AM Foreign World Cup: Round 1 - Southern Africa (Part 2)

[Stephan]

This week we have the final 8 artists from Africa contending for the crown:

Bracket 1.4.5
Amayenge - Ukuilondola - Unavailable and disqualified.
Miriam Makeba - Qongquothwane (The Click Song)

Bracke 1.4.6
Manka Le Phallang - Ea Nyoloha Khanyapa
Danyel Waro - Banm Kalou Banm

Bracket 1.4.7
Miriam Makeba - Pata Pata
Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Nomathemba

Bracket 1.4.8
The Bhundu Boys - Manhenga
Mulemena Boys - Navuluku

[Honorio]

The Spotify playlist with only 4 new songs. Stephan, the version of "Qongqothwane" you posted is good but I prefer the 1960 version from the first US album of Miriam Makeba (those handclaps sound like thunder!). And no, Stephan, no traces of the Amayenge song...

[Honorio]

Bracket 1.4.5
Amayenge - Ukuilondola (Zambia, 1979)
Miriam Makeba - Qongqothwane (The Click Song) (South Africa, 1960)
I've listened to some Amayenge songs on You Tube and they are quite good, listen for instance to Munise Munise (1988) but not the nominated song. Anyway I doubt they could dethrone the warm voice of Mama Africa herself.


Bracket 1.4.6
Manka Le Phallang - Ea Nyoloha Khanyapa (Lesotho, 1987)
Danyèl Waro - Banm Kalou Banm (Réunion, 1999)
The accordion-based Lesotho song is very good but my vote goes to Danyèl Waro playing Maloya (music style from Réunion Island that evolves from the chants of slaves), a mantra that only needs percussion and voices to get you trapped.


Bracket 1.4.7
Miriam Makeba - Pata Pata (South Africa, 1967)
Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Nomathemba (South Africa, 1973)
I initially though that I was going to vote for Miriam Makeba on any given bracket and morever with "Pata Pata", possibly her best song, but (and sorry Miriam and Miguel) I'm going to vote strategically because of three reasons:
a) We have already on the second round a song by The Skylarks and probably "Qongqothwane" too ("Ukuilondola" is unavailable so far).
b) Ladysmith Black Mambazo's song was my own nomination.
c) The song itself, "Nomathemba" (from their fisrt album), is absolutely fantastic (IMHO).


Bracket 1.4.8
The Bhundu Boys - Manhenga (Zimbabwe, 1986)
Mulemena Boys - Navuluka (Zambia, 1983)
Two great songs from the 80s (I don't know if we can consider the 80s the golden age for the music of this part of the world or it was only because suddenly the world turned its eyes to this music and there were more opportunities for these artists to record and release their songs). I like both tracks, both feature excellent (and typically African) guitars but probably I chose "Navuluka" for the beautiful tight vocal harmonies.

[nicolas]

Bracke 1.4.6
Manka Le Phallang - Ea Nyoloha Khanyapa 3.5
Danyel Waro - Banm Kalou Banm 4.5
Easy win for Waro, great singer, poet and political activist from La Réunion, French island of the Indian Ocean. He was born in a very poor white creole family and fell in love with Maloya, a style of music inherited from the slaves chants that had almost fallen into oblivion at the time. This song draws a parallel between the slaves of centuries ago and the young creole people of nowadays forced to go to France to find a job, and doing so losing their creole roots. Amazing voice.

Bracket 1.4.7
Miriam Makeba - Pata Pata 4.5
Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Nomathemba 4
Yes the Mambazo song is great but I LOVE Pata Pata so it just wins, no matter how many Makeba songs make it to the next round

Bracket 1.4.8
The Bhundu Boys - Manhenga 4
Mulemena Boys - Navuluku 4+
Short win for Zambia here, with a better melody, but those 2 songs are very close

[Miguel]

Bracke 1.4.6
Danyel Waro - Banm Kalou Banm

Bracket 1.4.7
Miriam Makeba - Pata Pata

Bracket 1.4.8
Mulemena Boys - Navuluku

[Stephan]

Just about a day and a half left!

[Dan]

Bracket 1.4.6
Manka Le Phallang - Ea Nyoloha Khanyapa
Danyel Waro - Banm Kalou Banm

Bracket 1.4.7
Miriam Makeba - Pata Pata
Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Nomathemba

Bracket 1.4.8
The Bhundu Boys - Manhenga
Mulemena Boys - Navuluku

[Jirin]

Manka le Phallang - Ea Nyoloha Khanyapa 9/10
Danyel Waro - Banm Kalou Banm 9/10

Miriam Makeba - Pata Pata 7/10
Ladysmith Black Mambaz - Nomathemba 9/10

The Bhundu Boys - Manhenga 6/10
Mulumena Boys - Navuluku 5/10

Sorry I haven't been voting every week. Even Moderate has finally caught up with me: I have two more to listen to for week 15, 5 more for week 16.

[Stephan]

My votes:

Bracke 1.4.6
Manka Le Phallang - Ea Nyoloha Khanyapa
Danyel Waro - Banm Kalou Banm

Bracket 1.4.7
Miriam Makeba - Pata Pata
Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Nomathemba

Bracket 1.4.8
The Bhundu Boys - Manhenga
Mulemena Boys - Navuluku

[Stephan]

And the results:

Bracket 1.4.5
Amayenge - Ukuilondola - DISQ
Miriam Makeba - Qongquothwane (The Click Song) - WIN

Bracke 1.4.6
Manka Le Phallang - Ea Nyoloha Khanyapa - 2
Danyel Waro - Banm Kalou Banm - 4

Bracket 1.4.7
Miriam Makeba - Pata Pata - 3 (1)
Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Nomathemba - 3 (1)
Draw, next vote wins

Bracket 1.4.8
The Bhundu Boys - Manhenga - 1
Mulemena Boys - Navuluku - 5

[Henrik]

And the results:

Bracket 1.4.7
Miriam Makeba - Pata Pata - 3 (1)
Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Nomathemba - 3 (1)
Draw, next vote wins

How do you compare these songs? They're both absolutely great in their own ways. But, sitting down with headphones, Ladysmith Black Mambazo's beautiful harmonies warmed me most this time.

[Stephan]

That means Nomathemba goes through to the next round.