The background of the African Jazz Pioneers stretches back to the 1950s whe… Read Full Bio ↴The background of the African Jazz Pioneers stretches back to the 1950s when jazz was the fashion and big bands were the name of the game. The Band from the Republic of South Africa, founded in the '80s, plays '50s and '60s South African jazz, attempting to recreate the fun of that era's live performances. It was in those days when Dorkay House (at the end of Eloff Street, Johannesburg) provided a haven for South Africa's music legends. On any single day it was the place that you could bump into Dollar Brand, Kippie Moeketsi, Miriam Makeba, Ntemi Piliso, Dudu Pukwana, Hugh Masekela, Wilson Silgee, Zakes Nkosi, Jonas Gwangwane... the list goes on forever. But all that ended in the sixties when big bands went out of fashion. Things remained that way until June 1981 when several members of the band decied it was time to get many of those great musicians back into Dorkay House and back on stage. Led by sax player Ntemi Piliso, a seasoned marabi star, the group comprises both veteran marabi players and younger musicians who have picked up the style.
It's always fascinating to hear how musicians from other countries have taken “America's music” - Jazz - and adapted it to suit their ethnic and cultural heritage. This is especially true when one considers the music of Africa, one of the primary wellsprings of Jazz's syncopated rhythmic patterns. Rhythm is what African ensembles are about, an observation that is emphatically underscored by the African Jazz Pioneers on this collection of some of their best work released by Gallo Records. The music, we are told in the liner notes, “fuses kwela, mbaqanga, marabi and Jazz to form a sound that is unique and trademark by nature.” No argument here. Marabi, one of the earliest uniquely South African musical forms, arose in the black townships in the '20s. It features a sort of distilled blues harmony - three chords (like the ones in the standard American 12-bar form) repeated in short units. From marabi came kwela, also a music of the urban ghettoes, which incorporates elements of swing and expanded instrumentation (most often including a pennywhistle). Mbaqanga, which evolved in the '60s, took these concepts to a higher level by introducing more sophisticated textures and several of the newer innovations of the evolving Afro-American Jazz tradition, such as electric instruments. The outcome of this amalgamation is music that is not only rhythmically strong but also quite conventional, never departing from established melodic or harmonic motifs and using snippets of swing, ragtime, trad Jazz, dance music and a trace of bop as its essential building blocks. Once the rhythmic groundwork has been laid and the cadence established, it remains unalterably in place to provide a sturdy backdrop for vocals and improvised passages, which flow naturally from the dominant theme. This doesn't mean that the music lacks variety; far from it. Each of these numbers is a unique composition that may bear a superficial relationship to the others but imparts its own measure of freshness and charm.
Instrumentation varies too with the Jazz Pioneers using brass, reeds, guitars, a marimba, vocalists (alone or in tandem) and assorted African instruments to amplify the music's percussive substructure. The Pioneers, more than four decades old in one form or another, have breached almost insuperable racial barricades to entertain audiences all over the world with their energetic brand of “township music,” calling to mind a more contemporary version of America's venerable Preservation Hall Jazz Band. I am unable to affirm that this album represents “the best” of what the ensemble has to offer, but can say that it is overflowing with bright, good-natured music that is a pleasure to hear.
It's always fascinating to hear how musicians from other countries have taken “America's music” - Jazz - and adapted it to suit their ethnic and cultural heritage. This is especially true when one considers the music of Africa, one of the primary wellsprings of Jazz's syncopated rhythmic patterns. Rhythm is what African ensembles are about, an observation that is emphatically underscored by the African Jazz Pioneers on this collection of some of their best work released by Gallo Records. The music, we are told in the liner notes, “fuses kwela, mbaqanga, marabi and Jazz to form a sound that is unique and trademark by nature.” No argument here. Marabi, one of the earliest uniquely South African musical forms, arose in the black townships in the '20s. It features a sort of distilled blues harmony - three chords (like the ones in the standard American 12-bar form) repeated in short units. From marabi came kwela, also a music of the urban ghettoes, which incorporates elements of swing and expanded instrumentation (most often including a pennywhistle). Mbaqanga, which evolved in the '60s, took these concepts to a higher level by introducing more sophisticated textures and several of the newer innovations of the evolving Afro-American Jazz tradition, such as electric instruments. The outcome of this amalgamation is music that is not only rhythmically strong but also quite conventional, never departing from established melodic or harmonic motifs and using snippets of swing, ragtime, trad Jazz, dance music and a trace of bop as its essential building blocks. Once the rhythmic groundwork has been laid and the cadence established, it remains unalterably in place to provide a sturdy backdrop for vocals and improvised passages, which flow naturally from the dominant theme. This doesn't mean that the music lacks variety; far from it. Each of these numbers is a unique composition that may bear a superficial relationship to the others but imparts its own measure of freshness and charm.
Instrumentation varies too with the Jazz Pioneers using brass, reeds, guitars, a marimba, vocalists (alone or in tandem) and assorted African instruments to amplify the music's percussive substructure. The Pioneers, more than four decades old in one form or another, have breached almost insuperable racial barricades to entertain audiences all over the world with their energetic brand of “township music,” calling to mind a more contemporary version of America's venerable Preservation Hall Jazz Band. I am unable to affirm that this album represents “the best” of what the ensemble has to offer, but can say that it is overflowing with bright, good-natured music that is a pleasure to hear.
