Thula Mabota : South African jazz and popular music since 1994

Thula Mabota is Zulu for 'knock down the walls', an appropriate title for this essay on the transformations in South African jazz and popular music since the democratic transition of 1994. The article discusses how South African musicians have adapted not only to new professional opportunities and artistic currents, but also to the simultaneous, dramatic globalisation of the local music industry, and the impact of new technologies on production, distribution, and consumption world-wide. Examples and cases of new trends since the early 1990s are drawn from a wide variety of genres, including kwaito, maskanda, Afro-pop, and jazz. Using such cases, the articulation or dialogue between musical currents and the social and political context and issues of the era are analysed. The author argues importantly that political expression and engagement in music takes many forms, and is not confined to overtly topical song texts. Tribute is paid to women composers and performers who have taken the lead in employing the broader opportunities now available in the industry. Finally, the article addresses the possibilities and often severe problems that have characterised the field of jazz over the past two decades, both in its creative transformation and audience production.