Modiehi

It’s pretty hard to overstate West Nkosi’s influence on South Africa’s music. He was a member of mbaqanga supergroup Mahlathini & The Mahotella Queens, and while working at the legendary Gallo Record Company he produced thousands of records for some of South Africa’s biggest artists like Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Teaspoon & The Waves. Marumo, whose members met at a school for the blind near Cape Town, were not yet stars (they’ve since developed something of a cult following thanks to their sprawling dancefloor jam “Khomo Tsaka Deile Kae?”) when Nkosi produced their 1982 album Modiehi. The record is a mix of disco, funk, gospel and mbapanga, and Nkosi’s hand is apparent in the way joyous, energetic rhythms are paired with more melancholic elements — the glistening synths and wistful vocals on dance floor cut “Toitoi” for example, or the somber atmospheres on gospel track “O Mohau”, counteracted by sweet, uplifting vocal harmonies. Funky organs, deep, groaning bass and spacey synths reign supreme on this record, another real gem that would have remained largely unknown if not for DJ Okapi’s legendary Afrosynth blog.