Category Archives: Episode

S02E02 – What’s on the Tube?

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New South African bands are taking to YouTube like proverbial sosaties to a stick. In this week’s show we sample some of the tasty morsels of sound the interwebz goggle box has to offer.

In this week’s show, we feature the music of:

  • Toya Delazy
  • Die Heuwels Fantasties
  • ISO
  • Goodluck
  • Shortstraw
  • Beatenberg
  • Jack Parow
  • Anton Myburgh
  • Robbie Wessels
  • aKING
  • Arno Carstens

Our Gigs, Gossip & Grooves dates have now moved to the “Events” tab on the main menu. Check it out for South African artists playing and other events in your city.

You can find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TuneMeWhat

We really appreciate your feedback. We’re always open to suggestions and even requests! If you’re a South African musician living or touring internationally, do let us know about your concerts, album releases or tours – we’d love to give you a punt on the show. Our email address is yesno@tunemewhat.com

But most importantly, if you enjoy the show, tell your friends about Tune Me What?!

If you’d like to advertise on the show, drop us a line at adverts@tunemewhat.com

S02E01 – A New Season!

Ep201bgraphic

S02E01 – A New Season! by Tune Me What? on Mixcloud

We’re back for another season of Tune Me What? – the podcast highlighting the best of South African music. After escaping the British winter for some South African sunshine, Brett was able to do some shopping for the show and in this first episode of the second season, he and Leon dip into the shopping bag to see what comes up.

We’re thrilled to be back and hope Tune Me What? remains just as essential as it was last year! 😉

In this week’s show, we feature the music of:

  • Tony Cox
  • Nakhane Toure
  • Chris Letcher
  • Marimba Vibrations
  • Lucy Kruger
  • Die Briels
  • Breyten Breytenbach
  • Zakes Bantwini
  • Gazelle
  • Veli Shebangu

Our Gigs, Gossip & Grooves dates have now moved to the “Events” tab on the main menu. Check it out for South African artists playing and other events in your city.

You can find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TuneMeWhat

We really appreciate your feedback. We’re always open to suggestions and even requests! If you’re a South African musician living or touring internationally, do let us know about your concerts, album releases or tours – we’d love to give you a punt on the show. Our email address is yesno@tunemewhat.com

But most importantly, if you enjoy the show, tell your friends about Tune Me What?!

If you’d like to advertise on the show, drop us a line at adverts@tunemewhat.com

The Holiday Special

Episode 32

Sosaties roasting on an open fire, beach sand getting in your clothes… we do the holidays South African-style with two hours of festive music by South African artists spreading seasonal cheer and snappy tunes around the globe (particularly if you’re freezing your gramadoelas off in the snow)!

Do we know it’s Christmas? Jislaaik! Eish! Hell yeah!

But ag, this is the last episode of Tune Me What? for Season 1. We hope you’ll enjoy it and join us again next year! Until then, best wishes for the festive season and the new year from Leon, Brett and the TMW team!

In this very festive Episode 32, we feature the music of:

  • Ed Jordan
  • Mabel Mafuya
  • Ricardo and Friends
  • The Thieves
  • David Kramer
  • Ladysmith Black Mambazo
  • Jimmy12″
  • Mahlabatini (Victor Zulu)
  • Marshall Harmse
  • Reggie Msomi & His Hollywood Jazz Band
  • Buskaid Soweto String Project
  • Ed Jordan & Friends
  • NAC Children’s Choir
  • The Skylarks, featuring Miriam Makeba
  • Nick Taylor
  • Wake To wonder
  • Ard Matthews
  • Kings Messenger Quartet
  • Henry Ate
  • Wonderboom
  • Be Like Water
  • Jack Parow
  • Die Heuwels Fantasties
  • Kalahari Surfers
  • Oriana Choir

Our Gigs, Gossip & Grooves dates have now moved to the “Events” tab on the main menu. Check it out for South African artists playing and other events in your city.

You can find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TuneMeWhat

We really appreciate your feedback. We’re always open to suggestions and even requests! If you’re a South African musician living or touring internationally, do let us know about your concerts, album releases or tours – we’d love to give you a punt on the show. Our email address is yesno@tunemewhat.com

But most importantly, if you enjoy the show, tell your friends about Tune Me What?!

If you’d like to advertise on the show, drop us a line at adverts@tunemewhat.com

Trouble using the player? DOWNLOAD the show.

More Musical Madiba Magic

Episode 31

After the tremendous response to last week’s show featuring the music made by South African musicians celebrating and chronicling the life of Nelson Mandela we realized there was so much more to hear, so here is an extra-long episode playing even more. We’ve both been quite emotional this week and making this show has helped us feel in touch with other South Africans. We hope that spending 90 minutes with us will do the same for you. If you’re not South African, we hope you’ll join us in celebrating the life and legacy of a World Statesman and enjoy some of the diverse and thrilling music from his homeland.

