Maskandi is one of
South Africa’s most famous music industries. The traditionally Zulu folk music
has been evolving together with the country over the last decades but has its
origin in the early 20th century at the time of forced labour
migration. Maskandi is a predominantly male dominated music, although in
the past few years this trend has slowly reversed and more and more women have
been front-singers. A typical Maskandi band consists of the
musicians, the backup dancers and the front-singer, who also plays the guitar
(often the lead guitar). Characteristically, the songs would start with guitar virtuosity,
be accompanied by call-and-response pattern with the ‘ingoma’ dancers in the
background and somewhere in the song you will also find a rap passage (‘izibongo’).
The purpose behind Maskandi has a big social
component; it is a way of passing on messages and the Zulu culture to the youth.
The songs deal with ancestors, love, death, ‘lobola’ (dowry), HIV/AIDS and
other socially critical issues. Normally, the songs are written from the perspective
of the front-singer and his/her life experiences. While the heart of Maskandi
music lies in Durban, KwaZulu Natal, today most of the famous artists
live and perform in and around Johannesburg.
Among the most famous bands of Maskandi
today are: