Kwaito

Kwaito is a music genre that originated from Johannesburg, South Africa in early 1990s. It is based on American house music (aka Garage music) beats, albeit typically at a slower tempo than those usually found in house music, and additionally contains melodious and percussive African samples which are looped, deep bass lines and often vocals. Generally vocals are male and for the most part shouted or chanted rather than sung or rapped. The name Kwaito is derived from the Afrikaans slang word Kwaai, meaning cool or mean.

The lyrics are either in indigenous South African languages or in English, though often several languages are found in the same song. More recently, Kwaito artists like Zola rap their lyrics in a hip-hop style, while others such as BOP and Oskido have sped up their beats and toned down the male chants to create a softer form of Kwaito or african house. Prominent Kwaito artists include Arthur, Zola, Mandoza and Mzekezeke.

History

House music arrived in Cape Town at the beginning of the 1990's at raves like the World Peace Party and in clubs like Eden, Uforia and DV8. This spread North, where in the mid 1990s, Chicago house was becoming a popular genre in Johannesburg clubs, but local artists fused its sound with that of South African music. Arthur Mafokate was the first artist to produce a huge Kwaito hit and popularise it in and outside the black townships with his track Kaffir. However, it is only after 2001 that Kwaito artists and music have found their way to Europe and the US.

As Kwaito becomes increasingly mainstream in South Africa, collaborations, such as that between South African R&B star Danny K and Mandoza, have become more common. Kwaito hits often attract a bit of media attention, as Arthur's August 2005 release "Sika Lekhekhe" (A Zulu phrase meaning literally "Cut the cake" but actually "Have sex with me") did. The song was banned by an SABC radio station and Arthur had to re-shoot the video after several complaints from viewers because it was sexually suggestive. Kwaito band Boom Shaka were widely castigated by the political establishment for their rendition of the national anthem which had a kwaito beat.

External links

• The Kwaito Generation, home page of an in-depth audio documentary (51 minutes, US, 2005).
• MWEB Music, South African Website with Kwaito CD reviews and song clips (Searchable).
• [1], an article written by Harvard student Sharlene Swartz debating the place of kwaito in South Africa and its relationship to Hip hop.