24 January 2010

Dudu Pukwana - Sounds Zila




Some more dance music coming up here, this time Dudu Pukwana's 80s band, Zila. This was the first of three lps on his and Barbara Pukwana's own label, Jika, and there was a final record, a cd out in 1990. A live recording from the 100 Club in London in 1981, here's the band in a festive mood, some riveting up-tempo numbers, some smoochers and a little traditional South African music adapted for the band. This is Dudu taking his band in a more explicit danceable direction, perhaps not as interesting as his 70s recordings with Spear from the jazz point of view, but as with the Francois Tusques' Intercommunal Free Dance Music Orchestra, attempting to strike a sort of balance between the head and the feet, which is a good combination, particularly for a live performance. Party music, in other words.

Not a top copy, this one - a bit of crackle and some nasty scratches here and there, but it's what I found, so it's what we'll have to make do with for now.

Basic facts:

Dudu Pukwana - Sounds Zila (Jika ZL1, 1981)

A Side
Zila (Dudu Pukwana)
Uyini (Dudu Pukwana)
Chandeliers & Mirrors (Harry Beckett)

B Side
Suite Sweet Nowami (Dudu Pukwana)
Thula Sana (traditional arranged by Dudu Pukwana)
B My Dear (Dudu Pukwana)
Dudu Layi Layi (Dudu Pukwana)

ZILA

Dudu Pukwana - alto, soprano saxes, leader
Harry Beckett - trumpet, flugelhorn
Dave Defries - trumpet, flugelhorn
Errol Clarke - piano
Mark Wood - guitar
Eric Richardson - bass
Churchill Jolobe - drums
Smiley de Jones - congas
Peggy Phango - vocals

Special guests

George Lee - tenor sax, flute
Pinise Saul - vocals
Sonia Matabane - backing vocals
Linda Conco - backing vocals
Tiny Conco - backing vocals
Peter Segono - trumpet
Phil Kember - trombone
Ernest Mothle - bass


Produced by Dudu and Barbara Pukwana
Recorded live at the 100 Club, London, 16th January 1981
Liner notes by Val Wilmer

Suite Sweet Nowami was composed and performed with the support of a Jazz Bursary from the Arts Council of Great Britain

Enjoy! More Zila available from your blogger if you want it!
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36 comments:

  1. exilestreet24 January 2010 at 19:36:00 CET

    Thank you...
    Saw Zila on numerous occasions, freat band! Partly helped by the fact that I worked behind the bar at the 100 club.
    Regards/

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  2. freebones24 January 2010 at 19:44:00 CET

    this looks really neat. thanks a lot!

    -fb

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  3. Wallofsound24 January 2010 at 20:05:00 CET

    Nope, not the strongest Pukwana LP, but interesting within his discography. If you don't know already I've created just such a discography of Pukwana's recordings at http://wallofsound.wordpress.com/2008/10/18/dudu-pukwana-discography/

    I'll give this a listen to see if my copy is any better. If so I'll post an upgrade.

    I'm looking forward to your future posts.

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  4. Anonymous24 January 2010 at 21:04:00 CET

    Many thanks for this one. More Zila will be much appreciated.

    ReplyDelete
  5. kinabalu25 January 2010 at 00:36:00 CET

    Yes, I know about the discography. I have most of the items on the list in one form or another. The Masakela might be one to post. Jabula, too. I wasn't aware that he was on "Funky Kingston"! Gotta give it another listen.

    ReplyDelete
  6. kinabalu25 January 2010 at 00:39:00 CET

    Mona,

    Zila live must have been a thrill! You weren't there on the night of the recording? It bugs me that some of the tracks are faded out before they ended. Limitations of the medium?

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  7. kinabalu25 January 2010 at 00:46:00 CET

    Wos,

    if you have the Assagai "Zimbabwe" and "Afro Rock Festival", cculd you possibly up them? They've slipped by so far.

    ReplyDelete
  8. nikos25 January 2010 at 09:17:00 CET

    beautiful, joyous music..
    Thank you so much.
    If you have the other two Zila album please post 'em, scratches and all!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous25 January 2010 at 15:20:00 CET

    Assagai - Zimbabwe can be found here @320

    http://electricjive.blogspot.com/2009/12/assagai-zimbabwe-1971.html

    ReplyDelete
  10. kinabalu26 January 2010 at 00:27:00 CET

    Jason, thanks for the tip. I might have thought so. A very fine blog, that one ...

