The Shangaan electro sound developed in isolated pockets of South Africa, specifically in areas surrounding Johanesburg and Mozambique. Supposedly, the whole movement can be put down to the work of one free thinking producer, 'Nozinja' AKA Richard Mthetwa, who has single-handedly developed the Shangaan empire.
English record label Honest Jon's has recently compiled a handful of Shangaan tracks recorded between 2006 and 2009 by Nozinja in his Soweto studio, each one more frenetic than the last. There is not a shred of bass to be found throughout the compilation, replaced instead by synthesized marimba and organ stabs And, underpinning all off this is the frenzied tempo that defines the Shangaan style, not dropping below around 180 bpm at any point.
Nozinja (Mthetwa) not only scouts talent to represent his Shangaan vision but he also records tracks, presses CDs, and drives to the far-flung parties of rural South Africa to make people dance "like they have no bones". So what is it about this simple, synthetic sound that has created such a stir? It seems important for the music in its original locale that the artists involved are not just the singers but they are the dancers too. They have developed the Shangaan aesthetic and dance style, which constitutes a significant aspect of the entire experience. Nozinja claims the dancers can keep up their hysterical movements for up to an hour - no doubt the catalyst for an incredible party. As such, you might consider that it is difficult to appreciate this music in isolation, without the incredible energy that the dancers must provide; can you really understand this music while listening through laptop speakers on the other side of the world? The music and the dance, the dirt, the costumes, the sweat, all combine at breakneck speed until the dancing inhabits your body. Its no surprise that the dancers in some of the videos that have surfaced online seem almost to be possessed.
It is interesting also that in many ways there are striking similarities between the Shangaan experience - lo-fi synthetic music created for the sole purpose of dancing - and the Juke music of contemporary Chicago, with its requisite footworking. It seems that these disparate communities have arrived at analogous end-points after taking simple technologies for creating dance music and putting them to use for the sole purpose of making limbs fly. In both situations the music goes hand in hand with the dance. Both Juke and Shangaan music are utilitarian exercises as much as they are artistic ones, and in both cases the dance cannot be removed from its location, be it rural South Africa or the urban enclaves of Chicago. It is no surprise that the Juke artists (like their Shangaan counterparts) are usually the dancers as well as the DJs of the scene. The parallels are evident throughout.
However, the tracks on Honest Jon's recent compilation and many from the Juke world have certainly transcended the basic requirement of moving quickly and making people shake, and this is perhaps what has led to both musical movements being taken up by underground communities around the world. The first Tshetsha Boys track above is somehow soulful as its whining synth line is juxtaposed with call-and-response chants. There is an innocence and a playfulness in the skittering rhythms, as well as an authenticity that comes only through a genuine engagement from the performers, that belies any accusation of being 'simple' music. Many Juke artists (DJ Nate, DJ Roc) have similarly managed to create music with much more feeling than most commercial dance songs. Much of this feeling is born from the connection that is evident between the artists and the music. This is reflected most clearly in the fluidity of the structure that defines the boundaries between artists, performers, and audience members.
Finally, we can only wait to see what comes next from South Africa, a nation that continues to to present itself as youthful and vibrant in its cultural and creative output. From DJ Mujava, to the recent Zef stylings of Die Antword, and now Shangaan, the future looks bright for the rainbow nation and its heady and fruitful clash of styles, sounds, technologies, and traditions.
