Africa Is a Country

Traces of Bhekumuzi Luthuli

Africa Is a Country Podcast
African Five-a-Side Podcast

Traces of Bhekumuzi Luthuli

By
Sean Jacobs

White South African and Americans musicians have borrowed heavily and built a careers off the Maskandi music pioneered by working class musicians like Luthuli.

Cover art of a Bhekumuzi Luthuli album.

The maskandi musician Bhekumuzi Luthuli (1961-2010) passed away on Wednesday, April 7th, after a long illness. He was only 48.  Maskandi is associated with the rural parts of South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal. It is also the music of Zulu migrants to Johannesburg and was carried beyond the country’s borders further north by migrant workers from neighboring countries who came to work on South Africa’s mines, in its factories and its farms. At the time of his death, Luthuli was still considered an old school exponent of the genre, which is performed entirely in Zulu.

Luthuli, along with another musician Ihashi Elimhlophe (Bheki Ngcobo) as well as Phuzekhemisi did a lot to gain the genre mainstream success in South Africa. Other stars of the genre that became crossover acts are Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Soul Brothers. White South African musicians like Johnny Clegg built a career on Maskandi music. Internationally, Paul Simon has borrowed from maskandi for his “Graceland” in the 1980s. You can also hear traces of maskandi borrowings in the music of Vampire Weekend.

Bhekumuzi played the guitar (isigingi). This instrument is often combined with concertina and violin. Writing in 1994, in the journal “World of Music,” the academic Nollene Davies describes the central role of guitars in this music: “The guitar is the most popular instrument among maskandi musicians by far.” And these musicians view the guitar as indigenous: “The fact that a Western instrument is used is of little consequence to musicians as it is regarded as ‘indigenous’; in fact, it is referred to as ‘Zulu guitar’ by maskandi musicians who consciously aim to incorporate Zulu concepts into the music.”

Politically, Bhekumuzi was associated with the Zulu royal family’s loyalties which skewed towards the Inkatha Freedom Party (a conservative and reactionary Zulu nationalist party) and he has made some reactionary public pronouncements (like his support for the death penalty). The genre is also distinguished by its masculinity.  More recently, former Deputy President Jacob Zuma, in his appeal to Zulu tradition and nationalism, has incorporated Maskandi sounds into his rallies. But Bhekumuzi wasn’t known for his politics. He was known for his music.

Anyway, today’s time to celebrate his music and life. The song above, “Impatha” is one of his hits. His greatest hit is “Umlanjwana.” And here’s another, “Banamanga.”

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