Talk:Skokiaan

message: 100 BSAP band 1936
</gallery>August Musarugwa trained in the BSAP police band, with the bandmaster hitting him on the knuckles if he made a false note. I have a photograph of police bandsmen at BSAP Depot 1936 but am not sure how to upload it. (Photo S.A. Bowbrick)
He was employed as a clerk by another ex-policeman, Syd Bowbrick (1907-1978) who was personnel manager for the Cold Storage Commission, the government meat marketing board from the end of 1949. Bowbrick organized works sports, cinema, etc. and the works band – the African Dance Band of the Cold Storage Commission under August Musarugwa. Michael Baird in the attachment to Bulawayo Jazz 1950,51,52 (recordings by Hugh Tracy) International Library of African Music, Rhodes University, says that August moved to Bulawayo from KweKwe in 1950 (apparently quoting Joyce Jenje Makwenda's book Zimbabwe Township music (www.zimbabwetownshipmusic.co.zw, storytime@zol.co.zw.)
This makes it most unlikely that there was a 1947 Gallotone record. I believe the one pictured with In the Mood on the reverse was the 1953 recording. The one that was mentioned with KAREKWANGU on the reverse, I do not know. Perhaps KAREKWANGU was the origanal local title?
Syd Bowbrick was strongly into preserving African music and dance, organizing village dance groups from the Zambezi valley to travel to Bulawayo for festivals or the Eisteddfod. He stopped abruptly when a police friend told him that the Special Branch (security) had opened a file on him. However he continued to support the works band.
There was an attempt to launch the band commercially. (was this the  Chaminuka Band that Tracy recorded? I have no idea. They got a well paid job in the Congo, but all their instruments were stolen. Neither the players nor their sponsor could afford to replace them. So it was back to the day job, clerking, plus playing local gigs with the firm’s instruments. This was in the very early 1950s.
Bowbrick had met Hugh Tracy recording in the bush in the 1930s and arranged for him to record Musarugwa.
He also arranged for Gallo Africa to record Skokiaan somewhere between August and December 1953, in Bulawayo. The musical arrangement of this recording was influenced partly by the fact that they had to employ a session musician who played both the piano and the trumpet (He was paid 5 shillings (70c). He later became a full time member of the Bulawayo Sweet Rhythm Band.) Bowbrick prevailed on the band not to all play at once as they wished, but to let solos stand out, in deference to his unsophisticated western ear. Compare the hit arrangement with Tracy's recording a year earlier.
Bowbrick sent copies of the record to major record companies. Decca replied with a letter saying that Ted Heath, the top bandleader in Britain, did not think that it had any potential. Eventually it was picked up. Bowbrick always regretted that nobody picked up Musarugwa’s Tinochimero, which he thought would have been a bigger hit. The Chishona vocals probably put western bands off.
Spokes Mashiane recorded Skokiaan in 1955, some years before his hit, Kwela Claude, made the penny whistle acceptable.
Presumably it was because of the success of Skokiaan that Musarugwa got enough money to buy instruments, and launched the Bulawayo Sweet Rhythm Band. It had the same players. Even though it was a works band it did have outside players.
At the time African contestants in dance competitions wore white tie and tails. A 30 inch watch chain was de rigueur, going from the fly buttons to the right trouser pocket.
The tune came from the one played in shebeens to warn staff and customers that there was a police raid and staff and customers should dispose of the evidence. The sheebeen might indeed have been supplying skokiaan, but was more likely to have been selling lager or spirits – until 1957 it was illegal to sell Natives (Black Africans) anything but the traditional beer – looking like a dilute maize or sorghum flour porridge with 2.5% alcohol. Skokiaan was sometimes traditional beer fortified with methylated spirits, which could blind or kill. Musarugwa was well acquainted with sheebeens as a policeman and as a customer.
When Louis Armstrong visited Bulawayo in 1961, some years after his hit, he arranged to play with August at his concert. August was startled to hear from Armstrong how much he should have earned in royalties. On investigation, it turned out that this was because he had been asked to sign the standard contract, under which an African artist only got royalties on sales in Southern Africa. However, Bowbrick had vetted the contract and crossed out the relevant sentences before Musarugwa signed it, so he was entitled to full royalties. His lawyers, Coghlan and Welsh, took it up. Baird states that he got his money.
The name was spelt Musarugwa, but they were switching to a new orthography in the 1930s which could explain spelling differences. Shona spelling is now very different to that of Swahili, say, or Zulu while it started out much the same,
As a police bandsman he would have played several instruments. 
It would be most surprising if there were two or more August Musarugwas recording in Southern Rhodesia, let alone Bulawayo, which probably had 40,000 population then. It was a Matabele area, and Musarugwa came from the opposite end of the country. August was not a common name. We are talking of a tiny urbanized population, and a miniscule number of professional musicians.
Sources:  I knew August from age 5 to age 11, when he left the Cold Storage in 1954. My father Syd Bowbrick kept up with him until 1966 when Syd left the country after UDI. My brother, who was also at the recording session, and at the Bulawayo Louis Armstrong concert worked for his solicitors. The only time I have seen skokiaan, the brew, was in August's presence. Peter Bowbrick peter@bowbrick.eu
77.99.100.12 (talk) 18:42, 28 March 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: Because the song was known in the US as Skokiaan from the many previous hit versions! It doesn't get any simpler than that. 23skidoo 16:35, 28 May 2006 (UTC)

