How Kwaito began.

It started off with western house music which the clubs in townships then slowed down, adding an African twist to the mix by throwing in some traditional African instruments as well as elements of African jazz, it was then that Kwaito was born. The style of Kwaito also incorporates other genres of music such as Hip Hop, R&B, dancehall and Disco. Kwaito was created in the townships of Soweto, near Johannesburg, where it became the voice of the younger generation growing up in these areas, it wasn’t just music, it represented times of struggle, it became a lyrical crutch that the younger generation could lean on to express how they felt, as well as the hardships their people had to endure. Kwaito was a success in townships, as this genre of music didn’t require tons of fancy/expensive equipment or special musical training, it could be made with the little that was available in townships- Kwaito is more about what the artist has to say through his or her lyrics not about what was used to make the music. This is a genre that was started from a struggle, from nothing at all really, but has grown to become the voice of the country; the heart beat of the nation.

Our Beat

It starts off with a heartbeat.  A simple beat that gets you by nine whole months, a beat that comforts you, defines you. From the comfort of a monotonous beat you are thrown into a world of chaos, a world where you must choose which rhythm to listen to, which beat to embrace. Rhythm is something that will never leave you, it is everywhere.  Rhythm is that deafening ring in a moment of dead silence, it is the hum of cars from a near by freeway or a tick tick tick of a pencil held by an anxious student. Rhythm is found in the tempo of a thunderstorm or the dripping of a loose tap.  It is present in the breathing of two lovers or the laughter of two friends.  The combination of these rhythms gives us a beat, a beat that triggers different emotions, emotions that drive our behaviour.  A beat can characterize an entire country or nation and even bring enemies together. We are a nation that requires very little to make a great deal more, we have a beat that encompasses our heritage our struggle this beat is a part of who we are, this beat is Kwaito.

Lets throw some Kwaito in the mix

Just dance.