…just as the topic says: I am searching for South-African music on Concertina&Whistle, preferred instrumental. I don’t mean “Boerenmusiek”, but rather more vivid stuff. What can You recommend? Thx in advance!
You could start here: http://www.kwela.co.uk/ There’s transcrptions there for Dolos (Spoke Mashiyane), Inkomo Zodwa (Spokes improvising behind the Skylarks) and Pennywhistle Boogie (Willard Cele).
Look for something like “Big Voice Jack at Tentens Tavern” for an example of pennywhistle and some sort of squeeze box played together. I don’t know what the actual tune title is, but you might also search this forum for s1m0n’s posts - he might have posted a link to it.
Hope this is, in some way, what you’re looking for.
Edit: Looks like s1m0n pointed you at a more box-oriented genre in the Free-reed forum. Please disregard if this isn’t what you were looking for.
There have been some conversations over on Concertina.net; here’s one:
http://www.concertina.net/southafrica.html
I think there is a concertina maker in SA too.
Ian Turnbull, South African maker of the seriously fine ‘Impempe’ whistles, stops by here from time to time. I figured this thread would get his attention. His website is here: http://impempewhistles.co.za/
And here’s the latest thread, with some good links.
There’s a thread about Kwela, where you can download 2 beautiful cd’s. And I have 3 of Ian’s whistles, a D, Bb and C. Beautiful instruments!
…call me stupid, but I don’t find anywhere to download those Kwela-CDs - please help me out! ![]()
are you trying to find this thread of s1m0n’s Spokes Mashiyane, King of Kwela
aaaah - that’s the one! Silly me… ![]()
Cheers! ![]()


Als in the thread New Old Kwela (search-button) or direct hit: https://forums.chiffandfipple.com/t/new-old-kwela/67984/1 There you’ll find the 2 cd’s I mean. Trying to download the other now.
Some other places to look:
http://soulsafari.wordpress.com/?s=kwela
http://electricjive.blogspot.com/search?q=big+voice+jack
I’m late on the topic - been away for a while… The title of the post suggests a link between the african and afrikaans cultures which are fairly dominant in SA. Although stated that that boeremusiek (farmers music) was not the genre that was being looked for, the concertina is predominantly used in boeremusiek and the whistle predominantly in kwela music. Our history dictated a wide divide between the two cultures, yet in many respects they are similar. If the two were linked in someway, I have not heard of it although a search may find something worthwhile - a great project to work on for someone with the inclination. Traditional instruments with kwela music would be whistle, brass and percussion, while the boeremusik would be button accordian/concertina, guitar, spoons etc.