National Geographic Music (National Geographic)

Kwela comes from the Xhosa and Zulu word khwela, meaning "climb on," a term used to get performers involved in a show and also widely used by police to get them onto police vehicles. It's also related to the Zulu/Xhosa word ikhwelo which means a shrill whistle. The kwela music that developed during the '40s and '50s almost always featured the pennywhistle, a cheap and reliable (tin flute) instrument that served as the lead voice. Early music by Willard Cele caught the ears of many, and the 1951 movie The Magic Garden also played a role. Spokes Mashiyane (And His All Star Flutes) were wildly popular by 1954. The harmonies of the kwela are simple and cyclical in nature, usually C-F-C-G7; the music combines a rapid ostinato foundation with elements of African-American jazz-swing forms. – Banning Eyre, Courtesy Afropop Worldwide: www.afropop.org