Edward Tsumele
Edward Tsumele
A new Afro-pop group made up of Themba Khoza, Hlengiwe Zulu, Abel Mnguni and S'lindile Mdlalose believe that they have found a niche in the competitive Afro-pop music scene.
Curiously calling themselves Shabotte, they believe that most Afro-pop groups sound almost the same.
Shabotte claims say this demonstrates a lack of creativity.
"In terms of production quality, the sound is musically deficient because most groups are melody-centred and lack harmony. Everybody wants to be like Ntando or Malaika.
"We are different because we incorporate melody and harmony in our music. This makes our sound stand out," says Khoza.
They have just released their debut album called Shabotte. They claim this offering will definitely get the music industry talking. The album has been released independently by Collaborative Efforts Media and Danger Zone Studios.
"We realised that to survive as an independent label, we needed to collaborate. We value the people who listen to our music, therefore we are not prepared to compromise on quality," Khoza insisted.
The album consists of 13 tracks. Even though it is essentially Afro-pop, it includes a bit of gospel, R&B and house music.