Track Listing

1. Mdlwembe - Zola
2. Bhambatha - Zola
3. Zingu 7 - Zola
4. Matofotofo - Pitch Black Afro feat. Bravo
5. Sgubhu Sam - Unathi
6. Munt'Omnyama - Mafikizolo feat. Stoan & Jahseed from Bongo Maffin
7. Palesa - Zola
8. Seven - Zola
9. Ehlala - Zola
10. C.R.A.Z.Y - Ishmael feat. Bongz
11. It¹s Your Life - Zola
12. Woof Woof - Zola
13. Stolen Legs - Mark Kilian and Paul Hepker
14. On The Tracks - Mark Kilian and Paul Hepker
15. Silang Mabele - Vusi Mahlasela
16. Bye Bye Baby - Mark Kilian and Paul Hepker
17. Baby Handover - Mark Kilian and Paul Hepker
18. E Sale Noka - Mark Kilian and Paul Hepker
19. Ghetto Scandalous - Zola

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #42005 in Music
• Released on: 2006-02-14
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Original language: Afrikaans, English, Xhosa, Zulu
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

Amazon.com
As the soundtrack to the Oscar-winning film in the 2006 Foreign-Language category, this album documents a number of performers out of South Africa. The film vividly portrays ghetto life in the Soweto Township. Fittingly, the music featured is often a gritty but danceable style of local hip-hop called kwaito. This emerging form is strong on beats with plenty of rapping and sing-along choruses. Zola, who does nine of the 19 tracks, is a superstar of the genre and is such a standout here that he should be able to parlay his soundtrack appearances into a music career outside his homeland. Highlights are the hard-hitting "Mdlwembe," the dancehall-like "It's Your Life" and the infectious "Ehlala." Of the other performers, Pitch Black Afro gets taste points on "Matofotofo" for sampling Screamin' Jay Hawkins' classic "I Put A Spell On You." There are a few mellower tracks too, but really this is an excellent survey of kwaito music and its brightest star. --Tad Hendrickson

Amazon.com
Adapted from a novel by Athol Fugard, Tsotsi is set in the ghettos of Johannesburg and its soundtrack reflects the movie's "boyz in the (South African) hood" grittiness (Totsi, the lead character's name, translates as "thug"). The majority of the tracks are contributed by Zola, who also plays a supporting part in the film and offers a hard-driving yet melodic take on kwaito, a genre usually referred to as South Africa' answer to hip-hop. Among the non-Zola highlights are Pitch Black Afro' "Matofotofo," which starts off with a sample from Screaming Jay Hawkins's "I Put a Spell on You" before switching to a shuddering bass line. The CD slows down from the driving kwaito pace only when it inserts a score by Paul Hepker and Mark Kilian. Fortunately these tracks are short and serve as a brief respite before Zola comes back in and delivers a harsh final assault. American fans of hip-hop (and American rappers themselves) would be well-advised to check out this disc. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews

This album kicks butt!
Tsotsi - an amazing story of transformation and redemption, and the music is its the movie's soul. I knew just a few minutes into watching the film that I had to have the soundtrack. It rocks hardcore! Buy it!

Just Buy It- You Won't Be Sorry, And You Won't Stop Playing It
A superb soundtrack CD to a great film- One of the best compilation CDs I've ever owned- And I buy a LOT of CDs... Just totally fantastic music- Buy it, and you'll understand why I'm raving... You'll see...

Great music
I just saw the movie. I don't usually like rap or hip hop, but Zola's music for the film combines the best of fat gangster sounds with the best of African folk music. If you like African music, non-minimalist goth industrial, or Bulgarian folk, or Dr Alban, you will love this soundtrack.