Kwaito is named after Amakwaitos (gangsters), who were in turn named after the amalaita--an organization of Norh Sotho gangs active outisde Johannesburg during the first half of the 20th century. Prounounced 'KWITE-o,' it is the name that stuck to the new, urban music that took over the South African airwaves in the wake of the 1994 elections. It was, in more ways than one, the start of a new era there. With the heavy dance beat of international house and hip-hop, lots of electronics, a bright sheen and a tough attitude, the sound represents a real appropriation of hip-hop culture, not merely an imitation of it, as is the case in many other African countries.

At first the music was also called d'gong, but the name kwaito, slang for 'hot' or 'dangerous,' ultimately won out. In some ways, the style is an extension of the popular bubblegum sound of the 1980s, only now the keyboards take a back seat to drum and bass, the melodies are simpler, the beat slower and more spare--they call it 'slow jam'--and the overall feeling has the hip coolness of contemporary American R&B. Also has strong roots in Jamaican reggae and European house music. Popular artists include M'Du, Joe Nina, and Bongo Maffin, but the most important figure in boosting kwaito is probably Arthur. His seminal song "Don't Call Me a Kaffir" was a landmark, encouraging young blacks to talk back to their erstwhile white oppressors.

This is definitely the sound of a new generation in South Africa. It dominates the nation's airwaves, and has proved exportable to neighboring countries, such as Zimbabwe, where it is exerting a growing influence on local trends. Kwaito has also brought live music back to the townships, where posses of dancing kids now attend concerts to dance and socialize. Inevitably, older South Africans hear this music as yet another step away from the roots of South African music, and as such, a sad development. Time will tell if the sound ultimately transcends its foreign influences and earns a place in South Africa's rich tradition of original local music styles.

Contributed by: Banning Eyre