The Beaters - Harari LP

$39.98

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Label: Matsuli Music

Two classic South African psychedelic afro-rock albums reissued by Matsuli Music. The Beaters' Harari was released in 1975. After changing their name, Harari went into the studio late in 1976 to record their follow-up, Rufaro / Happiness. In 1976 they were voted South Africa's top instrumental group and were in high demand at concert venues across the country. Comprising former schoolmates guitarist and singer Selby Ntuli, bassist Alec Khaoli, lead guitarist Monty Ndimande and drummer Sipho Mabuse, the group had come a long way from playing American-styled instrumental soul in the late sixties to delivering two Afro-rock masterpieces. Before these two albums the Beaters had been disciples of "Soweto Soul" - an explosion of township bands drawing on American soul and inspired by the assertive image of Stax and Motown's Black artists.

The Beaters supported Percy Sledge on his 1970 South African tour (and later Timmy Thomas, Brook Benton and Wilson Pickett). But their watershed moment was their three month tour of Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) where they were inspired by the strengthening independence struggle and musicians such as Thomas Mapfumo who were turning to African influences. On their return, the neat Nehru jackets that had been the band's earliest stage wear were replaced by dashikis and Afros. "In Harari we rediscovered our African-ness, the infectious rhythms and music of the continent. We came back home inspired! We were overhauling ourselves into dashiki-clad musicians who were Black Power saluting and so on." Sipho Hotstix Mabuse, talking of the band's time spent on tour in the (then) Rhodesian township from where they took their name.

As well as expressing confident African politics, Alec Khaoli recalled, they pioneered by demonstrating that such messages could also be carried by "...happy music. During apartheid times we made people laugh and dance when things weren't looking good." The two albums capture the band on the cusp of this transition. On the first album Harari, "Inhlupeko Iphelile," "Push It On" and "Thiba Kamoo" immediately signal the new Afro-centric fusion of rock, funk and indigenous influences. American soul pop is not forgotten with "Love, Love, Love" and, helped along by Kippie Moeketsi and Pat Matshikiza a bump-jive workout "What's Happenin" concludes the album.

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