Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens

Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens
Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens, 1988. (L to r): Hilda Tloubatla, Mahlathini, Nobesuthu Mbadu, and Mildred Mangxola.
Background information
Origin	Johannesburg, South Africa
Genres	Mbaqanga, Mgqashiyo
Years active	1964–1972 1987–1999
Labels	Gallo Record Company (1964–1999) Verve World/PolyGram Records

Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens (also known as Mahlathini Nezintombi Zomgqashiyo and Mahlathini and the Girls of Mgqashiyo) were a South African mbaqanga supergroup made up of the three musical acts linked together by talent scout and record producer Rupert Bopape at the Gallo Recording Company in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1964. The group composed of the following:

They were successfully popular in and around South Africa 1964–72, but found international success 1987–97, notably at the 70th-birthday tribute to Nelson Mandela at London's Wembley Arena in 1988, going on to feature in many international festivals.

The major record labels under South Africa's apartied era were white-owned companies with very few black artists. Historically, laws such as the Land Act of 1913 to the Group Areas Act (1950) prevented musicians from different tribal communities integrating and many were not permitted to establish themselves in the city. Consequently, making it almost impossible for most black music artists to gain recognition beyond their own tribal boundaries. During the apartheid period, black South Africans could no longer play to white audiences and white broadcasting programmers did not approve of American-influenced music. Mavuthela was instituted in 1964 as a division of the country's largest independent record label Gallo Africa to focus solely on producing music for the black South African market. It was headed by talent scout/producer Rupert Bopape, a former producer for EMI South Africa before joining Gallo Record Company. Bopabe had already had successes recording popular artists such as Alexandra Black Mambazo, the King's Messengers Quartet and female group the Dark City Sisters. Black South African producers came up with the idea of returning to the styles of acoustic African popular music and harmony singing groups, but they electrified the instruments, mixed the sexes, and added a lively 8/8 township beat. Mbaqanga music became popular amongst urban black South Africans living in the townships.