How to conduct a Kwela Tune

Kwela is a  specific South African street music played on small flutes (pennywhistles).  A typical kwela band of the fifties included 1-3 pennywhistles, a  one-stringed tea-box bass, an accoustic  guitar  and a rattle. Musical base is a catchy melody motif, a steady rhythm and increasing flute improvisation.

This Tsetse workshop uses following popular melody (“Skokiaan”, originally  a Zimbabwean tune; see notes* below) for its short kwela demonstration:

Melody

In the early days cattle-herders had used 3-holed reed flutes, after moving to cities 6-holed metal flutes were adopted. Players were famous for placing the instrument between their teeth at an angle.

Guitar

The guitar is a main part of the band’s rhythm section; solos are less frequent. The tunes are generally  based on short 2 or  4 bars/riffs and structured by steady shuffles. Flute and guitar together sound like this:

As rhythm plays an important role in nearly all African music,  the bass is essential, too:

Bass

Bass is also played percussive. In early times a self-made 1-string bass (like in skiffle bands) was used. As studio recordings emerged, upright double basses were used instead.

DrumsIPercussion

An authentic Kwela band used rattles (often self-made from bottles with pebbles or cherry stones in it). Later on extended percussion and modern drum kit is used.

                            All tracks blended together make the:
Final Version

                           To listen to  Tsetse’s real version of “Skokiaan”, go here.

*Sheet notes: Bulawayo Sweet Rhythms Band

(Download includes all files)