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provides "a totally original interpretation of South
African song." He felt the mix of "classical arrangements with pop fusions" could sometimes be disconcerting, but nonetheless said "there is no doubt that SSQ achieves moments of clear beauty in its effort clear beauty in its effort to transcend
475:
system. The lyrics include the lines "I knew a man who lived in fear. It was huge, it was angry, it was drawing near. Behind his house, a secret place was the shadow of a demon he could never face." The inclusion of a guest vocalist marks another departure for the quartet. The song was originally
31:
284:, they formed the Soweto String Quartet with their brother Thami and friend Makhosini Mguni in the early 1980s. It was not until 1992 that the band became a full-time professional ensemble, and their 'big break' came when producer Grahame Beggs, who worked for
444:. The quartet's rendition of Makeba's popular "Pata Pata" reflects what the quartet's violinist Makhosini described as their owing a "debt of gratitude to the pioneers of South African popular music." They spoke of their appreciation towards Miriam Makeba,
535:. Reuben noted in 1997: "We'd like to do a national tour of South Africa late this year after fulfilling our commitments abroad." To represent South Africa, the Soweto String Quartet played a "Commonwealth In Concert" show in
668:
magazine was favourable, noting how the quartet weave "elements of pop into staid classical music" and felt that the quartet have "internationalised local roots music and made it accessible to lovers of classical music."
415:
is a very important album to us because it has a message. It's about a new era, about reawakening, revival. We say there's hope, that song and dance can create harmony and be a buffer against any form of conflict. Even
311:
ensured international demand for the quartet's live performances, and also saw the band win "Best New Artist," "Best
Instrumental Performance" and "Best Pop Album," a combination one critic called "truly rare," at the
690:," and criticised how the "he collections of various South African folk songs are filtered through gooey global-beat fusion." He did however praise "Weeping" for its vocals, which he felt were reminiscent of
402:
magazine felt that the album shows the quartet developing further in the direction of "crossover international pop." While the classical and pop-crossover elements are a continuation of their approach from
407:, producer Grahame Beggs helps the band introduce new textures to the album. Quartet member Reuben Khemse described the themes of the album as reawakening and the dawn of a new era. He said:
264:
The members of the Soweto String
Quartet, consisting of the three Khamese brothers, alongside their friend, Makhosini Mguni, formed in the early 1980s. Finding escape from their
1055:
436:," it also includes an original composition, "Writing on the Wall". "Imbube" features interlocking violins which explore the track's "various nuances," while "
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have sold a total of some 400,000 copies. The band toured internationally in promotion of the album in 1997, during which it was released by
248:
in the United States. Critical acclaim generally greeted the album with critics complimenting the quartet's unusual sound. At the 1997
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was generally unfavourable, finding the album to amount to "pre-fab piffle" suited for "jazzy" radio stations and "weather channel
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brought larger international audiences to the quartet. Following the release of the album, the quartet were invited to perform in
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and "others whose music had to be smuggled into South Africa while they lived in exile during the apartheid era."
316:. The album's release in the United Kingdom by BMG in April 1996 and later on that year in the United States by
325:
229:. Quartet member Reuben Khemse described the album's themes as reawakening, revival and the dawn of new eras.
496:
441:
1075:
370:. In the album's weaving elements of pop music into classical music, the quartet dabble in styles such as
702:
won the award for "Best
Instrumental Performance," while Graeme Beggs won the award for "Best Producer."
256:
won the award for "Best
Instrumental Performance," while Graeme Beggs won the award for "Best Producer."
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noted how the album was "causing a stir" in the region's music scene. Among international reviews,
417:
380:
30:
477:
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felt the album provides an "original interpretation of South
African song," an opinion echoed by
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secured the band an international audience. In 1996, the quartet recorded the album's follow-up,
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80:
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in 1987, and was named the "All-time favorite South
African Song" by the readers of the
460:
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662:, complimenting the addition of "new textures" achieved with help from Grahame Beggs.
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449:
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335:." Beggs returned as producer, while Richard Mitchell recorded and mixed the record.
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resort, Beggs signed them to the BMG Africa label, who released their debut album
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music, while also exploring new textures, with styles on the album including
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499:. BMG also issued the album in the UK, whereas in the US it was released by
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also received generally favourable reviews from critics. African magazine
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an "Album Pick" and rated it four stars out of five. Arthur
Goldstuck of
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in 1997. Building upon the far-reaching success of their previous album,
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201:(1994), and was produced by Grahame Beggs. As with their previous album,
197:. It follows the national and international success of their debut album
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enhances upon the successful "classical and pop-crossover elements" of
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378:, African folk music, as well as an array of indigenous African songs.
