South African classics by Malombo Jazz Makers to get vinyl reissues

UK reissue and Afrobeat specialist Strut Records has today (12 April) announced the first fruits from a brand-new catalogue deal with legendary South African musician and anti-apartheid activist, Julian Bahula (pictured above).

On 26 May, in partnership with Bahula, Strut will be reissuing Malombo Jazz Makers’ Malompo Jazz (1966) and Malombo Jazz Makers, Vol 2 (1967) on vinyl for the first time since their original release. The two albums have been recognized as unique landmarks of South African jazz through popular tracks like ‘Sibathathu’, ‘Jikeleza’, ‘Emakhaya’, ‘Hhlezipi’ and ‘Abbey’s Mood’.

According to Strut, "the two forthcoming releases will go a long way in bringing international recognition to Malombo Jazz Makers". An influential collective active at the height of the anti-apartheid movement during the 1960s and 70s, they were formed in Mamelodi township near Pretoria and first rose to fame in 1964 as Malombo Jazz Men with guitarist Philip Tabane after winning the prestigious Castle Lager Jazz Festival. The band was managed by Peter Magubane, the legendary photographer whose work decorated the pages of seminal magazine The Drum - widely known as the first black lifestyle magazine in Africa.

With Lucky Ranku replacing Tabane on guitar alongside Julian Bahula (malombo drums) and Abbey Cindi (flute, penny whistle), Malombo Jazz Makers would revolutionise South African jazz music, synthesizing characteristics common in the work of John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis with musical traditions and elements native to their South African roots.Especially pivotal was the incorporation of the malombo drum, used by their elders and ancestors as a conduit for physical and spiritual healing.

Speaking on their decision to include homegrown instrumentation in their work, founder member and drummer Bahula recalls: “We grew up listening to American jazz, but we wanted to mix it with what our forefathers were doing. Our ancestors used them to heal people who weren’t well, as did all the African doctors who would dance around the person as they were healing them. We thought this would be a lovely name for our band, because we saw what we were doing as music that heals”.

Amidst the landscape of a politically fraught era in South Africa’s history, the Makers' music soundtracked the resistance against apartheid and advocated liberation for black South Africans. Becoming closely associated with activists Steve Biko and Saths Cooper, Malombo Jazz Makers used their music to raise awareness around the  imprisonment of Nelson Mandela, leading to several tense encounters with the South African police.

Bahula remembers: “The struggle was heavy on us. We would get arrested often and the police tried to stop our shows several times. We had to tour in secret because we weren’t allowed to go from town to town as a result of the Natives Land Act. There were restrictions on where you could go and a curfew after 6pm – we weren’t supposed to be in certain areas.”

As a result, the band never had the opportunity to break internationally outside of South Africa – hopefully, with these new Strut reissues, this will change.

Both albums are available to pre-order here: https://pages.strut-records.co.uk/malombo-jazz-makers