Southern Africa
South Africa · Zimbabwe
Marabi and mbaqanga from Johannesburg’s mining towns, Zulu choral song, the music of the anti-apartheid struggle, Zimbabwe’s chimurenga built on mbira — and in the 2020s, amapiano.
40 recordings, 1958–2026
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1958
Spokes Mashiyane, King Kwela
Pennywhistle player Spokes Mashiyane was spotted by talent scouts while busking in Johannesburg and cut singles such as “Kwela Speaks” and “Ace Blues” in 1954. This 1958 kwela album, first issued on Rave, was reissued by Gallo in 1991.
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1959
Various Artists, King Kong: All African Jazz Opera: Original 1959 Cast
The original-cast album of the “all-African jazz opera” that opened at the Wits Great Hall in Johannesburg in February 1959, with music by Todd Matshikiza, Nathan Mdledle in the title role and Miriam Makeba as Joyce, owner of the Back of the Moon shebeen.
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1960
Miriam Makeba, Miriam Makeba
Miriam Makeba’s 1960 album for RCA Victor, made after Harry Belafonte saw her in the film Come Back, Africa and helped secure the deal. The Belafonte Folk Singers back her on some tracks; the songs include “Mbube” and an early “House of the Rising Sun.”
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1960
The Jazz Epistles, Verse 1
The Jazz Epistles — Dollar Brand (Abdullah Ibrahim), Hugh Masekela, Kippie Moeketsi and Jonas Gwangwa among them — recorded this in Johannesburg shortly before breaking up. It is described as the first album by a black South African band, and only 500 copies were pressed.
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1965
Harry Belafonte & Miriam Makeba, An Evening with Belafonte/Makeba
Miriam Makeba, in exile from apartheid South Africa, with Harry Belafonte, singing in Zulu, Xhosa and other languages — often cited as the first Grammy won by an African woman.
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1967
Miriam Makeba, Pata Pata
Exiled from South Africa, she worked in the US; “Pata Pata,” born in the Johannesburg townships, became a world hit, and she was a leading voice against apartheid.
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1969
Philip Tabane and His Malombo Jazzman, The Indigenous Afro-Jazz Sounds Of
Guitarist Philip Tabane, with Gabriel “Sonnyboy” Thobejane on cowhide drums and thumb piano. Having learned malombo — the drum-and-dance rites of traditional healers — from his mother, he made a South African sound no jazz label could hold.
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1972
Hugh Masekela, Home Is Where the Music Is
The exiled South African trumpeter recorded this in London with fellow South Africans: township sound and jazz as one.
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1975
WITCH, Lazy Bones!!
The third album by Zambian band WITCH: dark psychedelic rock of wah-wah and fuzz guitars over funk rhythms. It sold 7,000 copies and is generally regarded as their finest work.
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1979
Juluka, Universal Men
The debut of Juluka, the duo of white Johnny Clegg and Zulu Sipho Mchunu: songs of Zulu migrant workers torn between village and city — given almost no South African airplay under apartheid’s segregationist broadcasting rules.
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1984
Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited, Mabasa
The creator of chimurenga, which moved the patterns of the Zimbabwean mbira onto electric guitar; he sang about society from the independence struggle on.
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1986
Abdullah Ibrahim, Water from an Ancient Well
The Cape Town pianist, formerly Dollar Brand, with his exile group Ekaya: South African hymns and marabi dissolved into jazz.
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1986
Paul Simon, Graceland
Begun in Johannesburg with South African musicians, including Ladysmith Black Mambazo, it carried mbaqanga and isicathamiya worldwide — and stirred controversy over the cultural boycott of apartheid.
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1987
Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Shaka Zulu
The leading group of isicathamiya, unaccompanied Zulu choral song. Known worldwide through Paul Simon’s Graceland, they won a Grammy for this album.
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1987
Stella Chiweshe, Ambuya?
The international debut of Stella Chiweshe, the first woman to win international recognition on the mbira, long a men’s instrument in Zimbabwe — recorded in Germany, it carried Shona ritual music to the world.
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1987
Johnny Clegg & Savuka, Third World Child
Johnny Clegg’s new band Savuka included “Asimbonanga” (We have not seen him), for the imprisoned Mandela and others — a huge seller in France and across Europe.
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1987
Bhundu Boys, True Jit
After winning British fans, Zimbabwe’s Bhundu Boys signed to WEA for this record: fast, chiming jit guitar that fused chimurenga rhythm and pop, carrying Shona song abroad.
