Gumba Fire: Bubblegum Soul & Synth Boogie In 1980s South Africa(Various Artists)

Description

Triple vinyl LP version including bonus track not included on CD version. 2018 release, a compilation of rare 1980s South African bubblegum and boogie. In 1980s Black South Africa, a local form of pop music evolved as the disco boom died down and slowly mutated. It was often ubiquitously described as bubblegum – usually stripped-down and lo-fi with a predominance of synths, keyboards, and drum-machines and overlaid with the kind of deeply soulful trademark vocals and harmonies that South African music is famous for. Compilers Miles Cleret (Soundway) and DJ Okapi (Afrosynth Records) present a selection of 18 rare, handpicked 1980s cuts that highlight the period that nestles in between the ’70s (where American-influenced jazz, funk, and soul bumped shoulders with local mbaqanga) and the ’90s when kwaito and eventually house-music ruled the dancefloors of urban South Africa. Alongside French-Caribbean zouk this kind of music has slowly been making it’s way into the DJ sets of many of the most open-minded selectors around the world. This compilation is in many ways a sister release to the hugely popular compilation of Nigerian boogie and disco that Soundway released in late 2016: Doing It In Lagos: Boogie, Pop & Disco In 1980s Nigeria.