MC Sporo: True to Pantsula music

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Thursday October 28, 2010 00:00

For anyone who grew up in the '80s when Pantsula culture was the real thing, the new-kid-on-the-block, MC Sporo takes you right aback with his irresistible melodies in his debut album, Monna Mongwe O Thuba Rre Thogo.

The album title may appear long and boring, but once you are done playing the opening and title track on this CD, one is bound to have nothing but respect for the newcomer.

There are a number of elements that quite satisfy the ear of Pantsula music culture in MC Sporo's project, the exciting variety of the disco melody, the instrumental accompaniments that add spice to the song, the climax in each of the songs, the touching message, and yes, the enjoyable choruses that run throughout the eight-track CD.

Creatively weaved out accompaniments play a vital role in disco music, for the dancer's ear, as they must inspire his dancing senses, and adrenalise the dancer to be creative and spontaneously pull the tricks that would leave anyone bamboozled!  Tumelo Mafoko, undoubtedly one of the best disco music programmers around, did a wonderful job in what he knows best.

'Sweet sing-alongs'' also characterise this album.

 It is not easy to come up with a sweet memorable and pulling chorus, but the MC Sporo album seems to achieve that all important task with ease.'

The beautiful thing about the music is that it is performed in Setswana, enabling the performer to narrate touching stories about the challenges and the joys around his environment.

The opening song, which is also the title track for example, mocks a certain uncle who always sneaks in to cheat on another man whenever he learns that the husband has gone on a long trip.

I just felt in love with the chorus of the nember two track, Bashi; the arrangement of the bridge and the chorus is just colourful and simply staggering despite the fact that this is one sad song about a street urchin.  However one can't help but play rewind and jive Pantsula.

Listening through the various tracks in the album also tells a lot about the producer of these instrumentals.  He seems to have been inspired by a wide range of Pantsula music and not just one style as one is able to pick influences of a rainbow of the '80s and '90s disco legends.

The love song in the album is dedicated to a woman character who is also pantsula to the core, she is a drunkard, and so hood, but the man is so proud of her, and swears he would kill for this woman. 

He sees her as the best and warns to bleksem anything that touches her. I think I should say one of my best tracks here is  number five, Vuma, performed in Zulu. The instrumentation is sweet and a little laid back and immediately takes one back to the '80s, feeling younger and playing again.

I can pick Vuma to become one of this festive season's hits.  It is just so beautiful.  I played it more than four times on the first night and every time it was unbelievable.  The intro just finishes you off before the instrumentation enters its second part.  The album is also likely to give Alfredo Mos good publicity, especially when potential clients come to learn that this album was recorded at Alfredo Mos Studios.