Music of South Africa

The South African music scene includes both popular (jive) and folk forms.

• Iscathamiya - a cappella call-and-response music traditionally sung by men; popular performers include Ladysmith Black Mambazo
• Kwela - pennywhistle music
• Marabi - township music from the 1930s-60s
• Mbaqanga - a.k.a. township jive, township music popularized in the 60s by Johnny Clegg, the Mahatolla Queens and similar performers

During the punk rock boom of the late 1970s, South African bands like Wild Youth gained a cult following, focused in Durban. In the 1980s, Johnny Clegg and Juluka helped fuse rock and roll with native Zulu folk musics. The same decade saw a resurgence in rock and roll bands like The Helicopters, Petit Cheval, Sterling and Tellinger. The next decade brought popular attention on alternative rock bands like The Usual and Scooter's Union.

South African performers:

• The Asylum Kids
• Bright Blue
• Clout
• Freedom's Children
• The Helicopters
• Hugh Masekela
• Johnny Clegg
• Juluka
• Just Jinger
• Ladysmith Black Mambazo
• Mahatolla Queens
• Miriam Makebe
• Nine
• No Friends of Harry
• Penguins in Bondage
• Petit Cheval
• Power Age
• The Psycho Reptiles
• Rabbit
• Scabby Annie
• Scooter's Union
• The Springbok Nude Girls
• Squeal
• Sterling
• Sugardrive
• Tellinger
• Trans Sky
• Tribe After Tribe
• The Usual
• Vusi Mahlasela
• Wild Youth