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous27 January 2010 at 15:04:00 CET

    Thanks for sharing this, it's much appreciated. -MB

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  12. mrG27 January 2010 at 19:37:00 CET

    I'm sure I'd heard that name before, couldn't say where;it's not a name one tends to forget, but wow, that sound!! I'm almost sure I hadn't actually heard him play before, and I now have another alto sax god in my pantheon of great players. Thanks so much for this introduction.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Wallofsound27 January 2010 at 22:56:00 CET

    @ kinabalu, I have got both Zimbabwe and Afro Rock Festival currently undigitised. The recommended link to Zimbabwe is a good one. I'll try and find time to digitise Afro Rock Festival, but I don't remember it as a classic recording.

    I can post the Masakela, but I think I've seen it on other blogs.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous28 January 2010 at 00:51:00 CET

    Hugh Masekela - Home Is Where The Music Is is on a couple of blogs in mp3 but there is a flac rip at AvaxHome.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Unknown13 May 2010 at 17:42:00 CEST

    Hi. Does anyone know where I could get a copy of Zila preferably on vinyl? I played Trombone on this record and would very much like to own a copy. Thanks, Phil Kember.

    ReplyDelete
  16. kinabalu14 May 2010 at 01:16:00 CEST

    Phil,

    I got it off Ebay from an individual in the UK, not from a shop. Of all the Zila records I've managed to find, this was decidedly the hardest.

    ReplyDelete
  17. kinabalu30 December 2014 at 14:53:00 CET

    New link:

    1fichier

    ReplyDelete
  18. Solomon31 December 2014 at 03:07:00 CET

    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous2 January 2015 at 06:10:00 CET

    Further thanks: - Great !

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  20. Anonymous2 January 2015 at 06:22:00 CET

    Thanks for taking the trouble to re-up so many earlier-posted Dudu Pukwana records. Appreciated!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Djordje2 February 2015 at 23:03:00 CET

    Thank you very much!!!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Djordje2 February 2015 at 23:03:00 CET

    Thank you very much!!!

    ReplyDelete
  23. matoga21 June 2017 at 22:13:00 CEST

    Any possibility of a re-up?

    ReplyDelete
  24. David3 August 2018 at 19:16:00 CEST

    reup possible please? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thole26 April 2019 at 02:52:00 CEST

    Kinabalu, a repost of all Zila albums will be more than much appreciated

    ReplyDelete
  26. kinabalu27 April 2019 at 12:28:00 CEST

    Hi Thole. I've checked all four Zilas and from what I can see, three are missing, but the Zila86 is still OK. Go to the link near the bottom of the thread, not the one at the top. I'll have the other three items up very soon.

    ReplyDelete
  27. kinabalu27 April 2019 at 13:01:00 CEST

    New link:

    Adrive

    ReplyDelete
  28. Destroyer198527 April 2019 at 20:05:00 CEST

    Wow, nice, The Brotherhood musicians are amazing, thanks.

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  29. David27 April 2019 at 22:56:00 CEST

    Thanks kinabalu!

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  30. Thole11 May 2019 at 05:51:00 CEST

    Thanks a lot Kinabalu, I'm looking forward to the other Zilas. And please don't forget Jabula self titled album. You've been my star player and I appreciate what you do for us; so thank you thank you thank you

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  31. kinabalu19 May 2019 at 13:33:00 CEST

    Coming up!

    Adrive

    ReplyDelete
  32. Thole20 May 2019 at 00:16:00 CEST

    Kinabalu, the great... amen

    ReplyDelete
  33. Destroyer198520 May 2019 at 17:12:00 CEST

    Thanks kinabalu and Thole.

    ReplyDelete
  34. roberth17 August 2019 at 02:45:00 CEST

    thank u kinabalu
    i first heard dudu on that solo mike heron album a long time ago, then the brotherhood and various bands. thanks and i love adrive.
    robert

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  35. Eric24 October 2019 at 08:02:00 CEST

    Thank you for the great music.

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  36. subharmonia.blogspot.com25 January 2021 at 23:10:00 CET

    Link is still a live! Thanks for this rare gem, by the legendary Dudu, which passed away far to early!

    ReplyDelete