Cover
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ALMON MEMELA AND REX NTULI
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TRACK LISTING
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ARTISTS
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NOTESMany thanks to Chris Albertyn for graciously allowing me to photograph his 78 rpm collection. For more information about this record visit Electric Jive These Telstar discs must have been issued in late 1962 or early 1963. The label is named for one of the earliest satellites launched into space that allowed the first international live television broadcast on July, 23 1962 to take place between the United States and Europe. To be sure, the logo for the label features an image of the Telstar satellite. Composer, guitarist and later producer for WEA Records in South Africa, Almon Sandisa Memela was born in Donnybrook, KwaZulu Natal in 1936. His first guitar was homemade, but according to Yvonne Huskisson, his parents were not supportive of his musical endeavors and so he taught himself to play on borrowed instruments. After briefly working at the United Tobacco Company in Durban, Memela moved to Johannesburg in 1956 to work on the mines. While there he sought to take guitar lessons at the legendary Dorkay House in 1958. (Huskisson) The three-storey education and performance centre was purchased by Union Artists (with proceeds from the 1954 farewell concert for anti-apartheid activist Father Trevor Huddleston) and became a fulcrum for artists to meet and share ideas. As it turned out, Memela, rather than becoming a student was asked to teach the guitar lessons! Memela made his first recordings in 1959 and his early career included band work with the United Artists’ productions of King Kong, In Township Tonight and Mhobelo as well as background music for the Jamie Uys film Dingaka. His first recording as composer was the track “Nozizwe” with the female vocal group The Travelling Singers in 1960 (though could have been 1962). In 1963 Memela's work began shifting toward instrumentals exclusively—interestingly, the same year that he formed his group, Almon’s Jazz Eight. (Huskisson) Many of their 78 rpm recordings were compiled on an LP as Almon's Jazz Eight, and issued on EMI's Umsakazo label in 1968. The Jazz Eight recorded and performed throughout the 60s and 70s and the line-up included amongst others, future Drive members, Henry Sithole and Stanley Sithole (who joined the group around 1966) and Bunny Luthuli (in 1968). In 1969 the Sithole Brothers formed the Heshoo Beshoo Group before they and Luthuli established the Drive in 1971. In the meantime Memela and his group The A.M Stragglers recorded Soul Bandit (Little Giant, G2, 1969). Memela is remarkably versatile and his style shifts from soul jazz with the Stragglers to bump jive with Abafana Bamaswazi (on Highway Soul and the Swaziland Likwindela Festival, both 1977); from straight mbaqanga on some 45s to the rich afro funk textures featured on Funky Africa. For a limited discography of Almon Melmela visit Flatint. |
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