Mahotella Queens - Umculo Kawupheli (1974)

[amannc1]

When I see Hilda still so young! And they are still on stage, aren't they?

[banksidematt]

Mahotella Queens are just amazing and talented beyond measure, they enrich the lives of all who hear their beautiful music. Brings back memories of my childhood growing up in South Africa. Thanks for sharing with us.

[joehiggs100]

Excellent, many thanks.

[sodreemful]

The Queens are hot and i feel their feelings, its lovely.

[verust]

love it! where did the footage come from?

[stretchmorgan]

Truly one of the best clips on the net. Loving the wrong note at 1.40. Who'd dare leave such a thing in nowadays? Does it make it a bad performance? Of course it doesn't! Recordings are so anal these days. They bore the pants off me. Lets bring back this approach. It makes you feel like a human being!

[Tem848]

Hehehe..Umunt'omdala akalahlwa madoda!This one reminds me of a Swazi Radio D.J Percival Lucky Likhwa Mtjali!He plays Mahlathini everyday!

[amoz614]

In Heaven there is singing and always singing.Singing was, is and will always be there my dear friends.My joy and happiness is triggered by this kind of music.May God richly Bless you my dearest Sister Nonceba Mnkandla for powerfully driving the Ziyehla Ziyatshel-e-ela Radio Zim program,keeping the blazing music riding the modern-day airwaves!This music vehemently shakes souls of many like thunder and lightning!! This band is way way beyond compare,The best music ever! Being Amos Nyamutata

[gjc82071]

Man, that is some freak'n ancient recording gear, even by mid-70's standards. I've never even seen a mixing board like that (no "sliders") except in like the 40-50's film. I wonder what make/model it is & how old? But it did do the job, so.....I guess that's all that matters.

[ZuluMuntu]

I saw the Mahottela Queens in 1973,paid 25 cents for admission.Their music is part of me.

[amoz614]

@ZuluMuntu you are a true buddie then.This music brings tears into my eyes,its sweetness brings hurting and joyous memories from yesteryear

[afansi]

There's a fantastic Mahotella Queens song which features another classic performance from Marks Maponyane - the guitar solo kicks in after they sing, "go tshenyegile" (it was crowded). I'd love to find that song again somewhere, but meanwhile I'll keep savouring this one.

[mabonga1001]

oh! yes i remember this tune very well, i was 10 years old, these ladies were truly

& still the Queens of african. just missin' my home town Durban & off course

lovely Kwamashu Township where i grew up.

[afansi]

How can you distill joy into strong liquor?

Mbaqanga

[afansi]

Fantastic video - a real work of art.

[afansi]

Many thanks

[afansi]

Pure magic.

[A01061769]

My heart is full of joy, and my mind goes to Africa.

[edzillion]

Is that West Nkosi at the start?

[NickLotay]

Well spotted - yes it is, with engineer Peter Ceronio.

[edzillion]

Wow, he really is a legend. I first heard of him because he produced the Green Arrows album re-released analog africa label, since then I have seen his name coming up everywhere... such a shame he died so young.

[lebengm]

yazi ngikhule umama eziculela lomculo noma ebengenayo i album yabo, hhayi nami sengiyazizwela ke namuhla. imnandi ingoma yaseMzansi, umculo kawupheli, iqiniso lelo

[zfokolo]

Ezadlubheku still a classic

[BahmanG]

on what album can i find this song?

[NickLotay]

This song was released on the LPs "Duck Food" and "Soweto Never Sleeps - Classic Female Zulu Jive". I think both are now on CD, but you can find the record releases on eBay from time to time.

Alternatively there's a CD from the UK called "The Best of Mahotella Queens - The Township Idols", released in 2003, which is still available to buy and has this song on it. Hope I helped...

[BahmanG]

Thank you. I have the cd "Bazobuya", but want to explore other works. Can you recommend any other Mahotella Queens cds or even any other South African artists and cds. I love the music but I am still relatively new to it and dont know where to begin exploring.

Thanks again for taking the time....

[NickLotay]

You're very welcome. I'll have to post my responses in two parts, as YouTube doesn't like me going over the character limit!!

I guess that any "Best of" collection you can find provides a good summary of the Queens' career. I can recommend the brilliant albums "Thokozile", "Paris - Soweto", and "Melodi Yalla" - these late 1980s albums (all now on CD) really capture the sound of Mahlathini & the Queens at the time of their first wave of international success.

