Deep Sea
Lister
Pat Shange the highly popular South African Pop Artist of the 80s is dead. Shange who was born in 1956 at Sweetwaters in Pietermaritzburg in South Africa died last week at the age of 65 at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital from Covid related complications as revealed by the Sowetan LIVE.
Growing as a teanager in late 80s about the time just before the Congolese Rumba had started rulling the airwaves with tracks of Franco, Soukous Stars and the likes, it was the Pop music made in Germany, UK and South Africa that were most popular and favourites with the youths.
In Germany, The Frank Farian Corporation had innovated mega pop groups such as "The Boney M" (I see a Boat in a River, Kalemba De Luna) and the "A La Carte" (When The Boys Come home, You get me on the run) which were as deadly as competitive as the ABBA (Super Trouper, Knowing You Knowing me), The Bee Gees (Staying Alive, How deep is your love) and The "A Teens" (123 Red lights, Floorfiller) in the endless catalogue of great music outfits in the UK and the West.
In Africa, it was undoubtedly South Africa with constellation of Pop Stars like Pat Shange and Midnight Express (Anytime Babe), Brenda and the Big Dudes (Let's Stick together), CBJ/Taboo (Self Service), Condry Ziqubu and The Cats (Skprokoro), PJ Powers(Jabulani/Soweto), Zia Woza Moya (Tozie Tal), Shipo Hostix Mabuse (Burn Out), Cheek to Cheek (So good so nice), Steve Kekana (All I want is in Africa), Chico Twala (We miss you Manellow) and the Splash (Peacock) among others who reigned supreme.
Of these South African Pop starts it was Pat Shange who brought up and mentored another great Pop giant, the renowned songbird called Yvonne Machaka popularly known as Chaka Chaka in his band MIDNIGHT EXPRESS. It is from Shange's Midnight Express that Chaka Chaka released her albums: In Love with the DJ; From Me To you, Freedom/Lobola; Save me/Sangoma; Who's the Boss/Am not your slave; and Let him Go.
Pat Shange on the other hand produced memorable albums like Any Time Babe/Sweet Mama; Shahile Time/Kamoliza; Am not a Casanova; Sweet Is The Night, The Rules of love which accorded us wonderful tunes and lyrics worth using to launch seductive arsenals against our lovely female counterparts equally eager in their feigned reluctance to explore our masculine world.
Growing as a teanager in late 80s about the time just before the Congolese Rumba had started rulling the airwaves with tracks of Franco, Soukous Stars and the likes, it was the Pop music made in Germany, UK and South Africa that were most popular and favourites with the youths.
In Germany, The Frank Farian Corporation had innovated mega pop groups such as "The Boney M" (I see a Boat in a River, Kalemba De Luna) and the "A La Carte" (When The Boys Come home, You get me on the run) which were as deadly as competitive as the ABBA (Super Trouper, Knowing You Knowing me), The Bee Gees (Staying Alive, How deep is your love) and The "A Teens" (123 Red lights, Floorfiller) in the endless catalogue of great music outfits in the UK and the West.
In Africa, it was undoubtedly South Africa with constellation of Pop Stars like Pat Shange and Midnight Express (Anytime Babe), Brenda and the Big Dudes (Let's Stick together), CBJ/Taboo (Self Service), Condry Ziqubu and The Cats (Skprokoro), PJ Powers(Jabulani/Soweto), Zia Woza Moya (Tozie Tal), Shipo Hostix Mabuse (Burn Out), Cheek to Cheek (So good so nice), Steve Kekana (All I want is in Africa), Chico Twala (We miss you Manellow) and the Splash (Peacock) among others who reigned supreme.
Of these South African Pop starts it was Pat Shange who brought up and mentored another great Pop giant, the renowned songbird called Yvonne Machaka popularly known as Chaka Chaka in his band MIDNIGHT EXPRESS. It is from Shange's Midnight Express that Chaka Chaka released her albums: In Love with the DJ; From Me To you, Freedom/Lobola; Save me/Sangoma; Who's the Boss/Am not your slave; and Let him Go.
Pat Shange on the other hand produced memorable albums like Any Time Babe/Sweet Mama; Shahile Time/Kamoliza; Am not a Casanova; Sweet Is The Night, The Rules of love which accorded us wonderful tunes and lyrics worth using to launch seductive arsenals against our lovely female counterparts equally eager in their feigned reluctance to explore our masculine world.