Moses Mchunu’s Biography, Career
ABOUT MOSES MCHUNU
South African Maskandi musician Moses Mchunu hails from KwaZulu-Natal. His popular song “Qhwayilahle” and his upbeat live performances have made him famous. Known for his celebration of traditional Zulu culture, he is regarded as one of the greatest Maskandi musicians of all time. Mchunu is a pro at the instrument and started performing at an early age. Rich harmonies, powerful melodies, and contagious rhythms define his work. In addition, he is well-known for his social commentary, frequently addressing problems like unequal treatment, inequalities, and poverty through his music. Mchunu is regarded as a national treasure in South Africa since he is a genuine representative of Zulu culture via his music, which never stops entertaining listeners everywhere.
His sound is similar to neo-traditional Mbaqanga music’s catchy and complex four-bar sequences of classical guitar, vocals and harmonies, strong baselines, percussion, and usually an accordion or a violin. Black South Africans are familiar with Mchunu’s music because to his breakout song “Qhwayilahle” from the 1985 album Indestructible Beat of Soweto. Its origins can be traced back to the wandering maskandi musicians of the 1960s and 1970s, who would stroll the white suburbs and industrial regions of Durban, conversing with each other while strumming guitars or concertinas. Though not overtly linked to the apartheid-era social conditions, Mchunu’s records which were primarily purchased by migrant workers sing of issues and events in rural, traditional African life, such as cattle, religion, harvesting, honoring clans and chiefs, marriage, and death.
Africa’s Transvaal, 1953. In the turbulent Zulu “jive style” of the mid-1970s, Chhumu was a prominent vocalist before mbaqanga took over. With their upbeat rhythms, dynamic guitar, violin, and concertina accompaniment, and strong vocals rooted in the blues, Mchunu’s band personified the genre’s allure. He put out several albums that did well on the South African market, but none of them became well-known outside.
umaskandi