Track Listing

1. Malaika
2. Amabhongo
3. Matsole a Banana (Female Soldiers)
4. Jive Motella
5. I'm in Love With a Rastaman
6. Stop Crime
7. Women of the World
8. I'm Not Your Good Time Girl
9. Ifa Lenkosana [Heir to Wealth]
10. Kumnyama Endlini [It's Dark in the House]
11. Umculo Kawupheli (No End to Music)
12. Zibuyile Nonyaka (Things Have Happened This Time)
13. Uthuli Lwezichwe (Dance Up a Dust Storm)
14. Mbaqanga
15. Thina Siyakhanyisa (Bringing the Lights)
16. Josefa
17. Gazette
18. Senon-Nori (Porcupine!)
19. Sebai- Bai (Spinster)
20. Dilika Town Hall

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #170611 in Music
• Released on: 2003-05-06
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Album Description
The Mahotella Queens are indeed musical royalty, not only in their native South Africa, where they helped to create on of the nation's fundamental sounds, but also around the world, where they have done about a much as anyone in the past 15 years to popularize African music. 20 track best of! Wrasse. 2003.

Customer Reviews

South African musical royalty
Simon Mahlatini and the Mahotella Queens started making music in the 1960s and in the next decade they became one of South Africa's most popular groups. The Queens recorded on their own and with Mahlatini whose gravely voice serves as the perfect counterpoint to their exuberant vocal harmonies. This style of music is called Mbaqanga, a rhythmic dance-friendly style of pop. They sing about the style on the catchy track with that title which is one of my favorites. Other great hits include Malaika, the lilting Jive Motella with its rousing vocals, Rastaman with its reggae influence, Thina Siyakhanyisa, Josefa and Dilika Town Hall. There is plenty of variety within their township pop style. With their huge recorded output, this Best Of compilation only scratches the surface but it does contain a number of their greatest evergreen hits. The tunes are catchy, the harmonies exquisite and the interplay between Mahlatini's deep voice and the Queens' high register makes for marvelous dramatic tension. This music is guaranteed to make you happy! I also recommend their albums Thokozile and Mbaqanga, both classic works that are packed with great songs.

Fantastic Ladies
For anyone not familiar with the Mahotella Queens, do yourself a favor and check out this terrific cd, better yet, if you ever have a chance, see them live, it'll blow you away.
The CD has a very contemporary, danceable sound, and it is easy to see where Motown has its roots when listening to this.
The expectation that this cd may sound foreign, like some of the World Music genre cds, is wrong, these songs fit right into a comfortable groove with any contemporary American R&B.
This cd does not have a disappointing song on it, and I find myself listening to it often, because it suits almost any mood.
It is happy, danceable, beautifully made music which I cannot imagine anyone not falling in love with.