Help me ID a song!
November 15, 2005 1:25 PM Subscribe
Several years ago, I got a bunch of mixtapes at a musicologist friend's moving sale. One was a mix tape of Zulu jazz/jive (think along the lines of Shanachie's Indestructible Beat of Soweto/Soweto Never Sleeps). There was no track listing--in fact, I think the tape was just titled "township music." Help me identify one of its tracks!
So, I was in Chicago this weekend helping a friend's sister settle into her new apartment, and during my second hour stuck in traffic on the Kennedy expwy, one of the tracks from this long-lost tape popped into my head. I think it's mostly in Zulu, but the chorus contains the words 'downtown Chicago.' Yeah, my memory's just that unoriginal. It's unspeakably catchy, and has been stuck in my head ever since. The vocalists are female. A wild guess would place it between 1940-1960; it's more jazz than jive. It may be an adaptation/translation of an American song, or it may be a South African original. Any guesses or leads will be appreciated. John Fenn, if you're out there (in Oregon?) reading Ask Metafilter, do you remember?
So, I was in Chicago this weekend helping a friend's sister settle into her new apartment, and during my second hour stuck in traffic on the Kennedy expwy, one of the tracks from this long-lost tape popped into my head. I think it's mostly in Zulu, but the chorus contains the words 'downtown Chicago.' Yeah, my memory's just that unoriginal. It's unspeakably catchy, and has been stuck in my head ever since. The vocalists are female. A wild guess would place it between 1940-1960; it's more jazz than jive. It may be an adaptation/translation of an American song, or it may be a South African original. Any guesses or leads will be appreciated. John Fenn, if you're out there (in Oregon?) reading Ask Metafilter, do you remember?
I have this song on a compilation CD of township jazz, but it's at home and I'm at the office. If you don't get a definitive answer by the time I get home, I'll look it up and post again with the info. It is indeed a very catchy, bouncy little tune, and it gets stuck in my head, too, whenever someone mentions Chicago!
On preview, yep, that's it!
posted by trip and a half at 1:55 PM on November 15, 2005
On preview, yep, that's it!
posted by trip and a half at 1:55 PM on November 15, 2005
Response by poster: Yay Ask Metafilter. Time from post to correct answer: 27 minutes.
posted by pullayup at 4:26 PM on November 15, 2005
posted by pullayup at 4:26 PM on November 15, 2005
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by gwint at 1:52 PM on November 15, 2005