It’s safe to say that kwaito music, which subsequently gave rise to its very unique street culture, has gone to cement itself in South Africa’s vast and rich musical heritage.
Over the last two decades, we were introduced to legends such as the late Mandoza, Mdu Masilela, Mandla Spikiri, Oksido, Lebo Mathosa, Mzekezeke and Mshoza, among the many colourful artists of our time, who each played their significant role in mapping out this illustrious lifestyle that helped communicate the post-apartheid youth, their struggles, needs and wants, while also shaping that era’s pop culture.
It is for that reason that a host of youngsters came out in numbers at the Soweto Theatre this past Thursday, to celebrate its impact and also feed off the history of Kwaito that has been said to not have been documented enough for future generations.
The panel of speakers included Bonginkosi “Zola 7” Dlamini, Zanele “Nestum” Nyakale-Peterson and Makhosini Henry Xaba also known as Joe Nina.
Speaking to Joe Nina, who is gearing up to release his 30th album, he counts himself as one of the pioneers of this genre.
“The idea of kwaito music was another beautiful piece of art, of identifying us. It has a unique identity of us and that told its own story at that time of need.
“When I started, it was me from the township communicating in ghetto style tsotsi taal and saying good things to us so we can be proud and love ourselves as black people.
Reminiscing about its heyday, Nina recalls how Kwaito brought a lot of pride to the youth of that time, especially given that the country was coming out of the dark cloud of apartheid.
“Kwaito became the tool that was was able to restore us back to us, a genre that owned and communicated to us. It revived the culture of amapantsula, and gave the youth something that they can own,” Nina said, describing that era as a very vibrant time in South Africa.
Nina released his first concept album LA Beat in 1991, which was followed by his first Kwaito album in 1992 titled One Time One Vibe, which he said did not catch on.
“But in 1993/94, that is when the sound caught on with various other artists, and started to pick up along with my album Ding Dong in 1995. But it was around 1998 that the energy of kwaito was palpable in the air. You know when you eat, sleep, dream, hear, see and speak kwaito. When every single person carried kwaito one way or another, that’s how you knew that our genre had reached the masses and was shaping pop culture,” he said.
Although he was raised in a musical family, Nina admits that kwaito gave him a unique sense of purpose.
“The history of kwaito and its players is one of the most important and yet undersold.
Fellow panellist Nestum shared how her participation in the music industry, being part of the group Abashante, helped her pay for her family’s house, took her to school and gave her purpose during a time in her life when nothing made sense.
“So beyond just the fame, when you look at what kwaito was able to do, it gave us a life, meaning of who we are and eternal pride. It is a genre that can never really die because of all its fruits that it birthed. Today I am a radio presenter because kwaito gave me a voice. There are so many beautiful stories about kwaito that have not been told.”
To close off the kwaito-filled day, legendary acts such as Thebe, Trompies, Mdu Masilela and Joe Nina graced the stage to give their diehard fans a kwait’orgasm with old school sounds that have become rare to find.
So is kwaito dead? A resounding no was the answer. “It has only evolved,” said Nina.