text: I think it's just a frequent misspelling. 23skidoo 20:58, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

message: ...with African Dance Band of the Cold Storage Commission of Southern Rhodesia, leader : August Msarurgwa. Skokiaan was backed with KAREKWANGU issued on GALLO/Gallotone-JIVE GB.1152 in 1947!!! The B.S.R. Band could have already recorded it in 1950! August Msarurgwa marimba intrumental of the tune was released in 1952.
Nhlapo viewed class division as an obstacle to African creativity, and wondered why tsaba-tsaba and other township styles could not be ‘polished and given to the world as the La Conga from Africa?’ 47. His suggestion was prophetic. In 1947, August Musururgwa and his Band of the Cold Storage Commission of Southern Rhodesia recorded the classic tsaba dance tune, Skokiaan.  Stephan KŒNIG 15:33, 11 November 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Back in the Forties... 

message: ...in the Dutch-speaking region of Belgium. Info taken from Sixties Hitparade Belgium.  Stephan KŒNIG 21:43, 2 December 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Skokiaan by Ralph Marterie charted... 

message: Several mysteries remain about the early history of Skokiaan.
* The first mystery concerns the number of times that Gallo recorded Msarurgwa playing Skokiaan, and where Hugh Tracey's recordings fit in. 
Did Gallo record Skokiaan twice, once in 1947, and again in 1954? Or was the master recording re-used for the second record? 
[Response Certainly re-recorded in 1953-54 - I remember it as late 1954, as I had father and brother at the session there.]
Where does Tracey's 1950-52 recording fit in? Tracey's African odysseys were, after all, partly sponsored by Gallo.[Response: Yes, his angel knew Tracey and supported his work, which is how he got the recording contract]
How did Gallo, a South African company, record Msarurgwa in Southern Rhodesia? I presume that Gallo sent someone to Bulawayo to record Msarurgwa, as Tracey had done. Was it Tracey himself? If not, did the band travel to Gallo's Johannesburg studio? Or did Gallo use a studio in Rhodesia? [It was certainly recorded in Bulawayo - my family was there]
One possible solution is that the "1947" record and the 1954 record is actually the same.  I would be very interested in hearing from someone who can provide evidence that two records exist, one dated 1947, and another, dated 1954. 
If both a 1947 and a 1954 record exist, was the 1954 recording a re-mastering of Tracey's 1950-52 one? Or did Gallo send someone (Tracey?) to Bulawayo to record Msarurgwa for a second time in 1954? [Response: certainly recorded in Bulawayo. I doubt if they had re-mastering there]
* Andrew Tracey told me in an e-mail that Gallo did have a branch in Southern Rhodesia, but could not confirm when they started operating. DocDee 04:38, 8 December 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Mysteries Remain 

