RECORDS WANTED FROM SOUTH AFRICA
Emerson
interested to buy vintage 78 rpm records with native African music. My
interest is to purchase a big lot, and any info is apreciated. My
e-mail is
may...@yahoo.com
Thanks
Emerson
Moira de Swardt
Emerson <eme...@francanet.com.br> wrote in message
Interesting.
Does anyone know if this sort of music was considered worthy of
recording back when 78rpm records were common?
I have the feeling that such records must be *very* scarce, and if
they exist, very valuable.
Moira, the Faerie Godmother
Emerson
Black African music were always strong. Since the 20's, when the first
African artists were recorded (from Nigeria and Ghana), billions of
these discs were sold. The industry was not only big in South Africa
(since 1929), but also in Mozambique, Madagascar, Tanganika, Zanzibar,
Kenya, Belgian Congo, Rhodesia, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, and many other
African territories at that time. I can name you a dozen of South
African companies dedicated to the recording of native African music,
such as Gallo, Tropik, TREK, Drum, Jumbo, Quality, Better, and many
others. Thanks
Emerson
Moira de Swardt
Emerson <eme...@francanet.com.br> wrote in message
> Not really, Moira
Interesting.
Moira, the Faerie Godmother
Steve Hayes
What do you think people listened to in the townships, before the envention of
the transistor, and the spread of mains electricity?
I grew up on a smallholding just outside Johannesburg (now its just suburban
housing - it was in Sunningdale, behind the Jewish Old Age Home). We had no
mains electricity (it was outside the municipal area), and before transistors
battery radios & gramophones were rare, heavy and expensive. We used the good
old wind up gramphone, with 78s, and that's what people in the townships used.
Since the invention of the transistor they have gradually been replaced by
gomba-gombas, but I would think that the market for 78s lasted well into the
mid-1960s.
Steve Hayes
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/stevesig.htm
Emerson
Yes, that's what happenned also in Brasil, a large country, without
economic resources. Here, that type of record lasted until 1964. But,
unlike the African countries, Brazilian music were not recorded in its
entire diversity. It's amazing to see records with languages used in
the most remote parts of Africa. Can you tell me what a "gomba-gomba"
is?
Also, any information where I could buy a lot of these vintage records
would be apreciated. Thank you
Emerson
Steve Hayes
>Hi, Steve,
>Yes, that's what happenned also in Brasil, a large country, without
>economic resources. Here, that type of record lasted until 1964. But,
>unlike the African countries, Brazilian music were not recorded in its
>entire diversity. It's amazing to see records with languages used in
>the most remote parts of Africa. Can you tell me what a "gomba-gomba"
>is?
A gomba-bomba is a cheap portable battery operated radiogram/tape player, with
big speakers. The name comes from the fact that you can hear them at a
considerable distance, and what you hear sounds like gomba-gomba-gomba-gomba.
As you get closer you might be able to distingush a melody and even some
words, but the bass beat carries further. Miners seem to like them, and they
are often heard n mine compounds.
A similar sound is made by those car sound systems that take up the entire
boot. A car drives up next to you going gomba-gomba-gomba-gomba. What's
different about those, however, is the price.
>Also, any information where I could buy a lot of these vintage records
>would be apreciated. Thank you
>Emerson
Sorry, that I don't know.
Second hand bookshops, perhaps, and pawnbrokers, or swap shops.
Steve Hayes
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/stevesig.htm
Moira de Swardt
Steve Hayes <haye...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> I grew up on a smallholding just outside Johannesburg (now its
just suburban
> housing - it was in Sunningdale, behind the Jewish Old Age Home).
We had no
> mains electricity (it was outside the municipal area), and before
transistors
> battery radios & gramophones were rare, heavy and expensive. We
used the good
> old wind up gramphone, with 78s, and that's what people in the
townships used.
I had forgotten about those wind-up grammaphones. We actually had a
small one.
> Since the invention of the transistor they have gradually been
replaced by
> gomba-gombas, but I would think that the market for 78s lasted
well into the
> mid-1960s.
I didn't realize that 78's were available that late.
Moira, the Faerie Godmother
Steve Hayes
<moira.d...@wol.co.za> wrote:
>> Since the invention of the transistor they have gradually been
>replaced by
>> gomba-gombas, but I would think that the market for 78s lasted
>well into the
>> mid-1960s.
>
>I didn't realize that 78's were available that late.
Seven singles began to be marketed in South Africa in about 1962 or so. Before
that, single songs were released on 78s. The 45 rpm was used for EP records,
which had two songs on each side, and smaller groves like LP records.
As I said, it was the transistor which was just coming into widespread use
around then that made a cheap battery replacement for the wind-up gramophone
possible. And printed circuit boards were needed before the Walkman could take
over.
A friend of mine got a Uher portable tape recorder about 1965. Ut weighed more
than a desktop computer these days. Four years later you could buy cassette
recorders that weighed less than a tenth as much.
Steve Hayes
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/stevesig.htm
sorites
As far as I can remember, the Uher was a reel to reel recorder. Of
excellent quality too. Before the caseete recorder came out, the reel to
reel was the in thing. I still have numerous tapes with some excellent
music of the 60's on it - jazz, popular etc. Unfortunately my reel to
reel is not all that healthy anymore, and there do not appear to be many
technicians that can repair something that doesn't need a replacement
printed circuit board!!
Moira de Swardt
Steve Hayes <haye...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> Seven singles began to be marketed in South Africa in about 1962
or so. Before
> that, single songs were released on 78s. The 45 rpm was used for
EP records,
> which had two songs on each side, and smaller groves like LP
records.
I remember buying seven singles (45 rpms) into the seventies. I
simply forgot about the wind ups, even though I shouldn't have.
> As I said, it was the transistor which was just coming into
widespread use
> around then that made a cheap battery replacement for the wind-up
gramophone
> possible. And printed circuit boards were needed before the
Walkman could take
> over.
> A friend of mine got a Uher portable tape recorder about 1965. Ut
weighed more
> than a desktop computer these days. Four years later you could buy
cassette
> recorders that weighed less than a tenth as much.
On reflection I still think the original poster is going to have
trouble accessing 78s with original African music. I still maintain
they must be rare and valuable to collecters. Just my opinion.
Moira, the Faerie Godmother
Steve Hayes
Oh indeed.
It is difficult to get anything that will play needle records these days, and
even when you do find one, it usually won't play 78s.
Steve Hayes
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/stevesig.htm
David Johnstone
David
eme...@francanet.com.br (Emerson) wrote in message news:<a10e2068.0306...@posting.google.com>...
Moira de Swardt
David Johnstone <davi...@mail.com> wrote in message
...
> I hate to say it, but have you tried eBay?
I'm glad to see you're sticking around and reading and posting.
We need a few more posters who aren't loons.
Moira, the Faerie Godmother