meanwhile in South Africa, house has metamorphosed into something genuinely exciting: Mzansi house, a unique fusion of innovative electro production and complex tribal-industrial beats.
German record label Out Here has just released Ayobaness! The sound of South African House – Europe’s first Mzansi house compilation. Out Here Records is a long-standing Friday Ripple favourite, with releases including Europe’s first Bongo Flava compilation, and the first serious guide to the 21st century urban music scene in Lagos. On Ayobaness they’ve done it again – a perfect introduction to one of modern Africa’s hottest music scenes.
In this week’s set you can hear 8 tracks from Ayobaness, mixed up with 12 other Mzansi house hits. Towards the end of the show, a handful of house-flavoured kwaito tracks creep into the mix, highlighting the long-standing musical crossover between South Africa’s kwaito and house scenes.
Incidentally, Out Here Records has its own soundsystem, Daladala Sounds, and next month they’re coming to the Czech Republic for the first time. Here’s the first of several shout-outs for this event: June 16th, African Disco Night at Chapeau Rouge, Prague 1, with Daladala Sounds headlining. This is going to be Prague’s biggest ever pan-African electronic music night, don’t miss it!
Meantime, check out the Friday Ripple’s Mzansi house special. It’s available for streaming right now on the Radio Wave Jukebox under Friday Ripple > 21.05.2010. The playlist looks like this:
Pastor Mbhobho – Ayobaness (Out Here)
DJ Sbu - Black Child it's Possible (TS)
DJ Sumthyn Black feat. Ntsiki Mazwai – Wena (Out Here)
DJ Mujava - Township Funk (Warp)
DJ Mujava – Mugwanti/Sgwejegweje (Out Here)
DJ Bongz feat. Kelly – Ndigoduse (Emabalabala)
DJ Cleo - I Just Wanna... (Will of Steel)
Aero Manyelo - Mexican Girl (Out Here)
Big Nuz - Newlands West (Afrotainment)
DJ Sbu - Vuvuzela Bafana (TS)
South African All Stars - House Animation (Real Tone)
Kanunu - Underground Shabeen (House Afrika)
Ernie Smith - Get Down On It (Sheer)
L'vovo Derranga – Resista (Out Here)
DJ Cleo - Durban's Dance (Will of Steel)
David Law - Revolutionary House feat. Julius Malema (self-released)
Shana - Iyo'Londaba (Out Here)
Survivor – Stjwetla (Out Here)
Zola - Ghetto Fabulous (house remix) (Ghetto Ruff)
Arthur - Haai Bo (999)
Spikiri – Current (Universal)
DJ Steavy – Kubi (Out Here)
