The Soul Brothers play mbqanga but the sextet isn't so old-school they lost their homeland popularity à la
Mahlathini in the '70s (or enjoyed the latter's international revivalist success in the late '80s for that matter). Combining four songs from a live 1995 BBC session with tracks from two South African albums released around the same time,
Born to Jive is full of sprightly but smooth mbqanga distinguished by Hammond organ and high-pitched choral vocals. "Indaba" and "Kuyesinda" set the stage with the organ lead and rhythms not so compulsively roller coaster as
Mahlathini, although "Kwanele" begins to get that roller coaster mojo working by trimming the drums back to minimal to make room for skitterng bass/guitar/organ exchanges. Horn squiggles are blended in on "Iphutha," but virtually every song opens with a solo Hammond lick, probably a trademark ID saying "This is the Soul Brothers." The group is stone professional -- every song clocks in between 3:40 and 4:40 -- but the music feels pretty rigidly set in conceptual stone rather than fluid. The exuberant backing track to "Imali" boasts more offbeat snap, with the organ replaced by a synth version of a pennywhistle, and "Imfundo" is a strong up-tempo rocker with straight-ahead drums and David Masondo's bright, positive vocals. "Usemncane" starts vigorously with drums and the guitar line really driving the arrangement, and the track really belongs to guitarist Maxwell Mngadi -- he takes a nice cascading solo that employ simple lines leapfrogging off from his preceding lick. Moses Ngwenya's Hammond is the chief instrument -- although sometimes it clutters up the guitar/bass interplay -- but he shines brightest when unleashing some compelling swirls on "Ngixoleleni."
The four live tracks are in the same vein with extra keyboards, horns, and backing vocalists -- Masondo apparently does all the vocal tracks in the studio (which probably accounts for the evenness of the singing), and the three-man support squad they take on the road get a richer mbube harmony blend. The attack is a bit more energetic with guitar and bass shining on "Hluphekile," and "Uvalo" getting a rocking mbqanga rhythm going by leaving enough space so the individual lines don't collide.
Born to Jive is a strong album, totally smooth and professional, which may account for the Soul Brothers' long-running popularity in South Africa. But it's so smooth, so even, so regular that something's missing on the excitement front -- the music just doesn't take you there, you know? It's mbqanga you can sit and politely tap your foot to, something that's simply unimaginable when originators like
Mahlathini & the Mahotella Queens nail that groove. ~ Don Snowden