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LINER NOTESHow else could the music world lay him to rest except by this brilliant compilation of the best music whose creation he monitored. To Gallo Records, from promotions, producers, and sound engineers, right down to the pressing plant, this album was a must, because Selby Fiki Ntuli, one of Africa's pioneers of afro-rock was an asset to the music world. In this album the band and myself remember him by the way he lived – music. We reflect our minds back to those booming days when the tiny titans in the streets sang "Harari," "Musikana" and the pulsating "Uzulu." We also drift into the creative works of the group's last album "Genesis" in which he sings "Feel, Hear, and See" a gospel blues rendition that tends to create a feeling that Selby had a premonition he was leaving. The fact that in this album he has played flutes, guitars, all keyboards, clarinet and synthesizer, is no complete reflection on his multi-dimensional talent. He was a devoted and dedicated musician, a prolific composer, lyricist, and arranger – this album tells the whole story. On stage he weaved his own kind of magic. He was all that music and entertainment are all about – song, movement and colour. The 21 days before his death, Selby bubbled with lofty ideas, he seemed to cherish a spring of new hope, and he was entering a new phase in his musical career. He and his childhood band grew from one authentic sound to the other. Along their path and at the time of his death the band was due to undertake a 10th anniversary country-wide tour. But now his untimely death has interrupted that tour. In this album attempts have been made to capture the shape and dynamism that tour would have taken. In the words of co-founder and drummer of the band, Sipho Mabuse: "The fire he made when the cold wind was blowing will keep on burning." VUSI KHUMALO (Manager) We would like to thank veteran engineer Peter Ceronio who has special insight into African Traditional Sounds on all Harari albums. Also thanking Rashid Vally for being the first producer to acknowledge our music. HARARI Also available on cassette: MC 4186 |
HARARI
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NOTESThis commemorative compilation album was issued after the untimely death of band co-founder, Fikile Selby Ntuli in 1978. Max 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 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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