Van Tuka music brings South Africans together

VAN TUKA Essentials is a project that aims to reconnect meaningfully with the core audience of Gallo Music.

Fans include both young and old, over the years.

The record company is aiming to become relevant to the new music and culture landscape while tapping into the global creative community that values its depth and history.

The project sees a curated playlist of classic songs that have been part of the fabric of daily southern Africa life Van Tuka (from the old days).

In the effort to revive the culture of sharing and listening to music together with family and friends, Gallo has mixed the playlist with a few contemporary songs from a younger generation of artists to balance all occasions.

The playlist is updated monthly with sounds from jazz, mbaqanga, Afropop, world, mbube and other genres. The artwork picture for the playlist includes Miriam Makeba and The Manhattan Brothers who were considered some of the first superstars of South African pop.

The group were known for their hybrid singing, overall style, fashion sense and as trendsetters.

Started by Ronnie Sehume, Joe Mogotsi, Rufus Khoza and Nathan Mdlele in the 1940s in Sophiatown, the group of friends found more popularity in the ’60s, in exile.

International icon Makeba joined The Brothers in the 1950s before joining the renowned Skylarks, a vocal group whose members included other iconic singers: Abigail Kubeka, Mary Rabotapi, Letta Mbulu and Viccie (later Busi) Mhlongo during its active years before disbanding following Makeba’s historical move overseas.

The Manhattan Brothers and Skylarks are among the local heritage of vocal groups along with the likes of Solomon Linda & The Evening Birds, Mahotella Queens, Dolly Rathebe & The African Inkspots, King Star Brothers and Ladysmith Black Mambazo and many more whose stories are either half told or untold.

Featured artists on the playlist include Dorothy Masuka, Miriam Makeba, Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse, Lucky Dube, Jabu Khanyile, Solomon Linda, Winston Mankunku Ngozi, African Jazz Pioneers, Harari, Mango Groove, Marc Alex, Andile Yenana and Thandiswa Mazwai.