''Thokozile'' is an album by the

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

n mbaqanga group

Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens (also known as Mahlathini Nezintombi Zomgqashiyo and Mahlathini and the Girls of Mgqashiyo) were a South African ''mbaqanga'' supergroup made up of the three musical acts linked together by talent scout and r ...

, released in 1987. The album was a reunion of

Mahlathini Simon "Mahlathini" Nkabinde (1937 or 1938 – 27 July 1999) was a South African ''mbaqanga'' singer. Known as the "Lion of Soweto", Nkabinde is the acknowledged exponent of the deep-voiced, basso profundo "groaning" style that came to symboli ...

with the backing

Makgona Tsohle Band The Makgona Tsohle Band was a South African instrumental band that is noted for creating the mbaqanga music style. Mbaqanga is an acculturated popular South African music that emerged in the 19th century. Mbaqanga is also referred to as town ...

and three of the original Queens,

Hilda Tloubatla Hilda Semola Tloubatla (born 1942) is a South African ''mbaqanga'' singer, and the lead singer of the acclaimed group the Mahotella Queens. Tloubatla was born in Payneville, South Africa before moving to kwaThema township in 1951 as a result of ...

Nobesuthu Mbadu Nobesuthu Gertrude Mbadu (26 April 1945 – 31 August 2021) was a South African ''mbaqanga'' singer, and a singer in the acclaimed group the Mahotella Queens. Early life Mbadu was born in Durban, South Africa and was raised by her father Fer ...

and Mildred Mangxola. The album (#Gallo-GRC BL 590) featured re-recordings of older songs such as "Umculo Kawupheli" (heard here as "Sibuyile") and "Sithunyiwe" ("Thokozile"). The album propelled the group into immediate international stardom when it was issued internationally on the Earthworks label.

Critical reception

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

deemed the album "professional dance music at its finest and roughest." ''

The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', often referred to simply as ''The Inquirer'', is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded on June 1, 1829, ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is the third-longest continuously operating da ...

'' wrote that "the music is dense with intertwining melody lines and urgent choruses." ''

The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuous ...

'' called ''Thokozile'' "a typically infectious set of township jive, though the production tends towards sterility."

Track listing

# "Thokozile" ("Praise/Be Happy") # "Lilizela Mlilizeli" ("Ululate/Applaud") # "Sibuyile" ("We Are Back") # "Nina Majuba" ("You Pigeons") # "I Wanna Dance" # "Uyavutha Umlilo" ("Music Inferno") # "Sengikhala Ngiyabaleka" ("I'm Crying and Running Away") # "Izulu Liyaduduma" ("Thunderstorm")

References

{{Authority control Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens albums 1987 albums