All aboard.

S. Piliso & His Super Seven - Kuya Hanjwa.

Look, I'm not the guy to sort out all the political, social, sociopolitical, and other implications of the indie fascination with South African, and specifically Sowetan, music. There's a lot to say about it, especially when it comes to the long American history of appropriation, and there are no easy answers. I will say this: I love that first Vampire Weekend record, but I think the band's characterization of their music as "Upper West Side Soweto" was pretty obnoxious. And when I saw Tune-Yards in Boston last fall, their bassist was wearing a faded Ladysmith Black Mambazo t-shirt, and I rolled my eyes. I'm all for giving credit where it's due, but the use of a culture as a notch on an Indie Cred scorecard makes me a little nauseous.

But anyway, Soweto. I got this Next Stop Soweto compilation in the mail a couple of weeks ago, and I'm crazy about it. The songs just roll so easily out of the speakers, with such momentum and confidence, that you give yourself over to them completely. The tracks on this compilation are "jive" tracks from the sixties and seventies, prior to the Soweto uprising of 1976. This is the first installment in a three-volume series from Strut, and I'm already looking forward to parts 2 and 3, which will feature South African soul, funk, and R&B.

You can pre-order Next Stop Soweto here. Highly recommended.