From Hugh Tracey’s field notes:
Lefatse le tletse meea e mebe – The country is full of spirits
(Southern Sotho recorded in 1957)
This Izangoma and his wife were both dressed in scarlet with skirts lavishly sewn with beads and many feathers and "lucky seed" necklaces and bangles and leggings. Head bands and strands on the head. The learner Izangoma are distinguished by a string of white beads round their heads.
The Izangoma were supposed to be finding and throwing a "spirit" out of someone who had been bewitched. At the end of the recording, one member of the audience remarked "There is no to olosh (imp) here." Much laughter. The words were partly in Zulu, although the performers were actually Sotho.
Sampled by Boys Ride Bikes Dope Saint Jude & Kay Faith SA, Leighton Moody, Modified Man, SNOW, Tru Fonix on 'Beating Heart - South Africa' -
lnk.to/BH-SASo
With kind permission from the International Library of African Music, Beating Heart works with artists to sample and remix Hugh Tracey's incredible archive. Proceeds from the South Africa album support gender equality in South Africa through the Women’s Legal Centre, as well as helping to teach music production skills to kids at Grahamstown’s Access Music Project.
More info at
www.beatingheartproject.com