An introduction
South Africa is very diverse, with many native African ethnic groups as well as European and Indian peoples.
Pop styles are based on two major sources, Zulu isicathamiya singing and harmonic mbaqanga.
How it began
By the end of the nineteenth century, South African cities were large enough to attract foreign musicians, especially American ragtime players.
African American spirituals were popularized in the 1890s.
Things got going
South African popular music began in 1912 with the first commercial recordings, but only began booming after 1930 when several South African musicians to were sent to London to record for Singer Records.
The Marley effect
The most lasting change, however, may have been the importation of reggae from Jamaica. Following Bob Marley's concert celebrating Zimbabwe's independence in 1980.
Into the 1990s, Lucky Dube was one of the best-selling artists in South African history. The 90s also saw Jamaican music move towards ragga, an electronic style that was more influential on kwaito (South African hip hop music) than reggae.
SA pop music
Bubblegum was a form of pure South African pop music arose in the middle of the 1980s, distinctively based on vocals with overlapping call-and-response vocals.
Dan Tshanda of the band Splash was the first major bubblegum star, followed by Chicco Twala. Twala introduced some politically-oriented lyrics, such as "We Miss You Manelo" (a coded tribute to Nelson Mandela).
The late 1980s saw the rise of Yvonne Chaka Chaka, beginning with her 1984 hit
"I'm In Love With a DJ", which was the first major hit for bubblegum. Her
popularity rose into the 1990s, especially across the rest of Africa and into
Europe.
Bringing SA talent to the world
Yvonne Chaka Chaka - has been at the forefront of South African popular music for 20 years. One of her songs also features in the opening scene of the 2005 movie Hotel Rwanda.
Johnny Clegg - called "The White Zulu", he is an important figure in South African popular music history, with songs that mix Zulu and English lyrics, and mixed music styles.
Miriam Makeba - In 1966, Makeba received the Grammy Award for Best Folk Recording together with Harry Belafonte for An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba.
Hugh Masekela - married to Miriam Makeba has covered the globe and played with just about every top star you can think of.
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On the Radio today
In the first few years of the 21st century, Cape Town has become a hot bed for the South African underground music scene.
While being a small scene with only a few thousand patrons, the city is consistently producing a wide variety of music that is both ground breaking and of high quality.
The most notable of the groups to have emerged during this period are Freshlyground who won the MTV African Artist of the Year 2006. One of the characteristics of the scene is the strong sense of community which sees aritst, promoters and venues (such as The Independent Armchair Theatre) all actively involved in developing the local talent.
Currently The Springbok Nude Girls (or just the Nude Girls, as they are affectionately known) are probably one of the more popular South African bands. The music is a blend of rock and metal with soulful vocals and harmonies