Harmonizing Soweto: Golden Gospel & Kasi Soul from the new South Africa

Diepkloof and its neighbour, Meadowlands, were created as new zones in Soweto in the late 50s to accommodate those forcibly removed when Sophiatown was demolished because the apartheid regime disliked its proximity to the white suburbs. In 2016 nine young men from the area, which has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, came together to form Diepkloof United Voice. Since then their unique gospel singing has gone viral via YouTube and TikTok with some two million views. Now comes their debut full-length album and it’s a stunner. They call it ‘kasi soul’ (kasi being a slang term for a Black township) – and if your idea of South African choral music is Ladysmith Black Mambazo, prepare to be surprised. Where Ladysmith’s sweet gospel-fused Zulu harmonies meld with the influence of Anglican church singing, DUV look to the sanctified style of America’s deep South and combine it with street-wise township smarts. Unaccompanied and with their voices providing the percussive effects, the effect is earthy and electrifying. ‘Round and Round’ and ‘Who Knows’ have a doo-wop feel, while ‘My Brother’ bounces like an updated version of South Africa’s own pioneering Manhattan Brothers. Fabulous stuff.