south african

Thomas Mapfumo (born 1945 in Marondera, Zimbabwe) is a Zimbabwean musician known as "The Lion of Zimbabwe" for his immense popularity and for the political influence he wields through his music. Pre-Independence, his songs openly called for the violent overthrow of the government, with lyrics like "Mothers, send your sons to war." Since the white government didn't understand Shona, however, at first they didn't realize how radical the songs were.

Clout were originally a five-piece, South African all-girl group formed in 1977, best known for their song "Substitute", which sold millions of copies. "Substitute" was a cover version of an obscure Righteous Brothers song, composed by Willie Wilson. Clout's version reached number two in the UK singles chart for three weeks in June 1978, and number one in New Zealand, Australia, Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and South Africa. It only reached number sixty-seven in the U.S. for one week in September 1978, but stayed in the Billboard chart for ten weeks altogether.

Mixing African gospel with traditional hymns, Jamaican reggae, American pop, and spiritually themed secular songs, the Soweto Gospel Choir are an impressive performing unit. Formed in Soweto, South Africa, in 2002 by choir directors David Mulovhedzi and Beverly Bryer, the group includes 30-some members and the show they produce is a powerful expression of hope and joy full of gorgeous South African vocal harmonies.

Arno Carstens is one of South Africa's most revered vocalists. He performed for 8 years as the lead singer of one of SA's most celebrated rock bands: The Springbok Nude Girls. He then worked as a solo artist after briefly starting a project band, New Porn. Their planned album was eventually released as a Carstens solo effort. Another Universe, released in September 2003 is a departure from Arno's typical sound, reflecting growth in musical interpretation whilst staying true to the honesty and power of his vocal ability. The album has been lauded in SA as a masterpiece.