Search - Various Artists :: Gumboot Guitar: Zulu Street Guitar Music

Street music played by people who work hard all day.

WorldDiscoveries.Net | Petaluma, California | 08/29/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you loved the guitar sound on Paul Simon's GRACELAND cd, or even more on the early Juluka recordings featuring Johnny Clegg, you might want to check out GUMBOOT GUITAR. Be forewarned, however: this is the real deal: street music played by people who work hard all day, usually in a mine, and play at night or on the weekend. Expect tinkley guitars, occasional violin, accordion, vocal, and foot stomping (in rubber boots, or 'gumboots').

 The real roots of South Africa umbaquanga music are right here.

 Sometimes when the boots are stomping, the listener is reminded of tap dancing: can you imagine tap dancing in rubber boots?

 There's a variety of sound on GUMBOOT GUITAR as far as instruments are concerned: on gumboot-dominated tunes, the guitar in the background plays rhythmic chords with a very percussive attack. A pounding beat is also belted out by an accordion or concertina on most tunes.

The last two tracks are strictly solo guitar recorded on a cheap cassette machine: raw, low tech, and powerful.

 The person primarily responsible for this recording is Janet Topp Fargion, an ethnomusicologist born in South Africa who along with a friend actually joined a troupe of gumboot dancers and performed with them for several years.

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