Monolith Cocktail Blog

ALBUM REVIEW/DOMINIC VALVONA

Diepkloof United Voice ‘Harmonizing Soweto: Golden City Gospel & Kasi Soul’ (Ostinato Records) 10^th November 2023

Despite the usual vacuous nature of the ‘viral’ video, a dimly lit makeshift performance space in an abandoned elementary school, the impromptu stage for a group of young South African voices, proved beyond moving and elevating. I wept with joy at the pure transcendence of the experience; just a line-up of the most blessed harmonies, accompanied by the cushioned smack of a fist into a boxing glove (or that’s at least what it looks like) for a rhythm and timing: all shot on a mobile phone. 

And yet, beneath such beatific vocals lie the hardships and frustrations of a group surviving in the sprawling, extensive Township of Soweto. A bridge between the possibilities of a Black majority government and an end to the Apartheid system, and the reality of a post Mandela power struggle, corruption, the failure to unify a divided society, and to democratise an economy for all, the Diepkloof United Voice is forced to find solace and empowerment in the spiritual music that proved a vehicle for communicating the struggles and messages of the South African majority.

Circumnavigating state censorship, gospel music’s emotive religious evocations slipped under the radar, but offered an alternative channel for perseverance and resistance to White rule. And now, shielded thinly from one of the world’s highest murder rates, youth unemployment and drug addiction, these nine individuals reenergise gospel music with a fresh new hunger and desire.

Connecting doo-wop, soul and the deep southern American spiritual with the Zulu and township gospel, plus a hybrid of local and worldly forms – one of which, mentioned in the album title, is called Kasi Soul -, the already celebrated neighbourhood of Diepkloof now offers up something familiar and yet entirely pure and modern. Step forward the new generation of Siyabulela Kahla, Nkululeko Mhlungu (aka BiBi), Simphiwe Maluleka (Sims Makoya), Linda Mnisi (London), Sandile Khumalo (Sandi), Nkosinathi Mthethwa (Mna), Tebogo Ramokgopa (Bron), Siyabonga Rakoma (Chartos) and Mothusi Marumo (Mo), who make even Rihanna’s pop R&B hit ‘Stay’ (renamed a “R” rolling ‘Round And Round’ here) sound inspiring, cathartic, humbling and distinctly South African. Lulled, hummed and beautifully transformed, the love yearn is heartfelt and touching: the only musical accompaniment, a number of finger clicks and a baritone-voiced bass.

Returning to my opening paragraph, that epiphany of an experience was on seeing and hearing an honest smart phone recording of ‘Too Late For Mama’. You couldn’t find a more touching, sorrowed but utterly captivating chorus of harmonies. The message of childbirth under such deprived conditions, in an economically segregated community, like a hymnal nu-soul Marvin Gaye leading a doo-wop group of kids brought up on Kwaito – one of Diepkloof’s homegrown fusion of hip-hop.

In another age you could imagine this group hanging out on the street corner of 50s New York, again in an almost doo-wop bobby sox mode, when taking on the old-fashioned ‘Who Knows’. And on the final hummed chorus to brotherly love, they once again channel that doo-wop and soulful clarity; the message, one of comforting love in the face of hardship.

Despite the broken-up concrete and smashed windows, the badly constructed homes, of the “golden city”, the all-too real prospects of an early death and resigned fate, these voices disarm and lift above the distress to a level of spiritual escapism. None more so then when sung in the Zulu tongue on the soothed, buzzing and finger-popped rhythmic ‘Baninzi’: The only song on this album in that dialect (one of the most used languages in the Diepkloof region of the Soweto township) is a cover of the South African group Soil’s female perspective love song. Part of that Kasi Soul scene (just to make the matter more complicated, this is also the name of a South African DJ and singular artist), the near new jack swing, R&B flavor remains, as one individual provides a beatbox bass.

Survival has seldom sounded so inspiring; the links back to the American Southern Spirituals of subjugation startling. And yet, this is a new, reborn incarnation of gospel music fit for the daily struggles of youngsters striving to survive their environment. I can’t think of a better, more positive and potentially uplifting outlet for this group’s stories, experiences and dreams.

Incredibly moving and enriching for the soul, the united Diepkloof chorus has achieved the seminal with nothing more than their voices; releasing perhaps one of the year’s most essential records.  

Hi, my name is Dominic Valvona and I’m the Founder of the music/culture blog monolithcocktail.com For the last ten years I’ve featured and supported music, musicians and labels we love across genres from around the world that we think you’ll want to know about. No content on the site is paid for or sponsored and we only feature artists we have genuine respect for /love. If you enjoy our reviews (and we often write long, thoughtful ones), found a new artist you admire or if we have featured you or artists you represent and would like to buy us a coffee at https://ko-fi.com/monolithcocktail to say cheers for spreading the word, then that would be much appreciated.