Celebrated mbaqanga ensemble Soul Brothers has weathered the storm for 46 years in the music industry.
Known as Ogandaganda base Mzansi, which means bulldozers of SA, the group has survived changing trends and proven that it has what it takes to keep a loyal fan base coming back for four decades.
Their long journey is the culmination of hard work, loyalty, trust and speed bumps that have kept them going. As one of the longest-running mbaqanga bands in SA, the group continues to innovate and its album sales reach gold and platinum status. On social media platforms like YouTube, the group’s music is among the most viewed in SA with the live DVD titled Mama ka Sibongile getting more than 4.8m views.
The group was started in KwaZulu-Natal as Groovy Boys by drummer and vocalist David Masondo, bassist Zakes Mchunu and guitarist Tuza Mthethwa, who are all late. They relocated to Johannesburg in 1974 and were joined by Moses “Black Moss” Ngwenya and American Zulu to form Soul Brothers.
From its first single Mshoza Wami, which dropped in 1976 and sold 60,000 units within three months with the classic hit Mama ka Sibongile, Soul Brothers have continued to excel. Mama ka Sibongile peaked at a record 175,000 units.
Ngwenya says: “We are one of the few groups that are still standing. It takes a lot of courage and dedication to continue producing music for 46 years. We had our own challenges but we soon realised that it was part of our journey. There was a time where we lost members of the group and we were actually afraid.”
Mthethwa died in a car accident in 1979 and Zulu passed on later after he had left the group. In 1984, Mchunu died and in 2015 Masondo followed.
To mark 46 years in the music industry, the group will have a national tour taking their music to fans who stood by them through thick and thin. The group is set to perform at Winston Churchill Theatre in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, on Friday while they will be at Imbizo Hall in Empangeni on Saturday and the mbaqanga kings wrap up the KwaZulu-Natal tour in Mbazwane in Mhlabuyalingana on Sunday. The anniversary tour ends in Johannesburg with a performance at Newtown Music Factory (Bassline) on March 5.
“This is the biggest milestone for us and we need to celebrate it with people who have put us where we are today. We have been postponing these shows a few times due to Covid-19 regulations. We started the journey in Bethal and Carolina [both in Mpumalanga] early February. It feels different being on stage after this long absence,” Ngwenya says.
Over the years Soul Brothers distinguished themselves with a unique sound that is a fusion of mbaqanga music and soul music. As a group that started during the era of The O’Jays and Manhattans, Soul Brothers got inspired by such groups in terms of dress code and moves on stage. When the group started, members sported Afro hairstyles and looked elegant in shiny and colourful outfits, as well as fine shoes.
“The dress code is part of the group’s culture. It is our old culture that we wear uniforms so that we look presentable on stage. When we started we were inspired by American bands and we wore [outfits] like those black Americans. As time went on we discovered our style. We had an Italian shop in the Joburg city [centre] where we always bought outfits for CD cover shoots. We used to spend R20,000 with Masondo because we wanted to look good.
“The support that we got from our fans kept us going. We knew that we cannot stop and we continued. Like all other groups, we had differences and challenges but we kept going because it was not about us but the group,” Ngwenya says.
After Masondo, who was a lead vocalist and co-composer died, Soul Brothers elevated backing vocalist Thokozani Hadebe.
“Yes, when David died I had big shoes to feel. Since I knew all the songs because I have worked with Soul Brothers for 20 years, it was not a challenge. The only issue was getting the fans to accept me in a new role. I feel honoured to be part of such a legendary group. What excites me is that after 46 years, the group is still loved and supported by the fans,” Hadebe says.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.