Music
The rich heritage of Pantsula
Sophiatown. Fashion. Music. Pantsula dance! The story is one shrouded in mystery, myth, kasi, and bravado.
ORIGIN AND HISTORY
Mzuzephi Mathebula, or Nongolza, was a migrant worker who moved up north from the KZN during the late 1800s, presumably to eke out a living. He managed to do more than just that; he formed a band of bandits which terrorized the Highveld for decades and made grown men tremble at the very mention of his name. In prisons, Nongoloza's immortalized through the symbolism of prison gangs.
Nongoloza's important not only to the prison narrative but also in fashioning gangs which would go on to define the Kofifi look – Stetson hats and zoot suits, the latter-day Dickies and bucket hats.
Bloke Modisane has provided journalistic insight into that fifties and sixties period; Bra Hugh has offered a musical perspective.
12 min
Explore Pantsula
Learn everything you need to know about the South African dance style Pantsula.
But who has written about the dance; about the gumboot; about the thugs of innercity Jozi? What were they wearing; who were they; what were they thinking?
Pantsula
© Chris Saunders
Where does the truth lie?
eSotra, or Soweto, the love affair can be traced back decades. It intercuts between eras, adjoins ideas and draws references scattered, like pebbles during a dance-off on dusty kasi street-corners, on the Internet, in academia, and during s'camto with bafwethu at up-market chisanyamas where kwaito soundtracks the day, and in dingy bars where the jukebox contains anything from Papa Penny, to Chiskop, to Brown Dash.
"I grew up associating pantsula," writes Tseliso Monaheng. "The dance aspect – to lo-fi Euro-dance tapes playing out of battered boomboxes in community halls. We referred to the music as S'taliana (Italian). A great example would be Whigfield's "Sexy Eyes (Stevie's Amen UK Edit)."
Pantsula
© Chris Saunders
According to Monaheng, Pantsulas were tougher. "They wielded knives – Rambo, 3-star, Okapi – and were usually stick-up kids. Anything from bicycles to "Jewish" (clothes) was fair game. Pantsulas were the outcasts and were absolutely fine with it. Pantsula, which I later learned is connected to tap-dance, was but a by-product, not the main dish. Thinking about it now, the tap-dance comparison was when I first realised that our art can never exist on its own, and it's this same line of thinking which Mma Tseleng follows in his presentation about kwaito and, by association, pantsula," he says.
Pantsula
© Chris Saunders
This rhythmic expression of black African youth continues to mold pantsula anew. Pantsulas are winning awards for their outstanding performances in television shows, as is the case with the cast from the Vincent Moloi-directed runaway smash, Tjovitjo! Kwaito – and pantsula, by association – has recently received literary treatment in Sihle Mthembu and Esinako Ndabeni's essayatic "Born To Kwaito", while TKZee's "Halloween" continues to influence pop culture some two decades two decades in.
Pantsula
© Chris Saunders
The rapper-turned-kwaito superstar, now-television personality Kabelo Mabalane's prophetic words still glide from the archives of groove wearing bright orange All-Stars kicks all these years later: Pantsula [is] 4 lyf!
TECHNIQUE
Panstula has an interesting technique, the dance style is quick stepping, there is an influence of tap dancing, there are everyday gestures included such as the rolling of dice, the dancers have on the spot rhythmic footwork. The style of dressing is as important as the dancing in isiPantsula. Pantsula dancers move to Kwaito and House music. There is also an element of whistling. IsiPantsula is mostly performed by male dancers but there is a growing number of female dancers.
FASHION
The dress evolves to match the subculture's ever-changing orientation, matching every successive generation's lifestyles and expression. Learn more here.