message: I think it was nearly a miracle (*) to find this information because of the current stuffs on the Net~(for example : Galaxia's website). I spent this whole afternoon searching the 1952 version (a marimba solo instrumental) by August Msarurgwa Sky. Unfortunately, I didn't find anything. And yet, I saw the latter info twice a few months ago when I was working on the original versions of the songs recorded by Bill Haley during his Decca Sessions. Only two finger claps but what was my key? That's the question. Anyway, I haven't said my last word. Maybe one day or another...with a little bit of luck. Stephan KŒNIG 19:27, 3 December 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Skokiaan in 1947 

message: I removed the sentence "Msarurgwa reportedly released a marimba version in 1952" as I cannot verify that this recording actually happened.
If someone can find a reference, or provided a scanned image of a label that confirms this, we can paste the sentence back in again. 
I also removed the reference to Msarurgwa's marimba version from the list of recordings. DocDee 05:10, 6 December 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Musarurgwa's marimba version (1952) 

message: * Should we say Msarurgwa or Musarurwa?
The record label on the 1947 Gallotone recording identifies August Msarurgwa as the leader of the African Dance Band of the Cold Storage Commission of Southern Rhodesia. 
Yet authoritative sources say that August Musarurwa was the leader of the African Dance Band of the Cold Storage Commission, including the websites of the International Library of African Music, and of Sharp Wood Records. Sharp Wood Records transferred Hugh Tracey's 1951 recording of the African Dance Band playing Skokiaan to CD . 
It seems safe to assume that the August Msarurgwa who fronted the African Dance Band of the Cold Storage Commission for Gallotone in 1947, and the August Musarurwa who led the African Dance Band of the Cold Storage Commission in Tracey's 1951 recording, is the same person. All sources say he was the leader of the band. 
Did Gallotone or Tracey misspell the name? I have come one Gift Musarurwa, whose internet site says that he is the brother of August Musarurwa. If his claim is true, then Gallotone was at fault.
* But did Msarurgwa/Musarurwa also lead the Bulawayo Sweet Rhythms Band of the 1954 London Records release?
Several sources say that the African Dance Band of the Cold Storage Commission changed its name to the Bulawayo Sweet Rhythms Band, including Ray Templeton, Alastair Johnston, and Ruth M. Stone. Professor Stone confirms the name change in her book (Stone 1999:346). 
Templeton identifies the leader of the Bulawayo Sweet Rhythms Band as August Msarurgwa. He says the Sweet Rhythms Band's 1954 version was released on Decca (F10350) . Johnston also speaks of Musarurwa in connection with the Bulawayo Sweet Rhythms Band . Johnston is probably quoting the Sharp Wood catalog, as he includes the image from Sharp Wood's CD. 
Msarurgwa/Musarurwa apparently also played for the Chaminuka Band, listed on Sharp Wood's CD.
I have found a photograph which is confusingly identified as being of the "Bulawayo Cold Storage Sweet Rhythms Band" and its leader, August Musarurwa . While the author seems confused about the band’s name, s/he agrees with the other sources about who the leader was.
So Msarurgwa/ Musarurwa also seems to have led the Bulawayo Sweet Rhythms Band. DocDee 16:35, 6 December 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Msarurgwa or Musarurwa? One person or more? One band or two? 

message: British Decca F10350 was released in 1954. The group's original name was the Bulawayo Cold Storage Band (*) but renamed for the US market.
*http://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/african.htm  Stephan KŒNIG 11:10, 8 December 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  the Bulawayo Sweet Rhythms Band 

message: * MUSURURGWA and MUSARURGWA. Goodness gracious! Not kidding!  Stephan KŒNIG 22:11, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Our friend August's surname : 2 other spellings :-) 

message: http://meltingpot.fortunecity.com/navarino/212/face/face004-mahubesound.html   Stephan KŒNIG 18:55, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Photo of the Bulawayo etc. 

message: Do anybody still thinks that it is a balafon (of Guinea) ???   Stephan KŒNIG 21:18, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  a marimba of Brazil 

message: http://www.africultures.com/index.asp?menu=revue_affiche_article&no=4307&lang=_en  Stephan KŒNIG 21:40, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Skokiaan issued in 1947 : the evidence is quite clear !!! 

