Soweto Beat

This is the sound that inspired American artists like Talking Heads and Paul Simon to experiment with South African music in the '80s. Dig deeper into the Soweto sound and you will find the heartbeat of a nation suffering under apartheid, but looking towards the future, updating traditional styles like mbaqanga with a gritty urban worldview. Soaring above it all were the angelic voices of Brenda Fassie and Mahlathini.