Oliver! appendices: Zimbabwe Cha Cha Cha Kings - South Africa (12 January 1992)

Through January/February 1992 Peel and Andy Kershaw caned tracks from Vimbiso the 1989 jit album by Zimbabwe Cha Cha Cha Kings.  My selection lists from Peel shows over that period regularly saw Zimbabwe Cha Cha Cha Kings tracks on there, but it seemed that every selection I wanted hadn’t been shared to YouTube.  However, this seems to have changed over the last year or so, for which I am grateful.
Another change has occurred in my choices as well.  For so long, I had the sing-along Ambewe as my most desired ZCCCK track, but in listening to some of the newly uploaded tracks, I found that it was South Africa, with its naggingly insistent and persisistent riff that held my interest more.  At this point, I must send out a request for anyone able to provide translation of the lyrics.  Given that it was recorded at a point when apartheid was still in place - albeit shortly to fall apart - I’d love to know whether the song was political in nature.  Or maybe it was praising the country’s wine trade?  It was the penultimate track of the night on the 12/1/92 show and with 2am beckoning and his Radio 1 shift nearly over for another week, Peel wasn’t giving out much in the way of details.  Any help gratefully received.
For Zimbabwe Cha Cha Cha Kings, as had been the case with their countrymen in The Kasongo Band, the success brought about by Vimbiso would lead to upheaval and infighting for control and money .  They came through it to record a Peel Session in November 1992 and hopefully this blog will cover that, but four years elapsed between Vimbiso and its follow-up, Ndiri Muvhimi which translates as I am a Hunter.

Video courtesy of Juan Andres Gonzalez Sanjuan.