LISTENING

This unique album features dynamic new interpretations and arrangements of songs by the prolific and popular South African composer Reuben T. Caluza (1895–1969), who was once a household name in South Africa. His music, and the messages of his songs still have strong relevance today, in the ways he innovated musical styles, and in his commentaries on everything from popular culture and topical issues of the day to workers’ and civil rights. Yet, for decades his legacy has largely become buried and forgotten in the sound archives of South Africa’s musical history.

Until now.

Over the past eighteen months, the brilliant ensemble of twelve local singers – Ayanda Eleki, Ann Masina, Bulelani Madondile, Nokuthula Magubane, Lydia Manyama, Rueben Mbonambi, Lulama Mgceleza, Zebulon Mmusi, Tshegofatso Moeng, Mapule Moloi, Lindokuhle Thabede and Lubabalo Velebayi – have collaborated with composers Philip Miller and Tshegofatso Moeng, together with accomplished jazz instrumentalists, including brass players Adam Howard and Dan Selsick, Lwanda Gogwana and bassist Thembinkosi Mavimbela, to create a new album of Caluza’s hit songs, based on his own album, The Double Quartet, recorded in London in 1930.

The project began during the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, when Philip Miller came across the song ‘Influenza (1918)’, that Caluza had written during the devastation of the Spanish flu pandemic. It resonated powerfully.

At a time when artists were struggling to make ends meet due to performance restrictions, Philip created a new arrangement of Caluza’s song, and invited singers and musicians with whom he has collaborated over the years to record their singing parts on their cell phones. With video designer Marcos Martins, Philip then made these into a music video of the song, and started an online campaign and artist relief fund, #MusoReliefSA.

The hugely positive reception the song received, and the fact that the singers loved making the arrangement of ‘Influenza (1918)’ so much, resulted in the ensemble continuing to learn, arrange and record more of Caluza’s incredible repertoire.