Over the past few years, we have witnessed the dynamic and creative growth of kwaito in South Africa. As with rap and hip hop in the US, kwaito has provided many artists with a broad and accessible dance sound, to which they can and have added a multitude of different styles and influences. It has also created an opportunity for musicians and producers to cross musical boundaries and discover new directions and hybrids.

The vocals on this exciting and innovative album were handled by all the group members, with Oupa, Mojalefa, Sbu and Thaps all sharing the production role. Sbu had already received much acclaim for his production work on TKZee's two recent and phenomenally successful albums, 'Palafala' and 'Halloween'. Mojalefa engineered the album, wrote most of the material and also played some of the keyboards. The resulting self-titled debut album bears testimony to the wide range of skills involved in the project and Kom Kom will soon secure their place as one of the most prominent kwaito acts in South Africa. The album epitomises the punchy, exuberant beat of kwaito and adds a new freshness to the genre. The group have subsequently produced a video for the first single off their album, the title track 'Kom Kom', which will be launched during March 1999.

Stephen Segerman

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