Paradise in Gazankulu is the final studio album by Harry Belafonte, released by EMI Records in 1988. The album deals with the plight of black South Africans under the Apartheid system.
In 1988, Harry Belafonte turned 61 years old. After releasing exactly one album of new material in fifteen years, Belafonte showed the world that he still had enough in him to issue a collection of vital, exciting music with a point of view.
The cause that triggered this creative explosion was South Africa's apartheid system.
Long an advocate of black sovereignty in the country, Belafonte combined anger, defiance, and pride in this invigorating selection of songs, recorded in Johannesburg and featuring South African artists such as Brenda Fassie and Youssou N'Dour.
The wry, cynical humor in protest songs such as the title track, "Move It" and "Kwela (Listen to the Man)" hearken back to similarly constructed political songs from the West Indies.
This album jumpstarted Belafonte's stalled recording career and was released along with concert videos of Belafonte and a variety of African recording artists supported by Kodak's home video division. Unfortunately, Belafonte has not been seen in the recording studio since.
Since introducing the world to Zenzile Miriam Makeba on the Grammy-winning An Evening with Belafonte and Makeba in 1965, “the King of Calypse” had been an outspoken critic of apartheid, and as such a persona non grata in SA.
In 1988 he recorded his first new album in fifteen years, a showcase of South African music and politics entitled Paradise in Gazankulu.
Unable to enter the country, however, Belafonte had to add his vocals in American studios after the music was first recorded at Powerhouse Studios in Joburg.
Compared to Paul Simon's Graceland (1986), Belafonte drew from an equally, if not more, impressive line-up of local talent, including members of the legendary Makgonatsohle Band like Marks Mankwane (guitar) and West Nkosi (pennywhistle). Pennywhistler turned saxman Lemmy "Special" Mabaso, also came on board, along with members of the mighty Soul Brothers, singers Marilyn and Tu Nokwe, and Tsonga guitarist Obed Ngobeni, whose hit song “Kuhluvukile Ka Zete” supposedly first inspired the album (the same “Kazet” usually credited to the Mahotella Queens and rehashed by Descloux).
Bakithi and Vusi Khumalo returned from Graceland, while younger talent included Brenda Fassie, her ex-husband and keyboardist Dumisani Ngubeni, and Hotline guitarist Alistair Coakely,
American songwriter Jake Holmes shared the credit with various local contributors. Though neither as trendy as McLaren and Descloux’s projects, nor as successful as Graceland, Paradise addressed the political climate of the time with defiance, pride and anger, effectively blending local and western sounds.
Standout tracks include “Amandla”, “Sisi wami” and “Monday to Monday,” an upbeat duet between Belafonte and MaBrr.
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Side A
A1. We Are The Wave - 3:32
A2. Paradise In Gazankulu - 4:27
A3. Skin To Skin - 4:25
A4. Amandla - 4:05
A5. Kwela (Listen To The Man) - 4:00
Side B
B1. Monday To Monday - 4:14
B2. Global Carnival - 3:43
B3. Capetown - 3:58
B4. Sisiwami (Sweet Sister) - 4:49
B5. Move It - 4:57
Personnel
- Harry Belafonte – vocals
- Alistair Coakely – guitar
- Jose Alves – guitar
- "Stompie" Themba Dlzmini – guitar
- Laurence Matshiza – guitar, background vocals
- V. Mkhize – guitar
- Maxwell "China" Mngadi – guitar
- José Neto – guitar
- Oben Ngobeni – guitar
- Marks Makwane – guitar
- Alex Acuña – percussion
- Neil Clarke – percussion
- Youssou N'Dour – percussion
- Chi Sharpe – percussion
- Assane Thiam – percussion
- Babakar Meaye – percussion
- Richard Cummings – keyboards
- Christopher Dlathu – bass
- Bakithi Kumalo – bass
- Denny Laloutte – bass
- Thembile Michael Masoka – bass
- Joseph Mokwela – bass
- Sicelo Ndlela – bass
- Vusi Khumalo – drums, background vocals
- Lucky Monoma – drums
- Bongani Nxele – drums
- Richie Marrero – keyboards, background vocals
- Mduduzi Mlangeni – keyboards
- Dumisane Ngubeni – keyboards
- Moses "Crocodile" Ngwenya – keyboards
- Hilton Rosenthal – keyboards, guitar
- West Nkosi – pennywhistles
- Victor Paz – trumpet
- Francis Bonny – trumpet
- Wilmer Wise – trumpet
- Lemmy "Special" Mabaso – saxophone
- Ricky Ford – saxophone
- Morris Goldberg – saxophone
- Dick Griffin – trombone
- Carlos Ward – saxophone
- Jennifer Warnes – vocals on "Skin to Skin"
- Bobby Allende – background vocals
- Jake Holmes – background vocals
- Ralph Irizarry – background vocals
- Selina Khoza – background vocals
- Brenda Fassie – background vocals
- Sharon Brooks – background vocals
- John Cartwright – background vocals
- Jean Madubane – background vocals
- Debbie Malone – background vocals
- Ronnie Martin – background vocals
- David Masondo – background vocals
- Grace Ngobeni – background vocals
- Jane Ngobeni – background vocals
- Marilyn Nokwe – background vocals
- Tu Nokwe – background vocals
- Deborah Sharpe – background vocals
- Ty Stevens – background vocals
Production notes:
- Hilton Rosenthal – producer, drum programming
- Harry Belafonte – executive producer
- Richard Cummings – arranger, conductor
- Peter Thwaites – engineer
- Charlie Paakkari – engineer
- David Belafonte – engineer
- Larry Walsh – engineer
- Chris Rudy – engineer
- Tom Lewis – engineer
- Fernando Perdigao – assistant engineer
- Bobby Summerfield – mixer, engineer, drum programming, sampling, synthesizer programming
- Scott Ansell – assistant engineer
- Ellen Fitton – assistant engineer
- Billy Straus – assistant engineer
- Ben-Ben, Hahn – assistant engineer
- Peter Doell – assistant engineer
- Bernie Grundman – mastering
- David Nadien – concert master
- Chris Callis – photography
- Suzette Abbot – photography
- Carol Chen – design
- Henry Marquez – art direction
Notes
Released: 1988
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Genre: Reggae, Pop
Style: Calypso, Ballad
Label: EMI-Manhattan Records
Catalog# 064-7469711
Vinyl: Goed (VG)
Cover: Goed (VG)
Prijs: €10,00
