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LINER NOTESFolks, look no further, here it is – a smash album with all the high-octane sound and action – RUFARO – and it took three very talented Black lads from Soweto to make it. For years now they have trudged the grimy streets of Black townships in battered shoes and weatherbeaten hats in a constant search for original ideas in music. Not only that, but they have rallied for music that is relevant and directive. Selby Ntuli, Sipho Mabuse and also Alec Khaoli went to school and grew up together, all the time mobilising a sound of their own. A few months ago, the boys, under the name Beaters undertook a pilgrimage to Rhodesia, armed with what was a valuable merchandise to them. In a land they were not known, they soon endeared themselves to thousands of Zimbabweans. The group drew some inspiration in that land. They came back home and called themselves Harari and their first album took the same title. Many people must have thought the success or that album was a mere spasm or sudden energy which, would soon die out. But folks, here is a whole continent of talent on wax in RUFARO, a surprisingly high-powered follow-up. RUFARO, which means happiness in Shona language, goes back to where Harari comes from – the Zimbabwe ruins. Assisted by Themba Mokoena on lead guitar, the trio has amassed all African sounds conceivable. After a few moments of listening to those feel-good vibes of Afro-rock spiced with some get-down boogie woogie space jabs, you will melt perceptibly under the natural excitement that the lads exude. It takes a few seconds of yielding to those lurching, lolloping guitar’n-horns introduction of the title track “Rufaro” to fall in love with the album. The piece is a heavy, brassy offering with throaty vocal gymnastics by Selby, Sipho and Alec. Some real hot wax is hitting town! From the hands of veteran engineers Peter Ceronio and Paul Wright, with special insight on African traditional sounds, this Gallo studios production has dipped deep into the spring of new creation. The album even includes another unexploited avenue of African music – “Mohobelo wa basotho.” The works vibrate with percussion in toto, conga drumming and some breath-taking wailing of flutes and pennywhistles. “O ya kae,” another super track after “Rufaro,” takes you right into the depth of the weird jungle. This ditty takes the hard-core Blackman, proud and dignified on a whirlwind journey back home where his musical roots arc. “Mohobelo,” Sotho folk music, is dressed up with criss-cross Afro-rock rhythms. There is some hustling dancebeat instrumentation featuring an azonic synthesizer and guitar, propelled by hissing, flying cymbals. RUFARO could not have come at a more fortunate time. The album is sure to make the Harari lads emerge as messiahs restoring national pride in a shattered heritage. And of course the VIP behind it all, producer Rashid Vally sums it all up: “This is one of the best albums I have handled yet.” VUSI KHUMALO (The World music critic) Produced by Rashid Vally, Independant Records, P.O. Box 3379, Johannesburg. Recorded at Gallo Studios. Recording engineer: Peter Ceronio Also available on cassette GC 1874 and cartridge GE 1874 |
HARARI
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NOTESMax Mojapelo in his book Beyond Memory has the original line up of The Beaters as Selby Ntuli, Sipho Mabuse, Alec 'Om' Khaoli and Monty 'Saitana' Ndimande (on second guitar). The group came together in 1968 while still high school students in Soweto. Following a very successful tour of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in 1974 the group composed Harari, a song named for—then Salisbury's township and later future capital of Zimbabwe—Harare. They featured the track on what was probably their fourth album Harari, issued on Rashid Vally's As-Shams (The Sun, GL 1814) label in 1975. Mojapelo has the date of their Rhodesian tour as 1976, though Vally's notes on the LP mention that the tour took place "last year" and the LP was issued in 1975, making the tour date around 1974. In an article in the Mail & Guardian, Sipho Mabuse has the date as 1973. After the album went double gold, fans began calling the group Harari and subsequently they continued future recordings under that name. In the liner notes to Rufaro, Vusi Khumalo refers to the Harari album as their first, and Rufaro as their second. Though technically Rufaro is their first album under the new band name. They would go on to record another nine hit albums throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s. After Selby Ntuli's death in 1978, Mabuse took over leadership of the group and they continued recording until the group disbanded in 1982. Mabuse began an especially successful solo career as Sipho 'Hotstix' Mabuse. In 1986 Mabuse continued the legacy of Harari by producing the album Bad Boys with a younger group of artists using the same group name. Throughout its fourteen year existence, the group first as The Beaters and then Harari comprised of many artists including: Fikile Selby Ntuli, “Om” Alec Khaoli, Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse, Monty “Saitana” Ndimande, Masike “Funky” Mohapi, Banza Kgasoane, Khaya Mahlangu, Condry Ziqubu, Oupa Segoai, Charlie “Babas” Ndlovu, Barnson “Branny” Ledwaba, Lionel Peterson, Eddie Manda, Thelema “Ndo” Segona, Sello Twala, Robert Doc Mthalane, Louis Mhlanga, Danny Malewa, Mzwandile Kente and others (Mojapelo). |
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