Hellfire
African Jazz Pioneers Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Hellfire' by these artists:
1349 My icon is the pentagram The warmth from me Are…
Accept Cursed, by the mind of evil Fleeing from a torrent undreamed…
Airbourne Driving through hell just to get back home I can't find…
Alan Menken So many times out there I've watched a happy pair Of lovers…
annapantsu Confiteor Deo Omnipotenti Beatae Mariae semper Virgini Beato…
Archura Dare to stay till sundown We still got time Pray for me Hol…
Barns Courtney Cold as a valley Where I lay my head Cold as a…
Beyond Twilight Log file no. 272 1997 Re-open the pyramid file changer Monit…
black midi There's always something An odd twitch, hearing loss, a ring…
Black Rabbit ct last I arrived in this place The warmth fills my…
BlackRain Hey there! I' m coming home, the nightmare just begins. Imag…
Blood Draugr Confiteor Deo Omnipotenti Beatae Mariae Semper Virgini B…
Cavalera Conspiracy Living hell No truth No right No wrong Living hell Nothing i…
Chxrlotte Chasing my demons every morning and evening What if I′m beco…
CunninLynguists I am the god of hellfire and I bring you I…
Death & Legacy Killer drones with hellfire Missiles and new software To dou…
Destroy Destroy Destroy Eternally we dive into the flames of hell A demonic glaring…
Disney QUASIMODO So many times out here I've watched a hap…
Disney - The Hunchback of Notre Dame So many times out there I've watched a happy pair Of lovers…
F.G.'s Spitting hellfire, my eternal valentine It feels so good to …
Gaia Epicus Words are pouring from your mouth again Friendly eyes is sm…
Gallery 47 Hellfire burning down the wire Hate's invocation Each day ro…
God Street Wine Come everybody to the video night Where the flames of anger…
Gorephilia What is once cast down to the boiling cauldrons of…
Joe Louis Walker Burning down the devil's highway Loving everyone I meet Tr…
Jonathan Young Beata Maria, You know I am a righteous man Of my virtue…
Jorn Before me now I see a dyin' planet Captured souls with…
Khāled Siddīq Ooh ooh ay ay ah (Beats by Malice) Life is hard And the…
LAC WAY TO GO MY DREAMS ARE FADED AWAY INSTIGATE SUPPRESSION IS …
Late Night Savior You project what you believe That you see in me All of…
Mango Groove I remember moments No sentiment or mystery Incidents in your…
Metalium Is this for real or am I dreaming The state of…
Midnight Guest Bishops friars priests and nuns Persons of quality commune a…
Nu Pagadi Hellfire, Hellfire Dein Reich Ist die Versuchung in der Nach…
Officer X You are Rising form the rubble Coming with your fangs out Ca…
Overloaded No surprise Another failure The word of god for greed Imm…
Patrick Page Confiteor Deo Omnipotenti Beatae mariae Semper virgini Beato…
Patrick Page The Hunchback of Notre Dame Ensemble (Studio Cast Recording) & The Hunchback of Notre D Confiteor Deo Omnipotenti Beatae Mariae semper Virgini Beato…
Patrick Page The Hunchback of Notre Dame Ensemble The Hunchback of Notre Dame Choir Confiteor Deo Omnipotenti Beatae mariae Semper virgini Beato…
Queensrÿche Lock down What do we make of this madness? It's a world…
Rinrin You used to say that i can make it on…
RVNGE The devils gonna get you Hellfire hellfire the bloodlust nev…
Screamer Unleash this storm of retribution We are breaking the seals …
skaiwater Skaiwater yeah, 2300 gang Skaiwater cinco, Cinco When I wak…
Sodom Sudden gleams arise the sky Rulers of the global fire Deat…
Sorry X Hey Don't you say my name Just a flame An old flame And I…
Starforger Djinn of the underworld, Master of infernal blaze Casting al…
Stonerror abandon every hope all you who enter you’re gonna kiss the f…
The Beltones Running around with my ass on fire You know I've got…
The Curse Within Dig a grave for the dead As the seas run red With…
The Electric Hellfire Club Step inside the Technicolor dream machine And listen to the …
The Hunchback So many times out there I've watched a happy pair Of lovers…
The Loyal Order Hellfire Lyrics: Buehner Music: BuehnerCook Its fucking poi…
The Mechanisms My friends, my people, my flock I have had a vision A…
The Meteors Hellfire Don't want to have to change the way I gotta…
The Taxpayers They took you to the river in October When the ground…
Tom Hulce So many times out there I've watched a happy pair Of lover…
Tony Jay & Tom Hulce So many times out there I've watched a happy pair Of lovers…
Trippelgänger Centuries of burning flames Worshipping in Satan's name Kiss…
Warkings When you call my name - I become fire I burn…
Zombiez Bolverk Whytte, ey Die, die da oben laufen über Kohlen Ich …
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George Nyati
"your love is burning like a hellfire"... reminds me of such greats of back in the day like Pat Matshikiza, The Movers, Rex Rabanye, Elite Swingsters, Abdullar "Dollar Brand" Ibrahim et al. The 80s and 90s were good times indeed
Michael Zulu
Music for all generation still burning with its freshness.
Richard Mugo
Timeless excellence
Jo P
One of my favourite tunes of all time
Lilian Louis
I wish this kind of music would play across africa to rejuvinate the spirit of African love and patriotism jus before africa wakes up........!!
Michael Zulu
Very true
Gary C.
I heard this song at the J-Burg international airport after finishing my S. African trip, I was sold!
Tshelane Nkadimeng
I like the sound of trombone. It reminds me of the great Jonas Gwangwa.
Handson Omare
soothing music
`Pharoah
This is some good stuff