Dave Dargie Collection

BIO

This is a collection of recordings and song transcriptions by Dave Dargie, and used by him in his African music workshops. The booklet and recordings on cassette tape have been available for some years now. In 2001 the step was taken, of making the recordings available on CD.

The collection has the Best Songs of Ngqoko; CD with insert booklet; the Ngqoko group's performance of their best songs of 2002; featuring outstanding arrangements with overtone singing, and the use of the umasengwane friction drum. The insert booklet includes recording notes and photographs. There is a CD with large booklet; a collection of songs of the Thembu Xhosa, for listening and study musical instruments and overtone singing, with booklet including recording notes, photos & transcriptions. It features many recorded examples of the amazing Thembu Xhosa overtone singing, 'discovered' by the author in 1980; with (large) booklet/article including recording notes and transcriptions.

In addition, there is a CD with insert leaflet; a collection of songs by the Nqqoko Xhosa Music Ensemble, including overtone singing and some new arrangements of songs with an "orchestra" of Xhosa instruments including, for the first time, Concertina tuned to Xhosa scale and chords. The CD includes the last recorded performance by the extraordinary overtone singer Nowayilethi Mbizweni.

The collection is characterized with DVDs of traditional music by the Xhosa people. There is a two hour DVD with unrepeatable performances by Xhosa musicians recorded in 1985, interspersed with explanations and demonstrations by Dave Dargie and a two hour DVD with insert booklet; with further performances from 1985, and a performance of the Ngqoko Music Ensemble recorded in January 1998, and not before available on video.