Mahotella Queens – Putting on the Light

This post is a birthday present for a friend of mine who spent some time growing up in South Africa during Apartheid. I remember him showing me some photos and 8mm films of his life there and the blatant segregation at cultural events.

Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens have been at the forefront of the South African Mbaqanga scene since the 1960s. Putting on the Light was first published in 1975, and was later re-issued in 1984.

The Zulu term Mbaqanga means an everyday cornmeal porridge and represents a staple form of musical and spiritual sustenance. The Mbaqanga style began with humble rural Zulu roots and eventually spread around the world as artists (like Miriam Makeba) from the African diaspora travelled to Europe and North America, taking their musical traditions with them as they left Apartheid behind.

Under Apartheid, South African law prevented people from integrating from different tribal communities, making larger musical collaborations and the distribution of modern recordings nearly impossible. Major record labels were white owned companies and many black artists saw little – if any – money for their artistic efforts. Simon Mahlathini Nkabinde (the Lion of Soweto) – the famous Mbaqanga “groaner” – died a poor man.

The following biographical details were written by Nick Lotay.

Africa’s Greatest Jive: The Mahotella Queens

The Mahotella Queens simply have to be an international institution. These three bouncing grandmothers have been on the music scene for nearly fifty years. Starting life way back in Apartheid-stricken South Africa in 1964 strictly as a session line-up, backed by the everlasting Makhona Tsohle Band and fronted by the late, great, bellowing groaner Simon Mahlathini Nkabinde, the girls soon made their way out of South Africa and began thrilling audiences across the world.

The group was formed in 1964 by producer Rupert Bopape, initially as a recording name – one of many – in the black production subsidiary of Gallo Africa, Mavuthela Music Company, for which he was the primary producer. The Queens were comprised on stage and in the studio by five singers, chosen at random out of the three dozen or so female vocalists at Mavuthela. Nine singers were associated with the name almost always, though: Hilda Tloubatla, Juliet Mazamisa, Mary Rabotapi, Windy Sibeko, Nobesuthu Shawe, Mildred Mangxola, Nunu Maseko, and Ethel and Francisca Mngomezulu.

They were backed by a group who had invented the music style they played, mbaqanga, in an after-hours jam in the studio: the Makhona Tsohle Band (Sesotho for “The Band That Can Do Anything”) – West Nkosi (pennywhistle from 1956ish – 1963, sax from 1964), Marks Mankwane (electric lead guitar), Joseph Makwela (electric bass), Lucky Monama (rhythm guitar from 64 – 67; drums from 1968), Wilfred Mosebi (drums from 1964 – 67), and Vivian Ngubane (rhythm guitar from 1967). West’s sax jiving was melodic and smooth, supplemented by Marks’s high-pitched guitar skills, and Joseph on his electric bass bought from Mannie Parkes (Joseph in fact made history as the first black electric bass player in South Africa). The Queens and Makhona Tsohle were also augmented by a guest vocalist – a shy, young man with a great, big, deep voice. Simon Nkabinde, nicknamed ‘Mahlathini’ (bushman. So-called because of his unruly teenage hairstyle, although he had cut it down when he joined Mavuthela), and his ‘groaning’ voice proved successful with new audiences. Mavuthela’s two biggest hits were, rather coincidentally, both pressed with the “Mahotella Queens” name – so this was the name that the public came to know and love. Not long after, ‘Mahlathini & the Mahotella Queens’ backed by Makhona Tsohle became the biggest group in the country, with numerous hit singles and albums and a tour schedule comprising South Africa, Botswana, (what was then) Rhodesia, Malawi, Namibia, and even as far as Mozambique and Ghana, among others.

But by 1971, tension had risen in the Mavuthela studio. Mahlathini fell out with Bopape over his treatment, took three Mavuthela instrumentalists with him and went to Satbel Record Company, under producer Cambridge Matiwane. The Queens were being overshadowed by new competition: Izintombi Zesimanjemanje (The Modern Girls), under Hamilton Nzimande at his Isibaya Esikhulu outfit of the Gramophone Record Company (GRC). Nzimande and Bopape became scornfully head-to-head, with Mavuthela and Isibaya continuously trying to beat each other with plentiful jive numbers; pretty soon, key vocalists in the Queens were being enticed by Nzimande to join his stable. Bopape was in a rut. He decided, with help from West Nkosi and Marks Mankwane (who were now key associates and soon-to-be producers) to recruit brand new Queens. With this line-up, the Queens hit back with their hit 1972 album Marks Umthakathi, which was a massive success.

The rest of the 1970s saw some more membership changes, and promotions – Mankwane and Nkosi were now producers, as was Lucky Monama (Monama was now also Mavuthela’s Public Relations officer). Makhona Tsohle subsequently disbanded around 1979 due to producer responsibilities, though did carry on as session musicians, reuniting in 1983 for their own (highly successful) television show, Mathaka (Friends), with each band member playing mechanics in a garage, playing their music whenever garage owner Mr. Segwapa (played by ‘50s marabi guitarist General Duze) left the building. This reunion subsequently resulted in Mankwane reuniting five of the original Mahotella Queens with Mahlathini, bringing back on board the full original ‘Mahlathini & the Mahotella Queens’ line-up. By the early 1990s, they were being renowned across the world (with a revised line-up of three Queens out of the original five; Hilda, Nobesuthu, and Mildred), in part due to Paul Simon’s collaboration with South African acts (including Ladysmith Black Mambazo) on his massively successful Graceland album of 1987, opening the floodgates for African and (what is now called) ‘world music’. Mahlathini & the Queens’ began a whirlwind world tour, beginning in the late 1980s. Their hectic tour schedule calmed down in the latter part of the 1990s to reflect upon the Queens’ status as grandmothers, as well as Mahlathini’s failing health (though he was only in his late 50s/early 60s at this time, numerous health problems had caught up with him). 1998 saw the tragic death of West Nkosi in a massive car smash in Johannesburg. That same year (in fact, on the day of Nkosi’s funeral), Marks Mankwane succumbed to sugar diabetes. If that wasn’t enough, Simon Mahlathini Nkabinde – the great king himself – died due to a diabetes complication in July 1999. The Queens were obviously distraught, but decided that they would continue – in order to keep the group name alive, in a tribute to their late colleagues.