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Resistance Is Defence
1992 studio album by Mzwakhe Mbuli From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Resistance Is Defence is an album by the South African musician Mzwakhe Mbuli.[3][4] It was released in 1992.[5] Some of its songs were banned from South African radio.[6]
Mbuli supported the album, his first to be released internationally, with a global tour.[7][8] Mbuli's touring band was dubbed the Equals.[9]
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Production
The album was produced by Trevor Herman.[10] Its songs are about South African apartheid, township life, and hope.[9] The sound draws from kwela, township jive, and mbaqanga.[11] "Chris the Doyen", which Mbuli performed at the funeral of Chris Hani, appears on some editions of Resistance Is Defence.[12]
Critical reception
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Robert Christgau noted that Mbuli "didn't start out as a musician—like Linton Kwesi Johnson, he's just a poet who loves music enough to do it right."[14] Spin included the album on its list of "10 Best Albums You Didn't Hear in '92", writing that "in a world of post-apartheid township jive, Mbuli stands tall ... as both an influence and an inspiration."[17] The Los Angeles Daily News deemed it "some of the most uplifting dance music on the planet."[16]
The Indianapolis Star determined that "it's Mbuli's defiant optimism that rings over the pop township jive by varying his message through questions, rational dialogue and sarcasm."[15] The St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote: "Wedded to the infectious grooves provided by the musicians, and served with a stunningly tasty set of catchy hooks, Mbuli's lyrics find him dancing on the grave of oppression, even if he's not quite convinced the corpse is in it yet."[18] The Washington Post stated: "The album's most powerful song, 'Tshipfinga', delivers this reminder in English to South Africa's younger generation of blacks: 'When you vote and get elected, think of those who died. When you govern the country, think of those who died'."[19]
AllMusic wrote that Mbuli "recites his work against a background of driving South African rhythms including kwela, mbaqanga, and sax jive."[13]
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Track listing
References
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