Mbaqanga (Zulu pronunciation: [mɓaˈǃáːŋga]) is a type of music from South Africa that began in the early 1960s in the city areas, especially near Johannesburg. It uses musical traditions from different groups, such as Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Pedi, and Tsonga. Mbaqanga combines traditional South African singing styles, beat patterns, and dances with influences from marabi, kwela, and Western music like jazz. This music style still affects artists in South Africa and around the world.

History

In Zulu, the word mbaqanga means a simple cornmeal porridge. People who loved mbaqanga music were mostly common, city-based African jazz fans. Many of them could not live in the city or return to the countryside. Mbaqanga gave them a way to connect with music and spiritual strength; it became their "musical daily bread."

Mbaqanga musicians often earned very little money. For example, Simon "Mahlathini" Nkabinde, a well-known mbaqanga singer (and famous for his deep singing style, called the "lion of Soweto"), died poor. This was partly because black South African musicians were treated unfairly at home and abroad, as Mahlathini explained. In the 1960s, mbaqanga groups struggled to get their music played on local radio stations. They often performed outside record stores to attract audiences.

Mbaqanga began in South African shebeens (informal bars) during the 1960s. It used Western instruments, helping it become a South African version of jazz. Musically, it blended Western instruments with traditional South African singing styles. Many scholars say mbaqanga came from a mix of marabi and kwela. A government-sponsored South African website described mbaqanga as "the repeating structure of marabi… with a heavy amount of American big band swing added." Mbaqanga also created one of the first spaces for black and white people to interact in a racially divided country. The "white Nationalist government" ended this era by destroying townships like Sophiatown, which supported mbaqanga.

The genre became popular through radio stations owned by the South African Broadcasting Corporation. Early artists included Miriam Makeba, Dolly Rathebe, and Letta Mbulu. Mbaqanga stayed popular until the 1980s, when it was replaced by a new style called bubblegum, a type of pop music influenced by mbaqanga. One of the few remaining mbaqanga bands is The Cool Crooners, formed when two rival bands, The Cool Four and The Golden Delicious Rhythm Crooners, joined together.

By the mid-1950s, South African music grew in popularity as more people moved to cities. A key area was Sophiatown, near Johannesburg, which offered a black urban lifestyle since the 1930s. Sophiatown and Alexandra were rare places where Black people could own land. Their closeness to Johannesburg made them popular for musicians exploring new styles. However, when Sophiatown’s residents were forced to move to new townships like Soweto, this era ended.

One of the earliest innovators of mbaqanga was the Makgona Tsohle Band, a group of five workers from Pretoria: Marks Mankwane (lead guitar), Joseph Makwela (bass guitar), Vivian Ngubane (rhythm guitar), Lucky Monama (drums), and West Nkosi (saxophone). Mbaqanga, a Zulu word for steamed cornbread, combined marabi and kwela styles. The repeating structure of marabi mixed with traditional Zulu dance styles like indlamu and big band swing. This created the "African stomp" rhythm, which made the music appealing to audiences.

Rupert Bopape, working with the successful Gallo Record Company, brought together the Makgona Tsohle Band with Mahlathini and a new female group, the Mahotella Queens. This is when mbaqanga gained widespread popularity, especially "vocal mbaqanga" (later called simanje-manje or mgqashiyo). Singers like Miriam Makeba, Dolly Rathebe, and Letta Mbulu (who started as marabi stars in the 1950s) helped build a large fan base. Other musicians included the Dark City Sisters, The Soul Brothers, Simon Baba Mokoena, and West Nkosi, who left the Makgona Tsohle Band in 1990 for a solo career until his death in 1998.

Mbaqanga’s popularity declined in the 1970s due to the influence of Western pop, soul, and disco. Public performances dropped because labor migrants no longer wanted to be in the spotlight. Audiences also preferred more modern language, singing, and instrument styles. However, mbaqanga returned between 1983 and 1986. This revival was partly because of Paul Simon’s use of South African music in his Graceland album (1986) and tour. Appearances by Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens at festivals in France and at Nelson Mandela’s 70th birthday concert in London (1988) marked its return. White South African musicians like Robin Auld and Nico Carstens also influenced this style.

Mbaqanga was replaced in the 1980s by bubblegum, a new urban music style. Bubblegum was mainly influenced by mbaqanga and other African styles. With the introduction of television in 1976, bubblegum became popular across all ethnic groups. It was seen as a shift toward more modern music. Successful bubblegum artists included Chico Twala, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, and Brenda Fassie. The transition from mbaqanga to bubblegum helped create a new style called kwaito.

Today, some mbaqanga artists, like the Mahotella Queens and The Soul Brothers, still perform. Mbaqanga continues to influence musicians worldwide. For example, the Norwegian group Real Ones included a tribute song, "All the Way Back (Shades of Mbaqanga)," on their 2003 album *This is