ALL ARTISTSAfrica > South Africa > Spoek Mathambo
// Spoek Mathambo
© D.R.
Mshini Wam
“Spoek Mathambo is a slippery post-Apartheid glam-rap prince from Soweto who is descended from distant African royalty, or Jewish, or both.” So proclaims the MySpace page of the latest signing to BBE and one of many South African artists breaking down the stereotypes of modern day township culture. Whether dropping electro glam pop nuggets as a member of Sweat X and Playdoe, or through one of his mashed up mixes that have spread his name across the internet, Nthato Mokgata (to give him his clan name) has been drinking in global dance influences (from Miami bass to avant hip hop and South African kwaito) and spitting them out in what he has called “future primitivism”. Pairing multicoloured Nikes with animal print scarves and dropping dirty beats around Zulu rhymes Spoek symbolises the ancient to modern ritualism bringing Soweto to life. Imagine LCD Soundsystem taking a trip down to Durban to hang out with kwaito giants Big Nuz and DJ Tira and you’re getting near the menacing electronic funk of ‘Don’t Be Scared’, the track that opens Mishini Wam. On an LP that lives up to the hype and crosses from neo soul to booty bass and mixes up everything in between, standouts include the leftfield pop of ‘Don’t Mean To Be Rude’ and a twisted electro version of Joy Division’s ‘She’s Lost Control’. With the likes of Dirty Paraffin and Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness coming through with equally genre defying blasts of progressive township funk it’s an exciting time for Soweto’s alternative arts scene.
Spoek Mathambo – Mshini Wam
is out 30 august 2010 on BBE
Andy Thomas
// ALSO
- 80s World Music Classics
- Sound System Scratch
- People & Things
- Joe Bataan & James Pants live at Cargo 11 June plus dates in Leeds and Birmingham
- Quantic and his Combo Barbaro album launch tour starts Friday 5 June at the ICA
- Ayobaness!, The Sound of South African House
- Next Stop Soweto, The sound of change
- DJ /Rupture Chart, DJ /Rupture Chart
- Titi Robin: on the crimes of a state
// ALL SPOEK MATHAMBO'S REVIEWS
Mshini Wam
26/08/2010
// DISCOGRAPHY
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Mshini Wam (Album)// LINKS
RELATED ARTISTS
>> Hugh Masekela
>> Bongo Maffin
>> Freshlyground
>> Miriam Makeba
>> Lutherie Urbaine
REPORTS
// CONTACT
Spoek Mathambo's Website// POST A COMMENT
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