IZINKANYAMBA - Uqondeni (1988)

CCP/EMI, YELP(O)4063801
Producer: SM Khoza
Engineer: Graham Handley
Recorded at: Sweet Sixteen


Classy mbaqanga driven alternatively by potent synths and timeless saxophones reminiscent of the old days of marabi and sax jive. The group seemingly took its name from the Inkanyamba, a mythical serpent said to lurk inside a waterfall in rural Kwazulu or the nearby Eastern Cape. Their music is a little less ominous though - slick, upbeat Zulu grooves. Tracks include 'Nineteen Eighty Nine' and 'Phansi Imikhonto' (Down Spears).