I would very much appreciate suggestions regarding: (1) where we can go in South Africa to hear local music; (2) where we can go in South Africa to purchase South African music; and (3) who are your favorite South African musicians. The bonus question is: where can we find reasonably priced musical instruments which need not be of great sound quality since I won't know how to play them anyway?
(BTW, next October, we'll be Joburg, Cape Town and along the Garden Route.)

If you haven't already seen it, I'd suggest that you see a DVD called "Amandla! A Revolution in Four Part Harmony." This is a great movie that focuses on music during the struggle against Apartheid, and includes a slew of superb performaces (Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masakela, many others).

Once in South Africa you will be local anyway. Just listen around you and that will be local music. Go to any music shop in any city and local music will show its face to you. There are so many genres that it is difficult to choose ONE artist. Jazz is probably the favourite in Cape Town...played Cape Town style with marimbas, drums and conventional instruments. TOMS (That Other Music Shop) is probably the best place, but there are markets and speciality shops in all the big cities.

ttt

I am topping this (a) because it's still early October and maybe the OP hasn't left yet and (b) I just ripped (for personal use only, mind) a Johnny Clegg CD (<i>A South African Story</i> - a &quot;best of&quot; CD recorded live in Joburg in 2003) that we bought in SA last month and which formed the most wonderful soundtrack possible for our drives (around 5000km) through the country. Just listening it today in a gray and drippy Seattle transported me back in an instant. Man have we got the bug.

I have most of Johnny Clegg's music. It's really wonderful stuff! If I crank up the music, make some hot chocolate with Amarula and go through my pictures/videos I can almost pretend I'm back in Africa!
Another wonderful musician is Hennie Bekker. He creates music with natural environmental sounds. He has a series of CD's featuring African music with the sounds of Africa in the background. I listen to these when I go to sleep at nite.

most people say that there isn't a huge price difference between here and the UK.
A BAND CALLED FRESHLY GROUND IS VERY POPULAR AT THE MOMENT. Also get a copy of PENNY WHISTLE CLASSICS and TEBOGO KWELA TEBZA.
Other great artists are JIMMY DLUDLU, SIPHO HOTSTIXAND MIRIAM MKEBA.
CD WAREHOUSE in the Waterfront in Cape Town should have everything you need

Hi Mediatorr,

Have to agree with Rizzuto that the movie Amandla is an <b>absolute must see experience</b> when it comes to South African music.

Just like Africanj I also think that Freshly Ground are absolutely wonderful. To hear more of their music please go to http://www.freshlyground.com/. Go to the albums page and watch the videos as well as listen to small parts of the two albums that the group have already produced. They really are great. I must also mention that Freshly Ground have just been nominated for the best African act at the annual MTV awards to be held in November in Copenhagen.

Another group to watch out for is the Soweto Gospel Choir. Dont let the name fool you as this is a wonderful all round African choir who are starting to show their face on the international stage as we speak. To see more go to http://www.sowetogospelchoir.com/ where once again you can listen to snippets of this wonderful choir's music

As already mentioned by AfricanJ CD Warehouse is a great place to shop for CD's however I do my African music shopping at a great little shop at 134 Long Street, Cape Town called The African Music Store. Most important is that this store also has a strong selection of African musical instruments. In a nutshell if you want it to be African this is the place to go.

Enjoying singing and hip-hopping your way through South Africa.

Very proudly part of the wonderful nation of South Africa

The Soweto Gospel Choir is currently on a world tour and will be in the USA next year. I'm looking forward to hearing them in Eugene OR April 3 2007.

The music mentioned are all fine and good, but if you want to listen to what young South AFricans are listening to, you need to listen to kwaito. If you saw the movie Tsotsi, it was Zola in the background as well as acting. I lived in Durban, and Danny Kaye and Mendoza are very popular, a mixture of kwaito and a guy with a great voice. The Zulu hitch hikers I picked up on the road were always amazed that this old white lady listened to Zulu music. (Yes, I picked up hitch hikers, always female, and never had a single problem. I knew how desparate these people were to get where they were going with no public transport other than expensive, unsafe minicabs)

I know that kalihari.net will mail internationally, so if you check them out you can get this more modern music. All the airports in SA have cd shops.

We saw the Soweto Gospel Choir here last year. It is not only a listening experience, it is a fantastic visual one. Would go again in a heartbeat.

CD warehouse is a South African chain of record stores.....you should be able to go to one in most cities in SA.

Hari