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with bittersweet lyricism and "lithe rhythms of South Africa’s
618:
was a relative commercial success. It reached number 8 on the
268:-imposed poverty, brothers Reuben and Sandile Khemese studied
1315:"Australiancharts.com – Soweto String Quartet – Renaissance"
232:
The album received commercial success, reaching number 8 in
424:
While the album includes South
African standards such as "
1192:
THE "SA ROCK DIGEST/AMUZINE" END OF THE CENTURY BIG VOTE
856:. Vol. 109, no. 32. 9 August 1997. p. 37
467:
written by Dan
Heymann, a young white soldier in the
137:
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390:who felt the numerous South African folk songs on
1327:"Charts.nz – Soweto String Quartet – Renaissance"
766:Simon Heyworth – mastering (Chop em Out Studios,
680:the classical quartet structure." John Murph of
420:warned about men with no music in their hearts."
1179:Drum: A Magazine of Africa for Africa - Page 17
1054:: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
939:
937:
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18:1996 studio album by Soweto String Quartet
1237:"The Soweto String Quartet - Endemic Violins"
543:in 1997, and then followed it with a show in
8:
583:
440:" is an atmospheric work written in 1880 by
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1199:
946:"Beware: Crossing by Soweto String Quartet"
907:
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304:sold some 50,000 copies and went Platinum.
1329:. Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
1317:. Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
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984:"SA music group showing the world the way"
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630:have sold a total of some 400,000 copies.
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29:
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1296:. Vol. 109, no. 20. p. 41
1269:. Vol. 109, no. 47. p. 68
952:. Vol. 108, no. 19. p. 46
920:. Vol. 109, no. 14. p. 52
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886:. Vol. 111, no. 3. p. 45
873:
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760:Richard Mitchell – recording and mixing
1290:"Sony Leads South Africa Music Awards"
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1148:
1146:
1144:
1142:
1047:
495:was first released in October 1996 by
463:performs guest vocals on "Weeping," a
763:Kenta Mpahlwa – assistant to Mitchell
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511:in April 1997, followed by a tour of
7:
1076:"Soweto String Quartet: Renaissance"
1209:"Soweto String Quartet Renaissance"
476:recorded by Heymann with the group
1261:Tilli, Robert (22 November 1997).
1010:"Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny"
982:Odidi, Billy (28 September 2010).
912:Goldstuck, Arthur (5 April 1997).
878:Pride, Dominic (16 January 1999).
741:"My Lover (Isithandwa Sam)" – 2:27
717:"Songs My Mother Taught Me" – 2:23
185:is the second studio album by the
14:
1288:Goldstuck, Arthur (17 May 1997).
1155:"Soweto String Quartet feature".
694:'s worldbeat albums. At the 1997
585:
1040:(liner). Soweto String Quartet.
726:"Thula Sizwe Khay'elisha" – 1:54
620:Official New Zealand Music Chart
604:
599:
594:
589:
584:
1074:Murph, John (10 January 1999).
779:Paul Chedlow – band photography
482:South African Rock Encyclopedia
347:The album includes a cover of "
1351:Bertelsmann Music Group albums
773:Nicky Kaminski – sleeve design
314:FNB South African Music Awards
193:, released in October 1996 by
1:
732:"Mangwane/Ee'Motswala" – 1:56
1356:Soweto String Quartet albums
825:
813:
714:"Writing On The Wall" – 4:16
944:Duffy, Thom (11 May 1996).
471:who was horrified with the
1372:
757:Grahame Beggs – production
696:South African Music Awards
547:to showcase material from
250:South African Music Awards
818:
806:
799:
796:
747:"Imbube (Reprise)" – 1:06
572:
569:
438:Songs My Mother Taught Me
296:in 1994. In their native
280:, and returning to their
145:
28:
776:Claude Jardine – design
459:South African musician
789:Chart performance for
744:"Blue Fountain" – 2:57
422:
356:
1159:(126–130): 137. 2000.
346:
191:Soweto String Quartet
139:Soweto String Quartet
44:Soweto String Quartet
880:"Global Music Pulse"
819:New Zealand Albums (
622:, and put together,
560:Professional ratings
1131:"SSQ Renaissance".
1050:cite AV media notes
850:"Hits of the World"
807:Australian Albums (
793:
738:"Sophiatown" – 2:11
561:
418:William Shakespeare
788:
729:"Pata Pata" – 4:07
559:
469:South African Army
366:arrangements with
357:
326:European classical
830:
829:
735:"Sikelela" – 4:03
613:
612:
368:African pop music
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720:"Weeping" – 5:40
688:background music
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394:are arranged as
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236:. Put together,
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1263:"International"
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1235:Mailer, Lenny.
