An artist such as Angolah Maseko cannot be separated from his roots, for they are the source of his inspiration and foundation of his message, of which he had never strayed. With over two decades in the music industry, an activist from the days of Apartheid, Elder Angolah is still at it using music as a weapon to fight against injustice. He is working on new material for release this year and his 1990 hit song Going Forward will be getting new life as it is currently being recorded and revived by a new generation band called Zayan Roots from Cape Town.
Elder Angolah took some time off to chat with MzansiReggae reminiscing about the days gone by, below is the full length interview.
We have a lot of youth who are following Reggae Dancehall now, I would like you to introduce yourself, in a way that speak to them, because most do not know who is Angolah Maseko. Why you chose that name, The Groaners.
I was born Seabata with an antichrist name (Jacob) Maseko. At that time Azania was ruled by the maburu [Afrikaaners]. In 1976 at the age of 15 I was among 17 students in Khuma township (Matlosane) who rebelled against the change of subjects into seburu [Afrikaans], and I was detained for six weeks in custody without a trial; after my release I became more rebellious and felt I should change my name and called myself Angolah because the Maburu invaded Angola in an attempt to derail liberation forces from entering Azania. I soon got bored listening to music that pleases the oppressor and collected more of reggae music, Jimmy cliff, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear and Culture. In 1980 the name Angolah landed me in jail and I was tortured by then the special branch in Klerksdorp.
In 1985 we formed the band, in the meeting there was Caswell, Solomon and myself. Caswell suggested that we should call ourselves Gold diggers since we were working at Vaal reefs mines and I insisted on the name GROANERS since we were down-pressed right there, so being Angolah, being the Groaner gave me some courage to fight down Babylon shitstem
Can you take us back to the days when you started to make music, what was the atmosphere like?
The atmosphere was good and bad. It was good because there was a green light, that I could see reggae being part of South African Music yet it was bad on the players of instrument as they saw no future in reggae. I also tried to get some sponsors to buy equipment but all in vain, anyway I managed to buy few equipment for rehearsals and used it for live performance, around Khuma my home town in Klerksdorp and later Soshanguve, Mabopane, Pretoria, Johannesburg Katlehong and Vosloorus.
In 1989 when I reached Katlehong from Mabopane I saw light at the end of the tunnel, the Groaners were now close to the City of gold, but it was still dry and heavy working under the state of emergency. I was repeatedly arrested for Ganja that led me to compose the song WANTED. Around June/July 1989 we met another old man by the name Ntate Ramaisa Katlehong who paid my demo recordings and in 1990 I got a deal at Cool Spot studios.
Who were your contemporaries then?
Senzo, Harley (now Colbert Mukhwevo) Jose, Sipho Jumbo, Carlos Djedje, Lucky Dube, Slaves, Oyaba and many more and most of us had different record labels. We enjoyed enough air play, shows and our videos were appreciated at SABC and had enough support from Africa and abroad; beside that we were ripped off.
What would you say the difference is between the period when you started in the music and now?
Even though we were down pressed it was the work of every Rastafarian to free himself from the oppressor, and if necessary we supported each other against police brutality. Reggae was popular because one could hear it on most radio stations even in the clubs, and it was almost available in most record bars plus there was reggae programmes on all major radio stations in south Africa. Carlos Djedje and African Warriors, were the first to record reggae followed by Lucky Dube and Sipho of Jumbo and by then reggae was on broad way.
Today, just like back in the day, or maybe even worse, reggae music is still marginalised. What has changed or has not changed?
I m deeply concerned about this issue of marginalization and sabotage in our country and yet we pay tax as citizens of this land, things have gone from bad to worse, at least during Maburu reign we could hear reggae in most radio stations and Music videos were aired on TV; that’s how we came to know HIM and chose to praise our God with harps. During apartheid a SAMRO member could easily lend you money as an advance if you encounter any serious personal problem including the recording of a new project zeen. I was very disappointed by our fellow men and women in Government as they look down on us, while they continue to assists others. This kind of segregation is evil, No shows, personal problems, less air play for local artist recognition of our music by SABC until those stumbling blocks are removed man and man will never be free because I feel an oppressive atmosphere zeen.
