AIRE HUGHES
ds: CL
or
W
From the heart oF
the townships
‘Township Funk’ is the irresistibly catchy afro-electro house tune defining the new
underground sound from the Pretorian suburbs
E
lvis is alive and well. Elvis in the South African administrative disco-fried ‘AfrikanZ on MarZ Mix’ from Unlike Kwaito (South African house), this
Maswanganyi, that is, aka capital of Pretoria. Ashley Beedle, with Warp putting it out new underground house sound is
South African house music “It’s the new underground house sound in for the rest of the world. And now there’s apolitical, flicking a fast finger at the
producer Mujava and the man South Africa, which is faster and more a fresh remix package via This Is Music, social and political problems of South
behind brutally fresh, underground, rhythmic than Kwaito, with an electro including a jazzy, airy, nu-disco re-work Africa and focussing solely on parties and
afro-electro house tune ‘Township Funk’. sound. I get a lot of competition with from Crazy P that conjures up hazy images the dancefloor.
The track is raw and deadly, an electro people imitating my sound here in South of 2am at the Paradise Garage, circa 1983.
booty-house tune with deliciously wonky Africa. Artists like Bujo Mujo, DJ Cleo, BOP Mujava made his first tune aged 12, using
synth lines and fierce African flavours. It and DJ Oskibo, they all try to make music Chameleon Quality a Pentium II computer bought with his
comes with its own dance too; a low like me. That’s why I had to come up with Since This Is Music first got hold of older brother’s 21st birthday money.
bouncing, fresh take on body-popping ‘Township Funk’ — to show them I’m the ‘Township Funk’ back in March this year, “When I was growing up I listened to
called ‘mapantsula’, with fluid funk moves best.” there have been whispers about its Kwaito music, hip-hop and rap,” says
perfectly executed to low-slung 4/4 hugeness. Catchier than Samim’s ‘Heater’, Mujava. “But I can’t rap. I can’t do Kwaito.
house beats. Mujava actually created ‘Township Funk’ it’s got that chameleon quality which This kind of house music is what I do.”
And the video, directed by Mujava back in 2006, but since its appearance on means it fits into any set with the ease of Pre-teen, Mujava was inspired to make
himself, is already cult viewing in the UK, Youtube the bug has spread. Trevor Mr Oizo’s ‘Flat Beat’ and Timo Maas’s mix music when he first heard Masters At
the US and all over, with hundreds of Jackson spent a year trying to get hold of of Azzido Da Bass’s ‘Dooms Night’. Work’s ‘Tribal Blood’ at one of the street
thousands of hits on
Youtube.com and a copy, eventually resorting to “playing a It is the signature tune of the new parties in his township.
airplay on every single TV music channel shitting rip” he had to burn off the web. post-apartheid South African youth music “I loved deep house and more soulful r&b
in South Africa. It features Mujava and Other avid ‘Township Funk’ fans include movement. It’s the most exciting thing to but when I heard that track with conga
friends dancing to ‘Township Funk’ in a Sinden, Hot Chip, Judge Jules, Diplo, Rob happen to house music this decade, and yorubo drums in it, I knew I was
sun-baked car lot, framed by dilapidated Da Bank, Tongy and Erol Alkan, all of putting a much needed, fresh injection of hooked to that more rhythmic sound,”
high-rises, busting moves like Jacko and whom were gagging to grab one of the funk and undiluted, raw spirit into the says Mujava. “This is the music I like.
kicking up dust in cut-off denims and 200 limited edition versions of the tune genre. Just recently Zane Lowe called it Music that makes you dance and sweat.”
battered, no-name sneakers. back in April through This Is Music his ‘tune of the year’.
“The music I make is called ‘sgubhu sa Records. The beauty of the track lies in its innate Just eight-years-old, Mujava was drawn to
Pritori,’” says 23-year-old Mujava, It finally had a full UK release on This Is killer quality. The record shoots from the local street parties where he’d dance in
speaking from his home in Atteridgeville, Music in September, including a corking, hip, heading straight for the jugular. the dust and heat, in dirt-track streets
146
www.djmag.com
DJ467.Kwaito.indd 146 16/10/08 10:16:19
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212 |
Page 213 |
Page 214 |
Page 215 |
Page 216 |
Page 217 |
Page 218 |
Page 219 |
Page 220 |
Page 221 |
Page 222 |
Page 223 |
Page 224 |
Page 225 |
Page 226 |
Page 227 |
Page 228 |
Page 229 |
Page 230 |
Page 231 |
Page 232 |
Page 233 |
Page 234 |
Page 235 |
Page 236 |
Page 237 |
Page 238 |
Page 239 |
Page 240 |
Page 241 |
Page 242 |
Page 243 |
Page 244 |
Page 245 |
Page 246 |
Page 247 |
Page 248 |
Page 249 |
Page 250 |
Page 251 |
Page 252 |
Page 253 |
Page 254 |
Page 255 |
Page 256 |
Page 257 |
Page 258 |
Page 259