The guitarist starts with a rapid run of notes, fingers flying up and down the neck. Then he begins to speak, reciting praises of himself, his clan and his home district. Only after that introduction does the band come in with a driving beat. This is maskandi, a Zulu guitar music that has travelled with workers between villages and cities for generations, and it still fills stadiums in South Africa.
Origins and ukupika
Maskandi grew in the twentieth century among Zulu men who left rural homes to work in mines, factories and cities. They carried guitars and played on long walks, in hostels and at home. The word maskandi is often linked to the Afrikaans “musikant”, meaning musician. It came to mean a particular kind of Zulu guitarist and singer.
A key feature is ukupika, the fast picking of guitar strings, often in an introduction that shows the player’s skill. Guitars are sometimes tuned in special ways.
Praise poetry and the stars
Many songs include izibongo, praise poetry recited by the singer. These praises name ancestors, clans and places, linking the musician to his roots. Maskandi lyrics tell stories of migration, love, rivalries, family problems and social issues. Songs often carry moral lessons. Modern maskandi bands include guitars, bass, drums, concertina or keyboard, and backing singers and dancers.
Artists such as Phuzekhemisi and Ihhashi Elimhlophe became household names, and newer stars have kept the genre growing.
Rivalries, festivals and dance
Maskandi has a culture of rivalry between artists, sometimes playful and sometimes serious, reflected in their songs. Maskandi festivals and award categories celebrate the genre, drawing large crowds in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. Dancers perform energetic Zulu dances, including high kicks, alongside the musicians. Songs are sung in isiZulu, and listeners value clever wordplay and deep language.
The concertina, a small squeeze-box, has a long place in Zulu music and often plays alongside the guitar in older maskandi recordings. Its bright tone gives some songs a distinctive rural feel.
Young artists and awards
A new generation of maskandi musicians has brought in modern production and music videos while keeping the praise poetry and picking style that define the genre. Zulu-language radio stations play maskandi heavily, and the South African Music Awards include a category for the genre. Maskandi began with a guitar carried on the road to the mines. It has outlived much of the migrant labour system that created it, and the praises still open every song.
