Tag Archives: Leon Lazarus

S05E23 – The Mine Dump Show

South Africa was largely built on the mining industry and while it is obvious that this cast its shadow on politics and economics in the metaphorical sense and quite literally in cities where its great pits and dumps became part of the landscape it also had a huge impact on the music of South Africa. In this episode Leon and Brett explore some of the music that was born on the mines or inspired by the mines in another hour of some great South African music.

In this episode we feature:

  • Hugh Masekela
  • Nibs van der Spuy
  • Busi Mhlongo
  • The Manhattan Brothers
  • The Jazz Dazzlers
  • Miriam Makeba
  • Spokes Mashiyane
  • Ladysmith Black Mambazo
  • Juluka
  • David Kramer
  • Virginia Gold Mine Compound  

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

Please consider supporting the show by becoming a patron.

Photo credit: Laura SA, Wikipedia.

S05E22 – The Iced Zoo Biscuit Hour

This week Leon & Brett tuck into a packet of Iced Zoo biscuits (or ‘cookies’ to our American friends) and play some great South African music suggested by the animals on this quintessential South African confectionary. Of course, they can’t resist injecting some interesting wildlife trivia into their (usual barely-sane) banter and commentary. Join them for an hour of South African music and chit-chat – including topical debates of the day like “how to best eat an Iced Zoo” and “what’s really in a bunny chow?”.

In this show we feature:

  • Dear Reader
  • Amerhsam
  • Ethel My Love
  • The Blues Broers
  • Des & Dawn Lindberg
  • Bill Knight
  • Springbok Nude Girls
  • Rabbitt
  • Qadasi
  • Bye Beneco
  • Darius Brubeck Quartet

Here’s that old Occam’s Razor clip we promised:

Oh, and if icing-animals don’t do it for you, for some very good depictions of South African wildlife, check out artist Bowen Boshier’s magnificent work.

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

Please consider supporting the show by becoming a patron.

S05E20 – Africa Is Not A Genre

In this episode Leon and Brett talk about one of their pet peeves – that all South African music is lumped together as “world music” when in fact South African artists span a great many genres, including pop, rock, reggae, hip-hop, jazz, folk, country, fusion, punk… you name it. So here’s to South Africa’s amazing musical diversity!

In this episode, we feature:

  • Prime Circle
  • Tailor
  • Toya Delazy
  • Buddy Masango
  • Wild Youth
  • Blk Jks
  • Tumi & The Volume
  • Jimmy Dduldlu
  • Lucky Dube
  • Marcus Wyatt
  • Bev McGreggor

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

Please consider supporting the show by becoming a patron.

S05E19 – A Mixed Bag

A mixed bag of a show – or to coin a phrase, a ‘checkers packet of a show – with new music by Gary Herselman’s new band Spook, news of a Syd Kitchen tribute show, while Max Hoba tune’s us something new, and much more featuring great South African music.

In this episode we feature:

  • Kongos
  • Spook
  • Zahara
  • Max Hoba
  • Swing City
  • The Genuines
  • Tshedi Mholo
  • Syd Kitchen
  • Tim Parr
  • Steve Newman

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

Please consider supporting the show by becoming a patron.

S05E18 – Hellos & Goodbyes

In the first half of this episode, we reintroduce the “Tune Me Something New” spot which puts the spotlight on unsigned and independent bands new to Tune Me What? This week we feature The Plastics and Pravda. In the second half, we pay tribute to the late Errol Dyers, well-loved Cape Town jazz and goema guitarist who died earlier this month.

In this episode we feature:

  • Miriam Makeba
  • The Elite Swingsters
  • Ard Matthews
  • Just Jinger
  • Pravda
  • The Plastics
  • Errol Dyers
  • Robbie Jansen
  • Abdullah Ibrahim

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

Please consider supporting the show by becoming a patron.

S05E16 – Remembering Ray Phiri


A special extended episode celebrating the life and work of the the late legendary South African guitarist Ray Phiri, featuring our special guest, his friend and fellow guitarists Alistair Coakley.

This episode features:

  • Ray Phiri
  • The Cannibals
  • Street Kids
  • Stimela
  • Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse
  • Roger Lucey
  • Coyote
  • Harari 
  • Joan Baez
  • Laurie Anderson
  • Willie Nelson
  • Manu Dibango 
  • Mory Kante
  • Phil Manzanera

Photo of Ray Phiri by Bobbyshabangu

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

Please consider supporting the show by becoming a patron.

S05E15 – Tune Me What Goes Clubbing

Brett and Leon blow the dust of their turntables and do the DJ thing with a big D and a capital J, and proudly present an hour-long dance music set featuring some of the best South African music to get down to on the dance floor. We know its not summer in the South, but this set will get you hot and sweaty – and that’s no animal nitrate! Rave on!!

In this episode, we feature

  • The Mothers
  • Goldfish
  • Felix Laband
  • Abdullah Ibrahim
  • The Sighs of Monsters
  • Zakes Bantwini
  • DJ Cleo
  • Black Coffee
  • 7ft Soundsystem
  • Hello Beautiful

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

Please consider supporting the show by becoming a patron.

S05E14 – The Comic Show

When Leon and Brett were growing up, there were no South African superheroes and they looked to American characters, like Superman, Spiderman and, er, Archie, to capture their imaginations. Today, ‘Gold City’ has its own local superheroes like Kwezi, who reflect South African culture. In today’s show, we chat about comics and play some cracking tunes inspired by Superheroes or give us something to talk about as we nerd out in another episode of Tune Me What?!

In todays show we feature

  • Radio Rats
  • Sons of Trout
  • Springbok Nude Girls
  • The Bats
  • Lancaster Band
  • Q Zoo
  • Matthew vd Want
  • King Ink
  • Crimson House
  • Steve Newman & Tony Cox
  • Louis Mhlanga
  • Scabie Annie

Check out the first edition of Kwezi for free online here.

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

Please consider supporting the show by becoming a patron.

S05E13 – The Arty-Farty Show

Don’t panic, it’s just another Grahamstown Festival show! This week Leon & Brett feel a little homesick. Last week they republished some articles from the music magazine they produced as students in Grahamstown in the late 80s, and of course this comes with fond memories of the National Arts Festival hosted in the town every year. It’s on at the moment, so this week’s show features a taste of just some of the artists – old and new – who will be strutting their stuff on various stages around town over the next ten days.

In this episode, we feature

  • Dominic Egli & Feya Faku
  • Zoe Modiga
  • Neo Muyanga
  • Judith Sephuma
  • Robin Auld & Wendy Oldfield
  • Eland Grey
  • The Kinsmen
  • The Kifness
  • Guy Buttery
  • Benjamin Jephta Quintet

Be sure to check out some of the stunning photos of the artists featured in this episode taken by our good friend Harold Gess on his Instagram page.

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

Please consider supporting the show by becoming a patron.

S05E11 – The Scar That Shines

Leon meets Donvé Lee,a author of “Syd Kitchen: Scars That Shine” – a new and controversial biography of the late Syd Kitchen – while Brett spins some great Kitchen Music taken from Syd’s solo material and collaborations with other artists.

In this episode we feature:

  • Syd Kitchen
  • Syd Kitchen & The Utensils
  • The Aquarian Quartet
  • Bafo Bafo  (Syd Kitchen & Madala Kunene)

Syd Kitchen: The Scars That Shine is available an an ebook from Amazon.

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

Please consider supporting the show by becoming a patron.