Included in this special episode are messages from listeners with their personal dedications to Madiba.

In this episode we feature the music of:

  • PJ Powers
  • Vusi Mahlasela
  • James Phillips & The Lurchers
  • Letta Mbulu
  • Des & Dawn Lindberg
  • Koos Kombuis
  • Sharon Katz & The Peace Train
  • African Jazz Pioneers
  • Sipho Mabuse
  • Mabi Gabriel Thobejane
  • Zulu Spear
  • Ladysmith Black Mambazo
  • Malombo
  • Shaun Naidoo and Warrick Sony
  • Nomfusi & The Lucky Charms
  • Toby Tobias Ensemble

We would also like to specially thank all those who phoned in and left voice messages to be included in this show.

If you have a hankering for even more South African music, start right here with this amazing video of the Soweto Gospel Choir surprising shoppers at a Woolworth’s store.

You can find us on Facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/TuneMeWhat

We really appreciate your feedback. We’re always open to suggestions and even requests! If you’re a South African musician living or touring internationally, do let us know about your concerts, album releases or tours – we’d love to give you a punt on the show. Our email address is yesno@tunemewhat.com

But most importantly, if you enjoy the show, tell your friends about Tune Me What?!

If you’d like to advertise on the show, drop us a line at adverts@tunemewhat.com

Trouble using the player? DOWNLOAD the show.

Hamba kakuhle Madiba.

Episode 30

It was with great sadness we learned yesterday of the death of Nelson Mandela, Tata Madiba, the father of our Country, South Africa. We had planned to bring you today a holiday season special, but we’ve decided to hold that over until next week. Instead, we have a very special introduction by our friend Toby Tobias after which he will perform a new song with his Ensemble dedicated to Madiba. This is the first public broadcast of this new work. After that we will run an edited repeat of our episode (first aired in June this year) dedicated to the music about Nelson Mandela by South Africans ourselves. But before we hear from Toby Tobias, we take a listen to the African National Congress Choir’s dedication to Nelson Mandela called Usilethela Uxolo, or Nelson Mandela Brings us Peace. Madiba certainly did and he will rest peacefully.

Sleep well Madiba. Thank you for everything. Hamba kakuhle. 

In this episode, we feature the music of:

  • The Toby Tobias Ensemble
  • Sipho Hotstix Mabuse
  • The ANC Choir
  • Hugh Masekela
  • Abdullah Ibrahim
  • Bright Blue
  • Brenda Fassie
  • Lucky Dube
  • Vusi Mahlasela
  • Savuka
  • The Alexandra Youth Choir

If you enjoyed this show, there’s more in Part 2.

We would like to say thank you to Toby Tobias for that special introduction and for giving us his new song to play first as a dedication to Madiba. Find out more about Toby and his Ensemble at tobytoby.com.

You can find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TuneMeWhat

We really appreciate your feedback. We’re always open to suggestions and even requests! If you’re a South African musician living or touring internationally, do let us know about your concerts, album releases or tours – we’d love to give you a punt on the show. Our email address is yesno@tunemewhat.com

But most importantly, if you enjoy the show, tell your friends about Tune Me What?!

If you’d like to advertise on the show, drop us a line at adverts@tunemewhat.com

Trouble using the player? DOWNLOAD the show.

The Discovered Country

Episode 29

In this, the penultimate episode of Tune Me What? for the year – Leon & Brett play some tracks from the artists, old and new, that they have discovered while doing the show. It goes to show that not only is the South African music scene an untapped reserve of amazing music, but it’s a renewable resource with an astonishing variety.

In this episode, we feature the music of:

  • Rozanne Gewaar
  • The Soul Brothers
  • Jack Parow
  • National Wake
  • Third Ear Experience
  • Freshlyground
  • Simphiwe Dana
  • Nakhane Toure
  • Die Radio Kalahari Orkes
  • Nico Carstens

And of course there’s more news in Gigs, Gossip & Grooves, including:

We really appreciate your feedback. We’re always open to suggestions and even requests! If you’re a South African musician living or touring internationally, do let us know about your concerts, album releases or tours – we’d love to give you a punt on the show. Our email address is yesno@tunemewhat.com But most importantly, if you enjoy the show, tell your friends about Tune Me What?! If you’d like to advertise on the show, drop us a line at adverts@tunemewhat.com

Trouble using the player? DOWNLOAD the show.

