Just in time for the start of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, the Strut Records label drops part 2 and 3 in their 'Next Stop... Soweto' series. Volume 2 was given 'Soul, Funk & Organ Grooves From The Townships 1969 - 1976' as a subtitle and mainly focuses on the South African soul scene. In the 1960s the South African apartheid regime started to frown upon foreign music influences. Although in those circumstances it was anything but evident to get music (censorship was the order of the day) a small soul scene managed to hold its ground. On this compilation Strut introduces the listener to groups like The Rovers, The Anchors and The Klooks or the Motown and Stax sounds from the townships of South Africa.
'Giants, Ministers And Makers, Jazz In South Africa 1963 - 1984', volume 3 in the series, sounds a lot different. The history of jazz in South Africa dates back to the twenties of the last century with a glory period in the 1950s and artists like the Jazz Epistles and Chris McGregor as its most famous exponents. The songs on this compilation, however, date from the period 1963-1984. In South Africa's turbulent sixties, a period characterized by radio restrictions, police raids with the Sharpeville Massacre (the Sharpeville massacre was an incident that took place in Sharpeville, South Africa, on March 21, 1960, when police opened fire on black demonstrators. More than 20,000 inhabitants were demonstrating against the pass laws that hampered them in their freedom of movement and forced them to show their ID whenever asked. The demonstration was organized by the Pan-African Congress. The police fired on the protesters, killing 69 dead and wounding many) as a dark low point, several of South Africa's biggest artists (Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba…) left the country. Some determined musicians still decided to bite the bullet and on this disc you can finally discover South African jazz legends like saxophonist Dudu Pukwana or drummer Early Mabuza. One of the songs on the album is 'Next Stop… Soweto', a never released track by Dollar Brand to which this series owes its name. Top-notch archive work!