#497: The Indestructible Beat of Soweto (1985)

It seems impossible for my review of this '80s South African music to not be shallow. My only previous acquaintance with music from this continent is a compilation of African-adjacent pop music that my parents owned. I lack the cultural context to understand the translated lyrics. I cannot assess whether whether these songs are good representations of mbaqanga music, or whether they are hollow facsimiles for an ignorant Western audience.  But this album is not wholly inaccessible. The descendants of African slaves in the American South invented jazz, blues, rock and roll, funk and hip hop, and echoes of these different styles can be heard throughout. Afrobeats, a wholly African genre, has also recently emerged on the world stage. And in some ways, not understanding the language can be a sort of advantage. My favourite song was the closer, Nansi Imali, an entirely a cappella song which I can enjoy in the same way as jazz scatting or shape-note singing. Overall, this album is a lens into a world which I have rarely seen before but hope to visit again. 2.9/5.