 

Universal Children’s Day

Episode 28

This past Wednesday was the United Nation’s “Universal Children’s Day”, so in celebration of this, we thought we’d do a special programme about some of the really great South African music for children. We’re joined by well-known community pre-school campaigner and educator, ‘Teacher Lee’, who brings in her box of records. She told us more about her work and a brilliant charity her mother back in South Africa – also a pre-school teacher – is involved in. So tune in and sing-along!

In this episode we feature music by:

  • Sharon Katz
  • Anne Ziegler & Webster Booth
  • Betty Misheiker
  • Nick Taylor
  • Wendy Fine
  • Judy Irwig
  • Vusi Mahlasela
  • Uz Adibalz an Fings (Annabel Linder, Erica Rogers & Mel Miller)
  • Busi Mhlongo
  • Ed Jordan and Alan Glass
  • Wendy Oldfield
  • Soweto String Quartet

Here is a short documentary produced by Kaelo Stories of Hope about the Baobab project.

To find out more about Teacher Lee ‘Play To Learn’ visit their website here.

Wendy Fine and Judy Irwig – who we featured in the show – have a great online store for their music.

We really appreciate your feedback. We’re always open to suggestions and even requests! If you’re a South African musician living or touring internationally, do let us know about your concerts, album releases or tours – we’d love to give you a punt on the show. Our email address is yesno@tunemewhat.com But most importantly, if you enjoy the show, tell your friends about Tune Me What?! If you’d like to advertise on the show, drop us a line at adverts@tunemewhat.com

Trouble using the player? DOWNLOAD the show.

In the Family Way

Episode 27

Today we play some tracks from some of South Africa’s top musical families, so join us as Tune Me What gets in the family way and positively bulging with a bundle of joyful music!

In this episode we feature the music of:

  • Johnny Clegg
  • Jesse Clegg
  • John Kongos
  • The Kongos
  • Abdullah Ibrahim
  • Sathima Bea Benjamin
  • Jean Grae
  • Blues Broers
  • Baxtop
  • Tribe After Tribe
  • Brenda Fassie
  • Bongani Fassie

And of course there’s more news in Gigs, Gossip & Grooves, including:

More video? Why not watch the Baxtop Reunion in 1999 or our GGG guy Evan jamming with Robbi Robb of Tribe After Tribe.

We really appreciate your feedback. We’re always open to suggestions and even requests! If you’re a South African musician living or touring internationally, do let us know about your concerts, album releases or tours – we’d love to give you a punt on the show. Our email address is yesno@tunemewhat.com But most importantly, if you enjoy the show, tell your friends about Tune Me What?! If you’d like to advertise on the show, drop us a line at adverts@tunemewhat.com

Trouble using the player? DOWNLOAD the show.

Cool, Chilled and Funky

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This week we get laid back with some tunes that have the funk and the chill and the cool, so relax with Tune Me What for another hour of first-rate South African music.

In this episode we feature the music of:

  •  Springbok Nude Girls
  • Soul Brothers
  • Letta Mbulu
  • John Kongos
  • Max Normal
  • Mr Gelatine
  • Kalahari Surfers
  • Lconville
  • Syd Kitchen
  • Erik Windrich
  • Penny Penny
  • Amampondo

And of course there’s more news in Gigs, Gossip & Grooves, including:

We really appreciate your feedback. We’re always open to suggestions and even requests! If you’re a South African musician living or touring internationally, do let us know about your concerts, album releases or tours – we’d love to give you a punt on the show. Our email address is yesno@tunemewhat.com But most importantly, if you enjoy the show, tell your friends about Tune Me What?! If you’d like to advertise on the show, drop us a line at adverts@tunemewhat.com

Trouble using the player? DOWNLOAD the show.

On Board the Peace Train

Episode 25

We have a very special guest in today’s show – Sharon Katz of The Peace Train! Sharon and her musician friends took a train around South Africa in 1993 ahead of the first democratic elections to educate voters and build community.  Now based in the US, she still tours with the Peace Train spreading the same healing message.

She joins us in our virtual studio for a chat and plays some of her favourite CDs and shares some of The Peace Train’s own music.

In this episode we feature the music of:

  • Sharon Katz and The Peace Train
  • Miriam Makeba
  • Brenda Fassie
  • Busi Mhlongo
  • Dolly Rathebe
  • Abdulla Ibrahim

And of course there’s more news in Gigs, Gossip & Grooves, including:

We really appreciate your feedback. We’re always open to suggestions and even requests! If you’re a South African musician living or touring internationally, do let us know about your concerts, album releases or tours – we’d love to give you a punt on the show. Our email address is yesno@tunemewhat.com But most importantly, if you enjoy the show, tell your friends about Tune Me What?! If you’d like to advertise on the show, drop us a line at adverts@tunemewhat.com

Trouble using the player? DOWNLOAD the show.