TKZee – Halloween

By Tseliso Monaheng

It was two years before the beginning of a new millenium. TKZee had been in the music industry for some time, winning awards along the way for their single ‘Palafala’. Kwaito was in a healthy state - hits were being churned out on a regular basis and house music hadn’t yet infiltrated the South African market. Yet despite its acclaim, kwaito was struggling to find its next step.

After more than five years of giving party people a reason to move, a new direction was needed. What other ideas could be explored in the music besides repetitive lyrics and materialistic exhortations?In the midst of this confusing climate, TKZee (the letters stand for the members’ names: Tokollo, Kabelo and Zwai) unleashed their critically-acclaimed masterpiece, Halloween. Hailed by many a kwaito fan as a watershed moment during the 90s, the album’s production value combined with the group’s synergy and a healthy financial backing from their label ensured that the sound of kwaito was redefined and rejuvenated.

TKZee were raw, unrelenting and pantsula to the core! They were also young, ambitious and perhaps a bit reckless in how they led their lives. Their innovative approach saw them suggest interesting lyrical ideas and explore territories beyond their genre, most notably through their collaborations with the late jazz pianist Moses Molelekwa. They were authentic street merchants, marching to the same beat as their countrymen in urban and rural areas alike. Songs such as the bass-heavy ‘Mambotjie’, the summertime banger ‘Dlala Mapantsula’ and the triumphant ‘We Love This Place’ are still favourites at social gatherings across South Africa.

History has been kind to TKZee. All three members are still active in the music industry. They still perform together and have recently recorded new tracks. But Halloween stands undisputed as their crowning achievement, for injecting new ideas into a genre that has since continued to evolve and embrace change.