b'Marks MankwaneMarks SpecialWinston Mankunku NgoziYakhal InkomoMalaikaKwa Kumnandi2 BobNever Change My MindAll of Buskaids township musicKwela, Gospel, Jazz, and Afro-pophas been arranged and choreographed by Buskaid musicians. Since none of these arrangements has ever been written down, the players have to commit all the music to aural memory. New recruits to the Ensemble are helped by advanced Ensemble members to learn the songs through aural and visual transmission, a process reminiscent of traditional folk music. A typical Kwela session to learn a new song can be an extremely noisy and even argumentative occasion! Though the harmonies are basic, the rhythms can be quite complex, and the students call upon their knowledge of some quite difficult bowing patterns to execute these. Buskaids vocalists are all drawn from within the Ensemble and only one has received formal training as a singer. This simplicity of approach reflects the folk-like nature of this music, and adds a certain unsophisticated charm. The performances always differ, depending very much on who is leading, so there is a strong element of improvisation overlaying each performance. For this concert, three songs have been selected: Marks Special is a township jive song; Yakhal Inkomo was recorded in 1968 to mourn the Sharpeville massacre, and speaks of the final cry of the bull on its way to slaughter; and the Malaika medley consists of three Afro-pop songs, a series of love songs.~Rosemary Naldenbuskaid.org.za/ 17'