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1008:Ankeny, Jason.
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723:"Eureka" – 3:35
711:"Imbube" – 4:47
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454:Caiphus Semenya
341:
324:, again fusing
307:The success of
270:classical music
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207:classical music
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914:"South Africa"
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660:Zebra Crossing
624:Zebra Crossing
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553:
489:
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461:Vusi Mahlasela
442:Antonín Dvořák
405:Zebra Crossing
340:
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309:Zebra Crossing
302:Zebra Crossing
294:Zebra Crossing
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238:Zebra Crossing
199:Zebra Crossing
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988:Africa Review
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797:Chart (1997)
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706:Track listing
705:
703:
701:
697:
693:
692:Peter Gabriel
689:
685:
684:
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673:
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661:
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568:
565:Review scores
563:
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552:
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534:
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522:
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510:
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502:
498:
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485:
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479:
474:
470:
466:
462:
457:
455:
451:
450:Hugh Masekela
447:
443:
439:
435:
431:
430:Miriam Makeba
427:
421:
419:
414:
408:
406:
401:
397:
393:
389:
388:
383:
382:
377:
373:
369:
365:
361:
354:
353:Miriam Makeba
350:
345:
338:
336:
334:
333:Township Jive
330:
329:chamber music
327:
323:
319:
315:
310:
305:
303:
299:
295:
291:
287:
283:
279:
276:and later in
275:
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243:
239:
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188:
187:South African
184:
183:
168:
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161:
160:
156:
152:
149:
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144:
140:
136:
133:Grahame Beggs
132:
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53:
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40:
36:
32:
27:
22:
16:
1322:
1310:
1298:. Retrieved
1293:
1283:
1271:. Retrieved
1266:
1256:
1244:. Retrieved
1240:
1230:
1218:. Retrieved
1212:
1187:
1178:
1156:
1132:
1114:
1110:
1083:. Retrieved
1079:
1037:
1017:. Retrieved
1013:
1003:
991:. Retrieved
987:
954:. Retrieved
949:
922:. Retrieved
917:
888:. Retrieved
883:
858:. Retrieved
853:
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649:
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635:
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623:
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465:protest song
458:
423:
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298:South Africa
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189:quartet the
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54:October 1996
39:Studio album
15:
1346:1996 albums
1181:: 17. 1997.
1135:: 50. 1997.
1117:: 38. 1997.
1109:"Reviews".
1042:BMG Records
1038:Renaissance
791:Renaissance
700:Renaissance
677:Renaissance
675:wrote that
656:Renaissance
646:Renaissance
632:Renaissance
628:Renaissance
616:Renaissance
549:Renaissance
533:New Zealand
505:Renaissance
493:Renaissance
478:Bright Blue
446:Letta Mbulu
413:Renaissance
392:Renaissance
360:Renaissance
339:Composition
322:Renaissance
286:BMG Records
254:Renaissance
242:Renaissance
234:New Zealand
211:African pop
203:Renaissance
195:BMG Records
182:Renaissance
159:Renaissance
81:African pop
24:Renaissance
1340:Categories
1300:26 January
1273:26 January
1246:26 January
1241:Rock.co.za
1220:26 January
1157:Classic CD
1085:26 January
1080:Jazz Times
1019:26 January
993:26 January
956:26 January
924:26 January
890:26 January
860:26 January
833:References
683:Jazz Times
654:said that
501:RCA Victor
497:BMG Africa
400:Classic CD
387:Jazz Times
318:RCA Victor
260:Background
246:RCA Victor
141:chronology
1294:Billboard
1267:Billboard
950:Billboard
918:Billboard
884:Billboard
854:Billboard
802:position
752:Personnel
651:Billboard
555:Reception
537:Edinburgh
529:Australia
484:in 1999.
473:apartheid
434:Pata Pata
398:fusions.
396:worldbeat
364:classical
349:Pata Pata
266:apartheid
227:worldbeat
167:Millennia
91:worldbeat
76:Classical
1214:AllMusic
1111:The Beat
1014:AllMusic
672:The Beat
642:AllMusic
579:AllMusic
541:Scotland
381:The Beat
290:Sun City
282:township
129:Producer
59:Recorded
51:Released
41: by
1177:"SSQ".
1044:. 1996.
525:Denmark
488:Release
278:England
205:blends
170:(1998)
163:(1996)
154:(1994)
784:Charts
768:London
644:named
573:Rating
570:Source
545:London
521:Norway
517:Sweden
513:France
428:" and
426:Imbube
372:marabi
362:mixes
274:Soweto
219:marabi
100:Length
509:Spain
376:kwela
351:" by
223:kwela
209:with
117:Label
68:Genre
1302:2018
1275:2018
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