The Great South African Trip by Various Artists
The Great South African Trip is one of the ultimate compendiums of celebrated South African music on a double CD. It's a feast of legendary music, filled with delicious tastes of the country's best-known and most talented artists of the last centuries.
The music on this album is as authentically South African as you can get, and ranges from joyful to pensive - depending on the context of each particular song. The common characteristic that holds all the songs together is that they are all truly heartfelt. The album also includes excerpts of Nelson Mandela's famous inauguration speech, so if you're looking for a comprehensive musical anthology of South African culture and history - this is it.
Miriam Makeba, Johnny Clegg, Caphius Semenya, Hugh Masekela and Yvonne Chaka Chaka are a few of the much-loved South African musical legends that feature on this album - there's even a rendition of the famous Shosholoza by the Drakensberg Boys Choir - and they're joined by a host of other top contemporary South African groups and artists.
The Great South African Trip was one of the very first albums from African Cream Music, and many of the songs on it are still often played in game reserves, crafts markets such as Greenmarket Square, and many other South African places. The poignancy of the music and the significance of the messages it conveys make owning this album absolutely non-negotiable if you're at all interested in the music of South Africa!
It's a very worthwhile album to have for anyone who desires a comprehensive taste of (the history of) South African music, and is also keen to learn about the many fascinating aspects of South African culture and history.
Although this is the kind of album that you can expect to hear playing in any location frequented by visitors to the country, it's also an album that you can listen to in a quiet environment and really concentrate on. It's almost as if the artists are singing directly to you - they want you to sense their passion and hear their laughter and sadness alike.
The packaging of The Great South African Trip is characterised by earthy pastel colours and textures, and throughout the packaging and booklet you'll find illustrations of various traditional elements of South African livelihood. The booklet contains a description for each track, detailing the background of the artist, the style of the music and the significance of its message.
Get a taste of The Great South African Trip right now by using our JukeBox to listen to the current CD. You can also download this track to save and listen to at your leisure.
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