Ku Hluvukile eka ‘Zete’: Recovering history and heritage through the influence of Xitsonga disco muso, Obed Ngobeni

This article explores the influence of the musician Obed Ngobeni (1954–2002) and his backing singers the Kurhula Sisters. It catalogues his significance as a pioneer of Xitsonga disco that helped shape South Africa’s ‘township bubblegum’ sound of the ’80s. The author argues that Ngobeni defied apart...

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Autor principal:	Vonani F. Bila
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	AF EN NL
Publicado:	AOSIS 2021
Materias:	obed ngobeni ku hluvukile eka ‘zete’ xitsonga disco resistance zz2 tomato farms people’s consciousness paradise in gazankulu conditions on farms The Bible BS1-2970 Practical Theology BV1-5099
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/b847463a97d94cee8ba1f95abcc403e6
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id	oai:doaj.org-article:b847463a97d94cee8ba1f95abcc403e6
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:b847463a97d94cee8ba1f95abcc403e62021-11-24T07:40:40ZKu Hluvukile eka ‘Zete’: Recovering history and heritage through the influence of Xitsonga disco muso, Obed Ngobeni0259-94222072-805010.4102/hts.v77i2.6806https://doaj.org/article/b847463a97d94cee8ba1f95abcc403e62021-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/6806https://doaj.org/toc/0259-9422https://doaj.org/toc/2072-8050This article explores the influence of the musician Obed Ngobeni (1954–2002) and his backing singers the Kurhula Sisters. It catalogues his significance as a pioneer of Xitsonga disco that helped shape South Africa’s ‘township bubblegum’ sound of the ’80s. The author argues that Ngobeni defied apartheid’s social engineering in an attempt to foster and affirm African cultural values. This form of resistance is exemplified by the influential 1983 track Ku Hluvukile eka ‘Zete’ (There is Progress at ZZ2), later entitled Kazet which has become a recognisable classic and anthem. Veteran musicians such as Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens, Harry Belafonte and several deejays have recorded versions of Kazet and toured the world, thus extending its reach beyond racial and ethnic confines – placing it on the continent and world music circuit. Ngobeni’s music serves as an example of excellence emanating from the so-called backward and ‘unbookish’ pockets of our country. Hence, the author argues that music on the periphery is central in shaping critical perspectives, cultural affirmation and conscientising people around the issues of labour exploitation, cultural and historical marginalisation. Through the song Ku Hluvukile eka ‘Zete’, Ngobeni reimagined a new, humane and egalitarian society way back in the ’80s before the advent of liberation and democracy in South Africa. Through oral testimonies and interviews of men and women who worked on the ZZ2 farms as well as musical archives and other phenomenological approaches, the story of Ngobeni is revealed with sensitivity to the factors that foregrounded his music. Contribution: This article records, preserves, popularises and studies the role of resistance music through Ngobeni’s song Ku Hluvukile eka ‘Zete’ within the multidisciplinary fields of social sciences, using, in the main, oral history techniques to document the untold rural story of an unheralded artist.Vonani F. BilaAOSISarticleobed ngobeniku hluvukile eka ‘zete’xitsonga discoresistancezz2 tomato farmspeople’s consciousnessparadise in gazankuluconditions on farmsThe BibleBS1-2970Practical TheologyBV1-5099AFENNLHTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies , Vol 77, Iss 2, Pp e1-e11 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	AF EN NL
topic	obed ngobeni ku hluvukile eka ‘zete’ xitsonga disco resistance zz2 tomato farms people’s consciousness paradise in gazankulu conditions on farms The Bible BS1-2970 Practical Theology BV1-5099
spellingShingle	obed ngobeni ku hluvukile eka ‘zete’ xitsonga disco resistance zz2 tomato farms people’s consciousness paradise in gazankulu conditions on farms The Bible BS1-2970 Practical Theology BV1-5099 Vonani F. Bila Ku Hluvukile eka ‘Zete’: Recovering history and heritage through the influence of Xitsonga disco muso, Obed Ngobeni
description	This article explores the influence of the musician Obed Ngobeni (1954–2002) and his backing singers the Kurhula Sisters. It catalogues his significance as a pioneer of Xitsonga disco that helped shape South Africa’s ‘township bubblegum’ sound of the ’80s. The author argues that Ngobeni defied apartheid’s social engineering in an attempt to foster and affirm African cultural values. This form of resistance is exemplified by the influential 1983 track Ku Hluvukile eka ‘Zete’ (There is Progress at ZZ2), later entitled Kazet which has become a recognisable classic and anthem. Veteran musicians such as Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens, Harry Belafonte and several deejays have recorded versions of Kazet and toured the world, thus extending its reach beyond racial and ethnic confines – placing it on the continent and world music circuit. Ngobeni’s music serves as an example of excellence emanating from the so-called backward and ‘unbookish’ pockets of our country. Hence, the author argues that music on the periphery is central in shaping critical perspectives, cultural affirmation and conscientising people around the issues of labour exploitation, cultural and historical marginalisation. Through the song Ku Hluvukile eka ‘Zete’, Ngobeni reimagined a new, humane and egalitarian society way back in the ’80s before the advent of liberation and democracy in South Africa. Through oral testimonies and interviews of men and women who worked on the ZZ2 farms as well as musical archives and other phenomenological approaches, the story of Ngobeni is revealed with sensitivity to the factors that foregrounded his music. Contribution: This article records, preserves, popularises and studies the role of resistance music through Ngobeni’s song Ku Hluvukile eka ‘Zete’ within the multidisciplinary fields of social sciences, using, in the main, oral history techniques to document the untold rural story of an unheralded artist.
format	article
author	Vonani F. Bila
author_facet	Vonani F. Bila
author_sort	Vonani F. Bila
title	Ku Hluvukile eka ‘Zete’: Recovering history and heritage through the influence of Xitsonga disco muso, Obed Ngobeni
title_short	Ku Hluvukile eka ‘Zete’: Recovering history and heritage through the influence of Xitsonga disco muso, Obed Ngobeni
title_full	Ku Hluvukile eka ‘Zete’: Recovering history and heritage through the influence of Xitsonga disco muso, Obed Ngobeni
title_fullStr	Ku Hluvukile eka ‘Zete’: Recovering history and heritage through the influence of Xitsonga disco muso, Obed Ngobeni
title_full_unstemmed	Ku Hluvukile eka ‘Zete’: Recovering history and heritage through the influence of Xitsonga disco muso, Obed Ngobeni
title_sort	ku hluvukile eka ‘zete’: recovering history and heritage through the influence of xitsonga disco muso, obed ngobeni
publisher	AOSIS
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/b847463a97d94cee8ba1f95abcc403e6
work_keys_str_mv	AT vonanifbila kuhluvukileekazeterecoveringhistoryandheritagethroughtheinfluenceofxitsongadiscomusoobedngobeni
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Ku Hluvukile eka ‘Zete’: Recovering history and heritage through the influence of Xitsonga disco muso, Obed Ngobeni

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