South African Music Sucks?

I was never, what you would call, patriotic. I knew that Cape Town was one of the most beautiful cities in the word; but I’d never been a flag waving, national anthem singing, Protea sniffing, rah-rah South Africa cheerleader! That all changed rather swiftly when I moved to London…

I lived in Wimbledon (fontein) with my fellow antipodean travelers for two years. During which time I probably listened to more South African music than in the previous 20 or so combined. I became obsessed with it! I googled upcoming SA music festivals, friends were requested to send new Homegrown CD’s and I was moshing along to Springbok Nude Girls when they played at the Shepard’s Bush Empire. I was truly a woman possessed!

I find it hard to believe that anyone can say South African music sucks and mean it. There are so many different styles, enough to suit any mood you may be in or preference you may have. Since we have such an inspiring variety of cultures, each invariably ends up influencing another’s music. This makes it possible for a single track to contain hints of jazz, rock, metal and reggae while being sung in Xhosa… with an English chorus… as well as a hint of Afrikaans thrown in there for good measure!

What started with a pennywhistle and a choir has managed to evolve and flourish into the exceedingly diverse, highly successful and internationally recognized South African music scene we have today. People are no longer buying local albums to be Proudly South African; we’re buying them for a far more selfish reason: We like them! The Brits can keep their muddy Glastonbury festival, I’m going to have a jol and catch a tan at Rocking the Daisies!

Rah-rah!