Soweto Beat

These sounds inspired American acts like Talking Heads and Paul Simon to experiment with South African music in the '80s. Dig into the Soweto sound and you'll find the heartbeat of a nation suffering under apartheid but looking toward the future, updating traditional styles like mbaqanga with a gritty urban worldview. Soaring above it were the otherworldly voices of Brenda Fassie and Mahlathini.