Few bands last 30 years. Even fewer help define a countrys music the way the Soul Brothers have that of South Africa. Their particular take on mbaqanga — the ubiquitous township jive — has made them stars in their homeland, with more than 30 albums covering their time. Singer David Masondo and keyboardist Moses Ngwenya have been playing together since 1976, but the genesis of the Soul Brothers goes back further, to the Groovy Boys, a 1970 Natal band where Masondo was the drummer. It didnt last, but Masondo, bassist Zakes Mchunu, and guitarist Tuza Mthethwa kept the music alive while working in a factory.
Few bands last 30 years. Even fewer help define a countrys music the way the Soul Brothers have that of South Africa. Their particular take on mbaqanga — the ubiquitous township jive — has made them stars in their homeland, with more than 30 albums covering their time. Singer David Masondo and keyboardist Moses Ngwenya have been playing together since 1976, but the genesis of the Soul Brothers goes back further, to the Groovy Boys, a 1970 Natal band where Masondo was the drummer. It didnt last, but Masondo, bassist Zakes Mchunu, and guitarist Tuza Mthethwa kept the music alive while working in a factory.