There have been endless collections over the years documenting various forms of global funk, mostly from west Africa, but this is the only collection of South African funk that I can think of, and it’s brought to you by John Armstrong, curator of the similarly-named Cuban Funk Experience. Armstrong has been a collector of South African music since the 1980s, and his deep knowledge shows in the detailed notes on each of his selections.
The set he’s put together is not funk in the way we think of funk in the west, though there is definitely a strong black American influence to shake up the joyful tone that characterizes popular South African music. The Mahatolla Queens are wonderful as usual, whether on their own (“Asambeni Bafana”) or backing up Mahlathini (“Wozan Mahipi”). Ex-pats are represented as well, and Armstrong gives some spotlight to exiles in Britain such as Chris MacGregor (on the Joe Boyd-produced “Andromeda”) and Dudu Pukwana. As the World Cup starts to recede from memory, keep the party going with this one.