South African DJ Oscar started this kwaito outfit in 1996. The group rose fast and became one of the first in this genre to earn an international reputation. Based in house and hip-hop aesthetics and grooves, kwaito has had a hard time gaining ground in the U.S. and the U.K., largely because listeners don't at first perceive it as African. Bongo Maffin has succeeded based on sheer drive and dynamism.

The band centers around three talents. Thandiswa Mazwai has a studio background, and her smooth, strong voice has invited comparisons to Lauryn Hill of the Fugees. Tshepo Seate ("Appleseed") grew up in Zimbabwe and adds a strong reggae feeling to the music. Adrian Mupemhi ("Stoan") is a veteran of the kwaito band Thebe. Together, they create broad minded, positive music that reaches deep into the world dance grab bag--house, hip-hop, dancehall, R&B--without losing sight of local South African sounds.

Bongo Maffin played their U.S. debut at Central Park Summerstage in the summer of 2001, and released their first international album, Bongolution, that fall.

Contributed by: Banning Eyre