Assagai

Assagai enjoyed some success on the progressive rock circuit, and had already released a first album ("Assagai" - Vertigo 6360 030) and a single (Telephone Girl/ I'll Wait For You - Vertigo 6059 034) before this one. They never reached the levels of popularity enjoyed by their only real rivals in the Afrorock idiom, Osibisa, but listening to Dudu Pukwana’s subsequent project, the great township jazz band Spear (see link below), you get the feeling that you know where his heart actually belonged. One important difference is that this is much simpler stuff, both melodically and rhythmically. There are four instrumentals, three of which were composed by members of the rock band Jade Warrior, some of whom also played extra instruments on the sessions. The rest are songs, written and sung by Martha Mdenge, in an African-tinged variant on the prog style of the day. Given the participants, there is of course some decent playing throughout, but it speaks volumes that the one tune written by Pukwana himself, "Dalani", is by far the best track.


Assagai: Zimbabwe - Philips 6308 079 Assagai enjoyed some success on the progressive rock circuit, and had already released a first album ("Assagai" - Vertigo 6360 030) and a single (Telephone Girl/ I'll Wait For You - Vertigo 6059 034) before this one. They never reached the levels of popularity enjoyed by their only real rivals in the Afrorock idiom, Osibisa, but listening to Dudu Pukwana’s subsequent project, the great township jazz band Spear (see link below), you get the feeling that you know where his heart actually belonged. One important difference is that this is much simpler stuff, both melodically and rhythmically. There are four instrumentals, three of which were composed by members of the rock band Jade Warrior, some of whom also played extra instruments on the sessions. The rest are songs, written and sung by Martha Mdenge, in an African-tinged variant on the prog style of the day. Given the participants, there is of course some decent playing throughout, but it speaks volumes that the one tune written by Pukwana himself, "Dalani", is by far the best track.
	Dudu Pukwana - alto sax, piano Mongezi Feza - trumpet Bizo Mngqikana - tenor sax Louis Moholo - drums Terri Quaye - congas Smiley de Jonnes - congas, percussion Fred Fredericks - tenor sax, baritone sax Martha Mdenge - vocals
Side One Barazinbar Wanga La La Dalani	Side Two Bayeza Sanga Come Along Kinzambi
Spear: In the Townships back to rare LPs index