Tananas (pronounced ''tuh-naa-nuhs'') is a South African band formed in 1987. Originally it consisted of Mozambican

Gito Baloi Gito Baloi (September 30, 1964 – April 4, 2004) was an African musician, from Mozambique. Originally known for his collaborations and as a member of the trio Tananas, he also released solo albums as vocalist and bassist: "Ekhaya" (1995), “Na K ...

(bass and vocals), Ian Herman (drums and percussion) and

Steve Newman Steve, Steven or Stephen Newman may refer to: * Steven M. Newman (born 1954), listed in the ''Guinness Book of World Records'' as the first man to walk solo around the world * Steve Newman (meteorologist), American broadcast meteorologist and edit ...

(acoustic guitar). First recorded by the independent label

Shifty Records Founded by Lloyd Ross and Ivan Kadey, Shifty Records was a South African anti-apartheid record label which existed for over a decade beginning in 1982. In 1986 Kadey left South Africa and became partner with the Waterland Design Group in Hollywoo ...

, Tananas combined jazz, Mozambican salsa and township jive (or

mbaqanga Mbaqanga () is a style of South African music with rural Zulu music, Zulu roots that continues to influence musicians worldwide today. The style originated in the early 1960s. History Historically, laws such as the Natives' Land Act, Land Act ...

). They released eight albums, the last two on the Sony label. Tananas built a loyal following in their home country since the late 1980s, and performed at

WOMAD WOMAD ( ; World of Music, Arts and Dance) is an international arts festival. The central aim of WOMAD is to celebrate the world's many forms of music, arts and dance. History WOMAD was founded in 1980 by English rock musician Peter Gabriel, ...

festivals around the world. They worked individually or as a band with

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...

and

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, and have shared a stage with the likes of

Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporated ...

Suzanne Vega Suzanne Nadine Vega ( Peck; born July 11, 1959) is an American singer-songwriter best known for her folk-inspired music. Vega's music career spans almost 40 years. She came to prominence in the mid-1980s, releasing four singles that entered the ...

and

Youssou N'dour Youssou N'Dour (, wo, Yuusu Nduur; also known as Youssou Madjiguène Ndour; born 1 October 1959) is a Senegalese singer, songwriter, musician, composer, occasional actor, businessman, and politician. In 2004, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine describe ...

. The band broke up in 1993 but reunited for some performances until Gito was shot dead in Johannesburg on April 4, 2004 while on his way home from a concert in Pretoria. He was 39 years old.

Musical style

Tananas used to be essentially an instrumental band allied to jazz but unmistakably African at heart. In the group's latter stage the recordings have included more vocals by Mozambican singer and bass player

, who sang in

Shangaan Soshangana KaZikode (), born Soshangana Nxumalo, was the Founder and the Monarch of the Gaza Empire, which at the height of its power stretched from the Limpopo river in southern Mozambique up to the Zambezi river in the north. Soshangana rule ...

Tsonga Tsonga may refer to: * Tsonga language, a Bantu language spoken in southern Africa * Tsonga people, a large group of people living mainly in southern Mozambique and South Africa. * Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (; born 17 April 1985) i ...

and

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

. At first glance, their music cannot be identified as typical " South African," as they play around with a wide variety of styles and merge them into their own unique blend. Tananas released their first self-titled album in 1988 on Shifty and for the South African music scene, this was a revolution. The album mixed different styles such as

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

, Mozambican salsa, and

township jive Jaiva, Township jive (TJ), Soweto jive, Soweto sound or Soweto beat is a subgenre of South African township music and African dance form that influenced Western breakdance and emerged from the shebeen culture of the apartheid-era townships. ...

, which had not been manifest before and took the country by storm.

Members

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

, bass and vocals * Ian Herman, drums and percussion

Discography

*''Tananas'' – 1988 *''Spiral'' – 1990 *''Orchestra Mundo'' – 1994 *''Time'' – 1994 *''Unamunacua'' – 1996 *''The Collection'' – 1997 *''Seed'' – 1999 *''Alive in Jo'burg'' – 2001

References

{{Authority control South African jazz ensembles