Forgotten Treasure: V.O. “Mashisa” (1990, Roi Music)

via Invisible City: In the pivotal period before the end of Apartheid, the fluff of bubblegum was starting to boil over into what later became the tougher township-centric sounds of kwaito.

Amidst this volatile and transitional climate a mysterious kid named Eddie Magwaza started making moves in the studio, creating music for a vibrant street dance style that was blowing up in SA, called pantsula. At the time, other groups were also starting to create faster and more instrumental dance music which suited this agile style of dancing, but on this album Magwaza managed to channel the cosmic chant of italo and the sweaty energy of early house music in a unique and peerless way that has captured the ears and feet of DJs and dancers around the world many years later.

Magwaza, who wasn’t even 20 when he made this album, had the help of seasoned studio whizzes Lucky Matante & Jan Smit with programming, sequencing and engineering, and their studio mastery really takes flight on the dub version of the title cut which has made the album so desirable in the last few years. Sadly Magwaza was shot and killed shortly after the release of the album and it stands as the last testament to his brilliant vision.

Remastered and pressed on a loud 12″ Mashisa is once again available to spread the pantsula spirit to dancing bodies everywhere.

(p) & (c) Invisible City Editions 2016
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Artwork by Jessica Greene

European distribution by Rush Hour
For North American distribution inquiries please contact us direct: [email protected]

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