[NickLotay]

Now to continue... the early sound of the group (1960s/70s) are captured brilliant in the already-mentioned "Soweto" as well as "Putting on the Light". Mahlathini's fantastic, gritty '70s solo songs can be found on the CDs "The Lion of Soweto" and "King of the Groaners". Related acts: Makgona Tsohle Band (Mahlathini & the Queens backing band), Abafana Baseqhudeni (something of a male counterpart to the Queens), Izintombi Zesi Manje Manje, and (even earlier) the Dark City Sisters.

Hope I helped!

[worotan]

@BahmanG Hey there, Strut records have just put out a series of South Africa music that's all this style. Well worth checking out, more of this amazing music.

Hope that helps man.

[edzillion]

Also a recent release on the STRUT label called 'next stop soweto' has a few mahotella queens tracks (under various names) and other stuff including Mahlathini. It was my first introduction to this kind of music and I would highly reccomend it

[Katiki64]

very good

[worotan]

Thanks so much for this video, wonderful to watch

[sdara357]

beautiful music, God Mhlathini's soul

[chamunda35]

Great!!!!

[ttonefishing]

where can i find this in the USA please some one let me know

[groovemonzter]

The real roots music.

[missmakoni]

Wow, this is priceless. Thanks for posting!

[hollywoodpsychic]

This footage is INCREDIBLE!

I love them so much. Thanks for posting.

[EricGoule81]

What a sweet melody. Great music from a great country. God bless South Africa.

[hechebomba]

this is so stunning, these lovely songbirds & talented musicians just kill me; i could watch & listen to this all day. thanks for making up this video, I saw them in the US in 1991 but never thought to hope of seeing them at home in the 70s!! love the record shop scene so much!

[Bozewani]

mnandi, ngiyathanda umculo Ngiyathanda iNingizimu Afrika

[ndebelegirl]

oh my God. awesome. kumnandi

[legrandmaitre]

That is just about the best thing I've ever seen on youtube!

[Bozewani]

so Lotay the stem -pheli means to end?

[NickLotay]

"-phela" means "end", that's right.

[Deliwe79]

I cannot get over how young they look!!! Way to go Nick!

[NickLotay]

Thanks so much! There's some more Queens stuff of this time still to come, believe me....!

[DigiVado]

wow..this took me back to the slums of Winterveldt..this was our kinda music..miss those days eishh.thanks for the video.

[Duncanzibar]

Pure unadulterated joy! One simply cannot get enough of this glorious sound. Thank you.

[NickLotay]

Many many thanks for your kind comments on my videos, Duncanzibar! Wonderful to hear from you. Yes, I also love this music... it's too irresistable for words. Rest assured I will be uploading some more of the Queens' early hits over the next few months.. so stay tuned.

[pgurupira]

wow.... i have tears in my eyes...my dad used to make us dance to this ...im 26 and from Zimbabwe but i guess music had no bounderies ...still has no bounderies...i love every single note....the classics wow

[muala15]

this song is very beautiful...what does it mean? I love the Mahotella Queens...their voices are beyond beautiful

[NickLotay]

Thank you for commenting... yes, they do have really sweet voices. This song is basically a ode to themselves, kind of like a tribute to mbaqanga (the style of music that they play). It says how the Mahotella Queens always bring the house down and how their music shows no end to stopping (The title "Umculo Kawupheli" means "the music will never end").

[afansi]

Fantastic in the extreme.

[mungwaru]

Brings tears to my eyes. Grew up in rural Zimbabwe in the south east and memories I have are of my late uncle who owned everyone of the band's records (vinyl)which we would listen to on the record player back in the 70s. This was also my late mother's favourite band. She was a wonderful singer and loved the beautiful harmonies. You made my day and I am happy to be introducing this music to my teen children out here in Canada.

[NickLotay]

Thank you so much. It's wonderful to hear from someone who has grown up listening to the Mahotella Queens and still remembers their wonderful voices! They are indeed an inspiration (it's hard to believe the Queens are still recording and performing even today). So nice to hear that you are introducing your children to this music... I will be uploading some more of these early Queens songs very soon, so please keep a look out for them. Many thanks!

[jikamsila]

am also from Zimbabwe...l can tell you this music is classic in every way...my father used to work at mines in SA and he would bring the grammophone and records for mahlathini and mahotella sadly my father went to SA and has never come back

[samtsuro]

This was my grandma's music. Please post more of the early Mahotella Queens music. Lovely arrangement.

[NickLotay]

Thank you for your comments... I'll be uploading some more of those 1960s and 1970s Mahotella Queens songs shortly. Stay tuned!

[Scanwin]

That really good..

[soulchildboy]

nice oldschool stuff , eish -