The changes that I notice is from the youths forwarding the struggle as them do, having their own studios and producing good music and organizing their own shows unlike in the past. They also use social media to promote their works and they’re doing quite well, they’re reincarnated souls and glorification to the elders by HIM JAH RASTAFARI.
What do we as artists and practitioners need to be doing to change the status quo?
We should confront SABC [South African Broadcast Corporation] to honour our reggae artists by making a programme at least three times a year or more, by playing mzansi veteran`s music on all major radio stations and TV and community radio stations, since we fought for equal rights and justice in this country but we remain marginalized worse than before 1994; arrange shows and festivals all over mzansi to promote up and coming artists with love and fairness, talk to reggae/dancehall artists promote Rasta music and works zeen.
We should work and promote our works together to match the standard of reggae outtanational, arrange shows and festivals; join and belong to one umbrella body such as mzansi reggae; own a national Reggae Radio station and TV with an equal air play of local artists, and our artists must be paid for their toil.
How can we incorporate lessons from the past with the new sounds of today that speaks to the youth? How do we preserve the sound and make it relevant today and not just in the history of reggae?
The new SoulJahs must learn and obey the teachings of his Imperial Majesty to love and respect each other and work together not forgetting where we come from, with the struggle to take JAH music forward, the kings music reggae and dancehall seen. I’m the Groaner myself in reality, there are members and members of the groaners, it is my motivational name to conquer wicked Babylon seen.
Since I know my past I will say the youths of today are better equipped with information concerning Rastafari, so they convey good message and the sound has improved in their music, unlike in the past where most artists sang reggae for the love of it, and deny HIM so big up SoulJahs. Lucky Dube is the first reggae artist to be known out of mzansi and his works can be incorporated with new sounds by the youth of today.
What have been your career highlights up until now?
We performed and shared stages with artists in different genres in big festivals around South Africa, names like Brenda Fassie, Sankomota, Tshepo Tshola, Mzwake Mbuli, Jabu Khanyile and in some festivals we stole the show. In 1991 all local reggae artists performed at Reggae Strong For Peace festival, it was a great festival organized by Richard Siluma – Lucky Dube’s uncle, unfortunately there was no formal competition among I and I as we failed to work together we lacked sharing and communication, maybe it was because we were too far from each other, expect for me and Sipho Jumbo we did several gigs together including the continent
Fast Forward to the year 2016. Are you still an active musician?
I’m active as ever, as I see green light again, I meet old and new fans on daily basis, and they still like my works just like in the olden days, young and old chant to my tunes.
I made deals with several music promoters for distribution of my music in mzansi and abroad. I do live performances when booked to perform and sell my music to those who want it including on the internet. In 2003 I had a successful tour in Malawi. I still compose Jah music. In 2015 I was booked at a Peter Tosh festival at Marcus Garvey camp in Cape Town and Monwabisi Beach Reggae Sunsplash on the 29th Nov 2015; the show was great zeen. I had many interviews before and after the shows and I was amazed by the appreciation of my music in Cape Town.
Your music video and some songs are now available online on platforms like YouTube and Soundcloud; its good news because it can be heard by people who have never heard it, do you intend to being more active on social media?
Yep I like to promote my works on social media because it helps to make one heard globally
What do you enjoy the most about your work?
It soothes my soul the way I pass the message on my soulful reggae rhythm as a Rastafarian, my roots rhythm matches my lyrics and my groaning lion voice, my music teach and convert our people to know themselves and their roots, most of my fans love me for the truth in my message.
Do you listen to the new dancehall sound coming out of South Africa?
Wow our reggae dancehall is massive, there are many of them who are not heard but them strong, some already break the market globally but side lined locally. I do listen to them and I love them since them do a good job zeen.
Who would you say is a promising artist that would take on the mantle of exporting Reggae from South Africa?
Black Dillinger is promising massively.
What do you have in store for us in 2016?
I am working on a new album, the message is straight and forward we need true emancipation from wicked Babylon globally zeen. I am expecting to launch my new album of twelve songs with a good message for present times zeen.
JAH BLESS YOU ALL ANGOLAH MASEKO OF THE GROANERS. SELAH……..
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