Boom Shaka

For the song by Brianna and Flo Rida, see Boom Shacka.

Boom Shaka
OriginJohannesburg, Gauteng
GenresKwaito, South African hip hop
Years active1993–2004
LabelsKalawa Jazmee Records • Universal Music Group
Past membersLebo Mathosa
Thembi Seete
Theo Nhlengethwa
Junior Sokhela

Boom Shaka was a pioneering South African kwaito music group consisting of Junior Sokhela, Lebo Mathosa, Theo Nhlengethwa and Thembi Seete. They released their first single "It's About Time" in 1993,[1] and subsequently released their debut LP, titled "Kwere Kwere" in 1994.[2] Boom Shaka was one of the most successful bands of the mid-1990s in South Africa. Their music was the soundtrack for many young people in the newly democratic South Africa.[3] The group was viewed as representing "the hopes and dreams of a people after liberation".[4] Boom Shaka also achieved international success in London, among other places.[5]

Boom Shaka, being one of the leading kwaito groups in South Africa, had a strong effect on their young audience. The group was purposefully put together to appeal to a younger audience through their distinctive sound, unique visual style and dance moves. [6] The Boom Shaka name is aimed at recognising the power of the king of the Zulu nation, Shaka Zulu, and combining it with the notion of an explosive musical sound.[7]

  1. ^ South African music after Apartheid: kwaito, the "party politic," and the appropriation of gold as a sign of success | Popular Music and Society | Find Articles at BNET.com
  2. ^ Boom Shaka - Kwere Kwere, retrieved 28 January 2022
  3. ^ Lebo Mathosa | PRI's The World
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Steingo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ CNN – WorldBeat Spotlight – Kwaito: South Africa's hip-hop? – June 9, 1999
  6. ^ "What does BOOM SHAKA mean?". www.definitions.net. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  7. ^ Mojapelo, Max (2008). Beyond Memory: Recording the History, Moments and Memories of South African Music. Somerset West: African Minds. p. 176. ISBN 978-1-920299-28-6.