Various
Gumba Fire: Bubblegum..
In 1980s black South Africa a local form of pop music evolved as the disco boom died down and slowly mutated. It was often ubiquitously described as Bubblegum - usually stripped-down and lo-fi with a predominance of synths, keyboards and drum-machines and overlaid with the kind of deeply soulful trademark vocals and harmonies that South African music is famous for. Compilers Miles Cleret (Soundway) and DJ Okapi (Afrosynth Records) present a selection of 18 rare, handpicked 1980s cuts that highlight the period that nestles in between the 70s (where American-influenced jazz, funk and soul bumped shoulders with local Mbaqanga) and the 90s when Kwaito and eventually house-music ruled the dancefloors of urban South Africa.