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1988
Mahlathini & The Mahotella Queens, Thokozile
The deep, growling voice of Mahlathini with the Mahotella Queens’ harmonies — mbaqanga stars since the 1960s.
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1989
Lucky Dube, Prisoner
South Africa’s Lucky Dube spread socially conscious reggae under apartheid and became one of Africa’s best-selling reggae singers.
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1992
Bheki Mseleku, Celebration
South African pianist Bheki Mseleku’s first album under his own name, recorded in two days with Courtney Pine among the players; it was shortlisted for the 1992 Mercury Prize.
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1997
Brenda Fassie, Memeza
One of South Africa’s most beloved singers; this post-apartheid album gave her the huge hit “Vulindlela.”
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1998
Busi Mhlongo, Urbanzulu
Busi Mhlongo reworked maskanda, the Zulu guitar music, with Soul II Soul producer Will Mowat — a record that sat at the top of Billboard’s world music chart for two months.
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1998
TKZee, Halloween
The defining album by TKZee — Tokollo, Kabelo and Zwai. It spawned hits like “Dlala Mapansula,” went platinum, and won four SAMAs including Best Kwaito Album.
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1999
Oliver Mtukudzi, Tuku Music
Zimbabwe’s Oliver Mtukudzi, known for guitar lines that carry the sound of mbira and for songs in Shona.
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2000
Mandoza, Nkalakatha
Soweto’s Mandoza: the title track topped the charts on both traditionally black and white radio stations, and has been called post-apartheid South Africa’s unofficial anthem.
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2004
Thandiswa Mazwai, Zabalaza
The solo debut of Bongo Maffin’s Thandiswa, singing in Xhosa of post-apartheid South Africa’s hope and anger.
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2004
Shiyani Ngcobo, Introducing Shiyani Ngcobo
The only album by maskandi master Shiyani Ngcobo: acoustic Zulu finger-picked guitar and rich vocal harmony, with handclaps, shakers and stamping feet as the only percussion.
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2011
Zahara, Loliwe
The debut of Eastern Cape singer-songwriter Zahara, singing in Xhosa and English with her guitar: platinum within about two weeks and winner of eight South African Music Awards.
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2013
Mafikizolo, Reunited
The male-female duo’s comeback after six years — led by the Zulu-language hit “Khona” — won Album of the Year at the South African Music Awards.
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2016
Shabaka and the Ancestors, Wisdom of Elders
London saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings recorded this in a single day in Johannesburg with the city’s jazz players, Nduduzo Makhathini among them — joining South Africa’s spiritual-jazz lineage to present-day London.
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2016
Babes Wodumo, Gqom Queen, Vol. 1
Durban singer Babes Wodumo’s debut, led by the hit “Wololo” and certified platinum; Mampintsha appears on all 15 tracks.
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2018
Soweto Gospel Choir, Freedom
The Soweto choir’s songs of the anti-apartheid struggle, released in the centenary year of Nelson Mandela’s birth.
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2018
Sho Madjozi, Limpopo Champions League
The debut of Limpopo’s Sho Madjozi, rapping and singing in Xitsonga over gqom and Shangaan electro beats, with the pride and colour of xibelani, the Tsonga women’s dance.
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2019
DJ Maphorisa & Kabza De Small, Scorpion Kings
The first joint album by DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small, led by the single “Koko”; it is credited with helping push amapiano, the house offshoot, into the mainstream.
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2020
Kabza De Small, I Am the King of Amapiano: Sweet & Dust
A sprawling album from a central figure of amapiano, the township dance music that grew out of house, jazz and kwaito.
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2020
Nduduzo Makhathini, Modes of Communication: Letters from the Underworlds
The KwaZulu-Natal pianist’s Blue Note album — conversation with the ancestors and a Zulu spiritual world, voiced through quiet, deep piano jazz.
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2021
Black Coffee, Subconsciously
Durban-born DJ-producer Black Coffee, who carried South African house to the world’s clubs; a Grammy winner.
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2023
Mokoomba, Tusona: Tracings in the Sand
Made by the band from Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, self-produced during the pandemic: songs in Tonga, Luvale, Shona and more, titled after the initiation symbols the Luvale draw in the sand.
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2024
Tyla, TYLA
A Johannesburg singer whose “Water,” joining South African amapiano to R&B, became a worldwide hit.
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2026
vuyo viwe, There Are Mirrors Everywhere
The debut of South African flautist-singer vuyo viwe, who studied jazz at UCT, weaving traditional song and the uhadi bow with jazz and electronics through four seasons.