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thread_title: Fair use rationale for Image:Skokiaanlabel.JPG

message: Stephan Koenig à quality.econom. 
afficher les détails 13:42 (Il y a 1 minute) Répondre
Thank you very much for these explanations.
Stephan Koenig (62.88.83.155 (talk) 11:47, 30 March 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Skokiaan (part 2) 

message: It would be with pleasure but I don't hold any one of both 78 RPM. Sorry.
Stephan (Koenig) 62.88.83.155 (talk) 11:52, 30 March 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Skokiaan (part 3) 

message: Sort of! The British South Africa Company’s police was a sort of private army that occupied Southern Rhodesia, North Eastern Rhodesia and North Western Rhodesia. It fought in the Matabele and Mashona rebellions of 1896.  It took part in anti slavery wars up to 1897. It conducted the Jameson raid, and fought in the Boer War and the First World War. It was basically a mounted police force that could become mounted infantry at a moment’s notice. After Self government in 1922 in Southern Rhodesia, it became the British South Africa Police – nothing to do with the South African Police.  Still mounted infantry, Photos attached.
 In the second world war the single men went straight into the army, mostly into the SAS and the Long Range Desert Group, of which they were founder members. This is the 300 whites I am talking about. Similarly, the black troops became the backbone of the Rhodesian African Rifles and the Kings African Rifles in Burma.
 
When I was young the country claimed it could get 53000 armed men at 24 hours notice, with a white population of 200,000.
 
So, while they had a record of 70 years of blood free race relations after the rebellion, the possibility of a rebellion was always at the back of their minds.
 
As you will see the native police did not wear boots. We were not too keen on them either, not in that climate. We had tough feet: my first wife used to stomp out her cigarettes with her bare feet.
 
Policemen carried 303 rifles doing patrols in the bush, to shoot for the pot.
 
Best wishes
Peter
 
From: Stephan Koenig  
Sent: 29 March 2009 15:28
Is that an army ?
2009/3/29 Quality Economics <quality.economics@blueyonder.co.uk>
See bandsmen 1936
 
From: Stephan Koenig  
Sent: 28 March 2009 20:15
To: quality.economics@blueyonder.co.uk
Subject: Re: Skokiaan 
62.88.89.45 (talk) 20:14, 30 March 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  skokiaan (part 3) 

message: *Skokiaan (South African Song), 12/1959 : from AUGUST (Machon) MSARURGWA SKY's Marimba solo instrumental SKOKIANA/SIKOKIYANA/MAHEWU, Southern Rhodesia [now, Zimbabwe in the Southern Africa region), probably reissued on (Eric Gallo's Brunswick Gramophone House in Jo'burg) Gallo/Gallotone in 1952; an illicit home-brewed liquor made primarly of yeast, sugar and (warm) water, a Zulu Tsaba-Tsaba alcoholic tribal drinking song drunk on the beach under the moonlight by the Zulu tribes : the skomfani skokiaan. ***Skokiaan means moonshine. However this tune, still instrumental (sax & trumpet version), was already recorded by the African Dance Band of the Cold Storage Commission of Southern Rhodesia, leader August Msarurgwa (other spelling as MUSARURWA, MUSARURGWA and MUSURURGWA [which is his real Mashonaland surname] depending on the used Zulu languages : Afrikaans, Fanagalo, Tsonga/Changana or Venda).***The disc featuring Karekwangu on the B-side was issued on GALLO-Gallotone-JIVE GB.1152 and released in 1947.***
 Peter :
As I say, I do not know of a marimba version or an mbira one. Or indeed the 1947 one. I cannot find a reference to the Marimba one.
All alcohol is made of yeast, sugar and water. The skokiaan in Southern Rhodesia would have been traditional beer, fortified with poisonous meths. i.e. not moonshine or potheen. Some years later they were distilling in Zambia.
Variant spellings were due to a change in the spelling system for Shona a bit earlier than this.
Afrikaans is not Zulu, but kitchen Dutch, Fanagalo is kitchen Zulu. Venda is a Shona dialect – i.e. a Bantu language but not one of the Sesutho or Zulu trees but the third branch.
I would be reluctant to say it was a South African song without evidence, rather like saying Land of Hope and Glory was a French song. I do not know how much August amended a traditional song or just arranged it. Burns, for example turned crap Scottish traditional songs into poetry, often with amended music.
I have never seen a Zulu drinking on the beach, though it is possible. Mostly they are inland. Zimbabwe is a long long way from the beach.
I do not understand the 12/1959 reference – surely it would be much earlier. (I replied Bill Haley & His Comets)
Try this: Peter to me.
***Skokiaan (Zimbabwian Song), based on a song played in shebeens to warn of police raids. Skokiaan in Zimbabwe was traditional beer fortified by poisonous methelated spirits and was illegal. It was first recorded by August Msarurgwa (other spelling as MUSARURWA, MUSARURGWA and MUSURURGWA: There are variant spellings as the system for writing Chishona had just changed) and was possibly composed by him.
The tune was first recorded as a sax and trumpet instrumental by the African Dance Band of the Cold Storage Commission of Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) under leadership of August Msarurgwa. The disc, featuring Karekwangu on the B-side, was issued on GALLO-Gallotone-JIVE GB.1152 and released in 1947.
The hit version was recorded in 1953 by August Musarugwa and the African Dance Band of the Cold Storage Commission of Southern Rhodesia for Gallotone. The band changed its name to the Bulawayo Sweet Rhythms band at the time the record became successful in 1954.
(Of course it depends who you want it for, and how long you want it)
Best wishes
Peter
                                  62.88.84.8 (talk) 13:07, 31 March 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Skokiaan (part 4) 

