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Description

The label Awesome Tapes From Africa is proud to announce the reissue of a major piece of Umoja's discography, the group that made an entire country dance during apartheid, a spearhead of South African bubblegum music. Umoja, which means "unity" in Swahili, was clear in its message, despite the lack of freedom at the time. "Society-oriented, advocating for unity," claims Khaoli. "We wanted people to come together, to be united." And the result was there: the group's fanbase was incredibly eclectic, bringing together black, mixed-race, and white populations. Their recipe was to disguise their songs so that they did not appear overtly political: "By writing explicit songs about apartheid, we would have been immediately arrested." The group helped define a commercially effective style, bubblegum. "Bubblegum music evoked the notion of escape," according to Khaoli. "Growing up in South Africa at that time, your life was all about oppression. It was present even in your dreams. So anything that could make you forget that was welcome. When this music was played, we only thought about dancing, having a good time."