Simon Sibiya - Udhlule Lap' Unkonokoni / Tina Si Nga Sembawuleni
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LINER NOTES

 

ADDITIONAL NOTES

A discography for Simon Sibiya in chronological order based on matrix numbers sourced from Alan Kelly's research on the history of the Gramophone Company.
Note that three tracks* in Kelly research have the 5 and 7 reversed as in 15732 and not 17532. Click on the links to listen to the tracks in the SAMAP archive:

Simon Sibiya (in Zulu), London, recorded January 1929
Yy15647-1      Ngi ngumkambi (4212, X-5-42948)
Yy15648-1      Umbombose (4207, X-5-42939)
Yy15649-1      Sa ni bona no nonke (4204, X-5-42933)
Yy15650-1      Ima isibindi (4211, X-5-42947)
Yy15651-2      Ng' ehla nejazi lami (4209, X-5-42942)
Yy15652-1      Ba buyee Nkosi (4213, X-5-42950)
Yy15653-1      Tula mntwana (4207, X-5-42938)
Yy15654-2      Tandezelani unyana (4213, X-5-42951)
Yy15655-1      Sa li bon' Iscegwana (4205, X-5-42935)
Yy15656-1      Nang' umunti be ngi naye (4203, X-5-42930)
Yy15657-1      Nkosi si sikelel' i Afrika (4211, X-5-42946)
Yy15658-1      Sipum ezimpandeni Lika satane (4212, X-5-42949)

Simon Sibiya (in Zulu), London, recorded February 1929
Yy15724-1      Uya del' umakasana (4202, X-5-42928)*
Yy15725-1      Utshaka ka sitshayeki (4202, X-5-42929)*
Yy15726-1      Puma makoti si hambe (4204, X-5-42932)
Yy15727-1      Ye mama isikaka sa vuta (4208, X-5-42941)
Yy15728-1      Nkoveyakolo (4203, X-5-42931)
Yy15729-1      Sikona lapa kwe la se natali (4206, X-5-42936)
Yy15730-1      Sidhilile sa suta mnumzana (4209, X-5-42943)
Yy15731-1      Udhlule lap' unkonkoni (4201, X-5-42926)
Yy15732-1      Tina si nga ba sembawuleni (4201, X-5-42927)*
Yy15733-1      Vuma upans' umkonto (4208, X-5-42940)
Yy15734-1      Li sembizeni ibaba lako (4205, X-5-42934)
Yy15735-1      Im-bala u nass isibindi na (4210, X-5-42945)
Yy15736-1      Tixo baba ngidukile na sekaya (4210, X-5-42944)
Yy15737-1      Kusasa ba-ti usuku umata a hamba do (4206, X-5-42937)
 

SIMON SIBIYA
UDHLULE LAP' UNKONOKONI / TINA SI NGA SEMBAWULENI


recorded 1929-02
issued 1929
Zonophone
Gramophone Co. EMI
made in UK
4201
matrix Yy15731-1
matrix Yy15732-1
78 rpm
mono
source: Flatinternational / Kirby

TRACK LISTING

 

1.1Udhlule Lap' Unkonkoni

(traditional)

2.2Tina Si Nga Ba Sembawuleni

(traditional)

ARTISTS

 

SIMON SIBIYA - vocal, clapping

NOTES

 

Simon Sibiya recorded for Zonophone at least 26 tracks in 1929. Like James Stuart, who recorded for Zonophone in 1927, these tracks feature Zulu songs sung with a cyclical / repetitive structure, though in his examples Sibiya includes the ukubonga or praise interjection so familiar in many maskanda songs.

Interesting to note that Sibiya made a recording of Enoch Sontonga's Nkosi Sikelel iAfrica, one of the songs to become part of the future national anthem of South Africa. As many of his other tracks are recorded in isiZulu, I wonder if this might be the same for Nkosi? If so, it would make it the first recording of the anthem in isiZulu.

This record was part of a personal collection of 78 rpms that were owned by ethnomusicologist Percival Kirby. To be sure, Kirby made hand-written notes on many of the labels. At some point the discs were acquired by, Johannesburg collector, Warren Siebrits who subsequently passed them onto the Flat International archive.

Many thanks to Warren Siebrits for leading me to this record! Also I am indebted to Alan Kelly for his tireless research on the discography of the Gramophone Company.

Check out the post Maskanda Roots (1927 - 1964) at Electric Jive for more information. Also check out John H. Cowley's excellent text uBungca on the history of early African recordings.