The Christian Science Monitor quotes Richard Mwamba, a South African radio DJ, in a story on the popularity of the pop band Freshly Ground:
… The fact that the lead singer of Freshlyground, Zolani Mahola, is black “shows that society now accepts blacks in position of leadership, in terms of culture.”
Huh? I hope Mwamba was misquoted since the majority of South Africans don’t share those feelings about black leadership. According to article, Mahola, by the way, is ‘… often credited with “teaching white people how to dance.“
(On the band itself, they’re both a talent — won a MTV Europe Award — and a gimmick — on the latter think Johnny Clegg and Mango Groove.)
Full story here.
You will probably remember Peter Cohen from Bright Blue, whose Weeping has been turned into an operatic monstrosity by Josh Groban.
“Weeping.” Basil Coetzee on horns. Have you seen the video? Shot somewhere on the flats or in one of Joburg’s townships (given that they recorded the song there). Now that was a song. I’ve been trying to find the original version on the web to no avail.
There is the official Weeping web site – http://www.weeping.info/index.html – maintained by the songwriter (who happens to live on the UWS). You can also buy a ‘best of’ compilation from the SA online stores.