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Mahlathini Video(VHS/DVD). With his deep baritone growl and regal cloak of skins, Simon Mahlathini Nkabinde—the Lion of Soweto—is the undisputed king of South Africa’s urban pop scene. This program features his talents and that of his backup groups, the Mahotella Queens and the Makgona Tsotle Band. Widely acknowledged as the father of Mbaqanga—the stew of musical influences at the heart of the Soweto beat—Mahlathini currently tops the charts. In an interview, Mahlathini’s guitarist, Marks Mhangwane, traces the influence of Mahlathini’s music from the streets of Soweto, where the group was harassed by white South African police, into Swaziland, Lesotho, Botswana, Malawi, and Mozambique. (25 minutes)
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