Album: The Indestructible Beat of Soweto
Artist: Various Artists
Release Date: 1985
Genre: Mbaqanga
Length: 0:45:42
Label: Earthworks Records
Producer: Various Producers
Rolling Stone Top 500 (2012): #388
Rolling Stone Top 500 (2020): #497
An experience everyone should listen to at least once...
A compilation album of various artists out of South Africa, The Indestructible Beat of Soweto has become one of the most influential world music records in history.
A distinctly African feel, the opening track "Awungilobolele" features rhythms, melodies and patterns which are abnormal for western music. The album showcases a style called Mbaqanga, which is a Zulu root influenced genre in South Africa. The lyrics throughout the album are entirely in Zulu which comes off as more of an instrument since it's impossible to understand unless you speak Zulu, which allows the listener to focus more on the musical aspects of the record.
"Holotelani" gives a more western sound with introduced African sounds. The cheerful guitar melody, the drum set's laid back groove, the distinct percussive sounds along with the call and response of the female vocalist, and the choir-like male vocal background all makes this an excellent feature of Mbaqanga. This song gives Westerners a look into the joy of life and positive outlook in African culture and continues throughout the rest of the record.
The mix of western influences while still maintaining the distinct Zulu sound is impressive. Their comfortable use of guitars, bass and drums, are all intersected with the traditional South African instruments and feel, which is one of the reasons this album appealed to Westerners so much. The fourth track "Indoda Yejazi Elimnyama" presents this intersection heavily and this mix makes this song, and the rest of the tracks exciting to listen to.
The use of the lyrical content is non-existent to someone that doesn't speak the language, but that actually serves the album perfectly. The focus of attention can be on the sounds, the style and the rhythm instead of the story of the song. Some people listen to music for the specific messages and stories, and this album may be hard for them to digest, but if you concentrate more on the music itself, you will learn to appreciate The Indestructible Beat of Soweto for what it's worth.
The final track features Ladysmith Black Mambazo, one of the most famous artists of South Africa and opens with a harmonic choir-based singing performance. A dreamy, percussive, and joyous song, "Nansi Imali" is the most impressive way to finish an album that is exciting throughout.
This album is amazing if you can appreciate other cultural music. The one negative aspect I would have to say is that it does start to get repetitive towards the end. The use of the different sounds that are not common in modern music is fantastic and opens your mind to the South Africa lifestyle and how they view their own lives...
Favorite Songs: "Holotelani", "Nansi Imali",
Least Favorite Song: "Sini Lindile"
Production Quality:
Mix = 7.5/10
Innovation = 9.5/10 (One of the most influential world music albums in history)
Songwriting Quality:
Arrangement = 8.5/10 (Great songs throughout but can get slightly repetitive towards the end)
Lyricism = 8/10 (Lyrics that give more of an instrument sound than storytelling)
Instrumentation Quality:
Vocal Timbre = 10/10
Instrumental Timbre = 10/10
Group Chemistry = 8.5/10
Overall Likability:
My Personal Rating = 9/10
Overall Rating: 8.75/10
Any confusion on how the rating is weighted/calculated, please look at my "About" page.
Remember this is all my opinion! Let me know if you agree, disagree or have any comments!