In the 1990s, particularly during South Africa’s early days of democracy, Kwaito music was the soundtrack of the township music scene, with places like Soweto and Thembisa serving as backdrops of the genre. However, in Bolobedu, the Disco Music artist Emma Teanet who released the first ever professionally recorded Khelobedu song together with Shakabundu Girls, a girl group formed by Penny Penny, reigned supreme. The latter released hit after hit with their Khelobedu song ‘Hono Mo Soo’ becoming an instant favourite with the masses, ushering the language into the broader music industry.
Unknowingly, Emma Teanet and Shakabundu Girls planted a seed. Aspiring musicians in Bolobedu embraced the two, while also taking advantage of the sudden interest in music delivered in Khelobedu, something Emma Teanet and Shakabundu Girls did very well throughout their respective careers. The latter’s other member, Candy Tsamandebele, soon released a solo project, Siki (five Cents), recorded solely in Khelobedu, followed by a national hit Tsa Mandabele with Oskido.
Tsa Mandebele was evidently the song that pushed the envelope for the Khelobedu language. Throughout the country, kids were imitating the choreography, which spawned another version of the song dedicated to children. The accompanying video of this version was a marvel to watch – the dancers featured a white child passionately reciting the lyrics and delivering their choreography with precision.
In 2018, with the uptake in social media usage and the launch of Spotify in South Africa, King Monada’s Malwedhe dominated social media feeds throughout the country, with the song’s lyrics spawning a challenge that ended as a news item on prominent news channels. A viral video trend emerged, with people filming themselves pretending to pass out while reciting the lyrics to the song. The virality of the challenge catapulted King Monada to national stardom in the same way it did Khelobedu music.
“Since our launch in 2018 in South Africa, we have seen artists cultivate a global community around their music. Music is a universal language, Master KG’s Jerusalema showed us that” says Phiona Okumu, Head of Music, Sub Saharan Africa, Spotify.
Khelobedu music’s influence in the music industry grew exponentially from there, with King Monada and Master KG dominating the music charts and the December holidays. This growth was bolstered by streaming platforms like Spotify, with artists gaining access to wider audiences and potential fanbases. Spotify has over 82 million songs on the platform, including a host of Khelobedu songs.
The Khelobedu language’s visibility nationally is almost non-existent. Khelobedu music, however, helps expose the unsung language to a different audience, both within South Africa and beyond its borders. The virality of a song often piques the curiosity of a global audience, especially in prominent music markets like the USA and UK. With the age of fast-growing technology, streaming platforms are a major vehicle for cultural objects like the Khelobedu language to thrive on national and international stages, thereby educating listeners about new languages and cultures they would likely never otherwise encounter.
