Respect

Zangwana describe themselves as an Afro-disco group and on the song ‘I’m Zangwana’ (the only song sung in English) they strongly emphasise that they are from Botswana and not South Africa. Pheko Zangwana Mabolai and Tsietsi Bashoma are the two lead singers, who first met in 2008 while playing in a kwassa kwassa group called the Slowly Band. Mabolai then chose to change to a more commercial style and has subsequently produced several disco artists. In Zangwana they are backed by female vocalists, and their programmed, keyboard-led music is similar to the commercial sound of Brenda Fassie, Yvonne Chaka-Chaka and Chicco (all from South Africa). It is a distinctive Southern African sound, slightly removed from the bubblegum and hip-hop (predominantly Nigerian and Kenyan) that seems to dominate African pop charts. Zangwana's synthesized music is blatantly commercial but while it may lack a certain amount of substance, it is well produced, well performed, and not unenjoyable. There is an infectious quality that makes it ideal for the dance floor, and although repetitive, it is pleasant enough to listen to.