Gumba Fire: Bubblegum Soul & Synth-Boogie in 1980s South Africa

by Various Artists

Gumba Fire: Bubblegum Soul & Synth-Boogie in 1980s South Africa cover art
  • Type: Compilation
  • Released: 9 March 2018
  • Label: Soundway
  • Country: South Africa
  • Length: 1:24:42
  • Community rating: 3.85/5 from 5 ratings

Album Notes & Community Reviews

Documenting the heavily synthesized, incredibly upbeat dance music that flourished in South African townships during the oppressive late years of apartheid. The genre, dubbed 'Bubblegum', relies on cheap drum machines and brightly colored keyboards to create defiant, politically subversive party anthems hidden beneath infectious melodies. The release offers a crucial look at how joy and rhythm were weaponized against systemic oppression.

Genres

Descriptors: dance, synth, compilation, funky, party, synthesizers, rhythmic, vocal, electronic, melodic, groove-laden

Tracklist

  1. My Brother (4:46)
  2. Mind Games (5:35)
  3. Hlala Nami (4:14)
  4. Wayawaya (5:31)
  5. Gumba Fire (Madlakadlaka) (5:42)
  6. Heartbeat (4:52)
  7. Do You Trust Amajita? (3:50)
  8. Selallane (3:33)
  9. Picnicing (4:03)
  10. Hayi Ngodlame (4:41)
  11. Gloria (5:02)
  12. Africa (5:02)
  13. She's Impossible (5:58)
  14. Listen to Me (7:53)
  15. Arrow Dub (4:50)
  16. Wola Wola (9:10)

More from Various Artists: full discography