Matsuli Music reissue two essential mid-70s Afro-rock albums by South African group Harari

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Matsuli Music reissue two essential mid-70s Afro-rock albums by South African group Harari

Matsuli Music has been the leading label over the past decade for quality South African jazz and rare groove reissue recordings. The UK label continues to build on their strong reputation with the recent reissue release of two essential mid-seventies Afro-rock albums from the highly influential South African band Harari, who also went by previously as both The Beaters and Rhodesia (named after the Rhodesian township).

Originally rooted in the sounds of American-styled instrumental soul of the sixties, backing legendary artists like Percy Sledge, Timmy Thomas, Brook Benton and Wilson Pickett during their African-based tours, the group comprises of former schoolmates guitarist and singer Selby Ntuli, bassist Alec Khaoli, lead guitarist Monty Ndimande and drummer Sipho Mabuse.

Both their 1975 recording of Harari (at the time the group when by The Beaters) and their 1976 follow-up Rufaro Happiness represent an important transition period musically for the group where they shifted away from a pure soulful pop sound and started incorporating an Afro-centric fusion of psyched-out rock, jazz, funk, and South African-rooted influences into their music. The band even reshaped their style, ditching the neat Nehru jackets that had been the band’s earliest stage wear in replace of dashikis. Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse explains the transformation, “In Harari we rediscovered our African-ness, the infectious rhythms and music of the continent. We came back home inspired! We were overhauling ourselves into dashiki-clad musicians who were Black Power saluting and so on.”

The popularity of the two recordings became vital to them ultimately signing with Gallo and releasing two more albums with the original line-up before the untimely death of Selby Ntuli in 1978.

Even though group saw some major success in 1982, breaking into US Billboard Disco Hot 100, these two albums represent the group at their very best, and are also undoubtedly two of the greatest Afro-rock recordings to ever be released.