Zebra Crossing

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This is neither the throbbing mbaqanga of the townships nor the ponderous classicism of Kronos’s African explorations. The Soweto String Quartet offer a light, poppy sound that mixes their cello, viola, and violins with a South African rhythm section and some touches of winds and brass. They move seamlessly between the scratchy, throbbing sound of Soweto (especially in some of the violin solos that really do grasp the wonder of the township fiddle sound) and the FM radio accessibility of Paul Simon (who they pay tribute to in a medley from Graceland). They are good players but they seem to have been advised to hide behind a slick production approach instead of showcasing their own skills. While there are pieces for just the quartet, they tend to be lighter, romantic works that lack much innovation. Some kwela or mbaqanga pieces with just the strings, using the cello for bass and the viola for punch, would have given the album a better sense of place than the incessant, if pleasant enough, bass-drum-keyboard backing band. Fans of Graceland or recent Mahlathini recordings should take the ride, because Zebra Crossing offers a different view of this popular music form. For those hoping for a radical departure: this is not your train. –Louis Gibson