The Soweto String Quartet is a
string quartet
The term string quartet refers to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two Violin, violini ...
from
Soweto
Soweto () is a Township (South Africa), township of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for ''South Western T ...
in
Gauteng
Gauteng ( , ; Sotho-Tswana languages, Sotho-Tswana for 'place of gold'; or ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa.
Situated on the Highveld, Gauteng is the smallest province by land area in South Africa. Although Gauteng accounts f ...
,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
, composed of
Reuben Khemese,
Makhosini Mnguni,
Sandile Khemese and
Thami Khemese. Their music is a fusion of the "dance rhythms of
Kwela, the syncopated guitars of
Mbaqanga, the saxophones and trumpets of swaying
African jazz and the voices of people singing in joyous, easy harmony".
The Soweto String Quartet is autonomous and independent and has not affiliated with any organisation or institution since its inception. The quartet became a full-time professional outfit in 1992. They performed at President
Mandela's inauguration, after which Mandela started recommending them for other jobs.
The album ''Zebra Crossing'' peaked at number 16 and ''
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
'' peaked at number 29 on the Australian
ARIA Charts
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian record chart, music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA beca ...
.
Discography
* ''Zebra Crossing'' (1994)
* ''
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
'' (1996)
* ''Millennia'' (1998)
* ''Rhythms of Africa'' (1999)
* ''Four'' (2001)
* ''Our World'' (2003)
* ''Soweto String Quartet Plays Gospel'' (2005)
* ''Collections'' (2007)
* ''A Soweto String Quartet Christmas''
* ''The Essential Soweto String Quartet''
* ''SSQ Speel Afrikaans Treffers Vol. 2'' (2013)
References
External links
*
Soweto String Quartetat the Contemporary African Music & Arts Archive
{{Authority control
String quartets
South African musical groups
Soweto