7 February 2010

Johnny Mbizo Dyani - Witchdoctor's Son 'Together'



Following Dudu Pukwana's Zila, here's Johnny Mbizo Dyani's Witchdoctor's Son. This is not to be confused with the Witchdoctor's Son that came out on the Steeplechase label with a different line-up, though with Dudu Pukwana in both. This here is a Swedish - South African crew assembled by Mbizo for a session in Stockholm in late 1979 - early 1980. Most of the South Africans on the record were living in Sweden at the time, including Mbizo while Pukwana flew in from London for the session. Kenny Haakonson, guitarist with the prog rock outfit Kebnekajse was roped in as well as drummer Bosse Skoglund, old chums of Mbizo.

What we have here is one side of Mbizo compositions drawing on the popular SA music of the 50s and later, one traditional (in fact the same tune as the one on the Zila album posted previously), one quickie fusion number and then the odd one out, I thought, "Kalahari", named after the Botswana desert. Here Haakonson gets to do a proggish uptempo piece which would not out of place on a Kebnekajse record from the 70s, though normally not associated with Mbizo, though . Mbizo has vacated the bass for keyboards and handles vocal duties on this record.

All in all, this is eminently danceable and groovable, and an appropriate follow-up to Zila, of which there'll be more later (and more Dyani, of course).

Basic facts:

1. Together
2. Johnny's Kwela
3. Marabi Soweto
4. High Priest
5. Kalahari
6. Crossroads
7. Tula Tula

All compositions by Johnny Mbizo Dyani, except 7, traditional, arranged by JMD.

Johnny Mbizo Dyani - keyboards, vocals
Dudu Pukwana - altosax, whistles
Virimuje Shimmy Radise - tenor sax
Kenny Hakansson - electric guitars
Hassan Ban - congas
Bosse Skoglund - drums
Felix Perrera - South African trad. harp

Produced by Stanley Koonin at Sound City Studios, Stockholm, Dec.1979-Jan.1980.

This was released posthumously on the Cadillac label in 1987 and label head John Jack is listed as executive producer, though whether he may have had anything to do with the original sessions is not clear.

22 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Wow! Thanks - anything of Johnny Dyani's is greatly appreciated.

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  3. I have all of Dyani's Steeplechase albums, but this one was completely unknown to me. Thanks for sharing!

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  4. Another Pukwana! Many thanks for this.

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  5. Thank you so much for sharing this treasure with us.

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  6. 'm allways happy to find a new jhonny dyani, thank you thank you

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  7. Thanks for the rip/ The link with the missing mp3/flac is dead. Also, do you have Dyani's Afrika Lp please.

    Much thanks.

    Alexsam

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  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  9. Thank you for all the excellent Dyani updates.Please continue as we have limited access to these works in SA.
    Thanks
    Paul

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  10. @Paul and others: I can repost any of the SA-related posts in the past. Please make a specific request. I'm not going to repost anything unless there is a demand for it. Too much work otherwise.

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  11. thanks ; Dyani & Pukwana together, very interesting.

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  12. Hi Kinabalu, can you please reup this and (Jabula) a group by Julian Bahula who is also South African and also Blue Notes For Mbizo and last Amampondo. That'd be much appreciated, thanks in advance... Thole Ndlovu from Mzansi Africa

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  13. New link:

    Adrive

    The Blue Notes for Johnny (Mbizo) should be doable. Anything in particular by Jabula and Amampondo?

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  14. Hi and thanks a lot Kinabalu for the reupload. Jabula would be "thunder into our hearts" and Amampondo "state of emergency" and "Vukani"... now that would be immensely appreciated. I thank you and God bless you and your family in life and your endeavors. Mzansi Africa has become something of a desert and most music shops shut. So you get the picture

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  15. Jabula - Thunder into our Hearts

    Adrive

    I managed to retrieve a copy of this one off Soulseek. I don't have it myself, but after having listened, feel very much tempted to get a vinyl copy. Anything with Dudu Pukwana is worth having, IMHO.

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  16. Amampondo - Vuyani

    Adrive

    I couldn't locate a copy of "State of Emergency" online,

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  17. I'll get back to you with the Blue Notes for Johnny later on. I might do a rip of my own copy.

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  18. Thank you very very much Kinabalu, Kinabalu. Words area too inadequate to express my gratitude, bless you

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  19. Many thanks for your J.Dyani posts! Some really wonderful & hard-to-find material.

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