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"Isililo [Mourning] and Ubucwebecwebe [Finery] by the Bergville Blue Roses features a capella male choral music. Popularly known as ‘isicathamiya’ this genre of music is an extension of traditional Zulu song that fuses four-part harmony with the rhythms and registers of isiZulu. Isicathamiya originally grew out of the experience of labour migrancy in South Africa where men and women working in the cities were separated from their families and homes for months at a time. Today it is widely practiced by groups such as Grammy award winners Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The Bergville Blue Roses bring a new sound to the genre. Their intricate counterpoint and buoyant rhythms are a fresh take on this now classic genre. All of the songs on this album are composed by the leader of the group, Wiseman Mbatha. The distinctive profile of his tenor solo rings out against the multi-part textures of the choir and narrates the stories of love, loss, and the struggles of daily life in South Africa’s highlands.
‘Selimathunzi’ is the debut album by the Cavern Choir. The fourteen songs on this album feature a selection of traditional Zulu wedding songs and afro-gospel music. Today weddings are major events in the rural areas and are occasions for song, dance, and celebration that last several days. The selection of wedding songs included here capture the enthusiasm and joy of these festivities and signify the importance of these events as rites of passage. Afro-gospel music is perhaps the most popular of all genres in South Africa today. The songs included here are all sung unaccompanied in four-part harmony and build on South Africa’s rich heritage of choral music