message: Dear Stephan, 
The CD Bulawayo Jazz 1950,51,51 was recorded by Hugh Tracy. It has a 1952 ‘trial’ version of Skokiaan.
The notes say that August joined the Cold Storage in 1950, citing  JOYCE Jenje Makwenda, ‘Zimbabwe Township Music’ wwwzimbabwetownshipmusic.co.zw storytime@zol.co.ZW. Before that he lived in KweKwe, two hundred miles away.
So the label on the front page of Wikepedia is for the 1953 recording published probably in 1954.
The one with kare kwanga, could be the same one with In the Mood given a local name.My ….. The In the Mood lyrics are in Sindebele, or one of the Zulu family. Again must be post 1950.
 
Peter                62.88.82.212 (talk) 15:29, 2 April 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Skokiaan (Zimbabwean song) (Part 5) 

message: afficher les détails 16:58 (Il y a 53 minutes) Répondre
This is from the man who made the CD with all August’s tracks on, the Tracy recordings. Bulawayo Jazz. It is great. It has a 1952 impromptu version of Skokiaan with everyone jamming at the same time. 
 
From: Michael Baird  
Sent: 05 April 2009 11:49
To: peter@bowbrick.eu
Subject: Re: All About Jazz Inquiry from Peter Bowbrick re: Other
 
Dear Peter,
 
Thanks for your email. I don't really know what you are referring to - I have compiled my cd series from what I dug up in the archive. There will be no more August Musarurwa released by SWP Records. At ILAM there are many 78s in pretty poor condition; this is undoubtably where the tracks you talk about are to be found.
 
With best wishes, Michael
 
 
visit http://www.swp-records.com for more info, secure online shopping
Posted by 62.88.93.242 (talk) 15:57, 11 April 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Skokiaan (pt 6) 

message: Definitively not recorded in 1947 seeing August "Msarurgwa" joined the African Dance Band of the Cold Storage Commission of SR in late 1949, early 1950. This 78" has been released on 8 June 1951. Info from Goldworthy, Disa and Mr. Peter Bowbrick, all from Great Britain. Musururwa is the right spelling taken from the village of the same name in the Zwimba Reserve.
E-mails: goldworthy@ukzn.ac.za  -  disa@ukzn.ac.za    14:00, 12 October 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Skokiaan 

message: The list of recordings does not include Spokes Mashiane's recording, rather late, 1956? by my memory. This was the first Kwela we heard and caused great laughter. Later it took off as a quite independent form in South Africa particularly.81.98.178.89 (talk) 22:36, 24 December 2014 (UTC)
thread_title:  Spokes Mashiane

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