Meadowlands - Strike Vilakazi
Basic Facts
● Composer - Strike Vilakazi
● Year - 1956
● Genre - South African Urban
● Style - Mbaqanga
South African Urban Music
● European and American influences
● Often references racial tensions
● Styles - isicathamiya, kwela, marab, mbaqanga
South African Styles - Isicathamiya
● Year - 1930s
● Meaning - Zulu word “catha” means “walking softly”
● Origin - black men left homelands for work; stayed in hostels
● Reaction to mbube
● Focuses on the harmonious blend of male a cappella voices
● Features choreographed
● Blends Western hymns with indigenous harmonies
● Makes use of call and response often
● Texture - polyphonic, homophonic
South African Styles - Marabi
● Year - 1920s - 1940s
● Origin - black urbanization led to the development of townships
● Dance music played in illegal shebeens
● Features lilting melodies
● Chord Progression - I; IV; Ic; V or I; V; IV; I
● Rhythm - catchy; initially slow and straight; developed into jive
● Production - not usually recorded; homemade instruments
● Usually instrumental
South African Styles - Kwela
● Year - 1940s - 1950s
● A style of township music featuring the pennywhistle
● Often adapted well-known folk songs for pennywhistle
● Meaning - “get up” or “police van”
● Chord progressions - I; IV; Ic; V
● Instrumentation - must include pennywhistle and solo sex; rhythm accompaniment by
(guitar, string bass, drumset)
● Rhythm - features a swung rhythm played by guitar
● Melody - arpeggiated figures and scale passages
Basic Facts
● Composer - Strike Vilakazi
● Year - 1956
● Genre - South African Urban
● Style - Mbaqanga
South African Urban Music
● European and American influences
● Often references racial tensions
● Styles - isicathamiya, kwela, marab, mbaqanga
South African Styles - Isicathamiya
● Year - 1930s
● Meaning - Zulu word “catha” means “walking softly”
● Origin - black men left homelands for work; stayed in hostels
● Reaction to mbube
● Focuses on the harmonious blend of male a cappella voices
● Features choreographed
● Blends Western hymns with indigenous harmonies
● Makes use of call and response often
● Texture - polyphonic, homophonic
South African Styles - Marabi
● Year - 1920s - 1940s
● Origin - black urbanization led to the development of townships
● Dance music played in illegal shebeens
● Features lilting melodies
● Chord Progression - I; IV; Ic; V or I; V; IV; I
● Rhythm - catchy; initially slow and straight; developed into jive
● Production - not usually recorded; homemade instruments
● Usually instrumental
South African Styles - Kwela
● Year - 1940s - 1950s
● A style of township music featuring the pennywhistle
● Often adapted well-known folk songs for pennywhistle
● Meaning - “get up” or “police van”
● Chord progressions - I; IV; Ic; V
● Instrumentation - must include pennywhistle and solo sex; rhythm accompaniment by
(guitar, string bass, drumset)
● Rhythm - features a swung rhythm played by guitar
● Melody - arpeggiated figures and scale passages
