Keleketla!

Keleketla!
Keleketla!
Studio album by Keleketla!
Released	3 July 2020
Studio	Trackside Creative Studios, Soweto, South Africa; Denmark Street Studios, London, England; Assault and Battery Studios, London, England;
Genre	World music ; electronic music ; gqom ; afrobeat ;
Length	1:07:59
Label	Ahead of Our Time
Producer	Coldcut
Coldcut chronology
Singles from Keleketla!
	"Future Toyi Toyi"; Released: 21 May 2020; "International Love Affair"; Released: 11 June 2020;

Last updated July 17, 2024

Keleketla! is the self-titled studio album by British/South African musical project brought together by Johannesburg's Keleketla! Library founders Rangoato Hlasane and Malose Malahlela and English electronic music duo Coldcut. The album's title means "response" in the Sepedi language.^[1] It was released on 3 July 2020 via Ahead Of Our Time. Recording sessions took place at Trackside Creative Studios in Soweto, at Denmark Street Studios and at Assault and Battery Studios in London.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	7.7/10^[2]
Metacritic	81/100^[3]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[4]
Exclaim!	8/10^[5]
Loud and Quiet	8/10^[6]
musicOMH	^[7]
PopMatters	^[8]
The Guardian	^[9]

Keleketla! was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional critics, the album received an average score of 81, based on nine reviews.^[3] The aggregator AnyDecentMusic? has the critical consensus of the album at a 7.7 out of 10.^[2]

Adriane Pontecorvo of PopMatters praised the album saying, "Consistently exciting, always surprising, and full of soul, it is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable releases of the year to date".^[8] AllMusic's Paul Simpson stated, "Keleketla! is a powerful combination of activism and musical exploration, bonding the sounds of several locations and eras in order to express messages of joy, optimism, and revolution".^[4] Safiya Hopfe of Exclaim! said, "With contributions from over 20 artists, including such musical giants as Tony Allen and Thabang Tabana, Keleketla! is a collaboration of rare magnitude. It is at once a celebration and a call to action".^[5] Jemima Skala of Loud & Quiet said, "Keleketla! breeds an impossibly enticing sense of hope that one day things might be better".^[6] Writing for musicOMH , Steven Johnson said, "In short, it’s an album that demonstrates the continuing merit of musical collaboration while also offering a hopeful counterpoint to a world all too often consumed by negativity and strife".^[7] The Guardian reviewer Ammar Kalia said, "Here, the component parts of hip-hop, jazz, dub and protest music are pieced together, like the many languages of a diasporic conversation. If the call is for music Keleketla!'s multilingual, effusive response is one worth hearing".^[9]

Accolades

Publications' year-end list appearances for *Keleketla!*
Critic/Publication	List	Rank	Ref
PopMatters	The 60 Best Albums of 2020	30	^[10]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Future Toyi Toyi"	Jon More Matt Black Tony Allen DJ Mabheko Soundz of the South	4:49
2.	"International Love Affair"	More Black Allen Gally Ngoveni Nono Nkoane Tubatsi Moloi Thabang Tabane Sibusile Xaba	7:17
3.	"Shepherd Song"	More Black Allen Ngoveni Nkoane Moloi Tabane Xaba	8:11
4.	"Freedom Groove"	More Black Allen Anthony Hamilton	7:08
5.	"Crystallise"	More Black Yugen Blakrok	5:17
6.	"Broken Light"	More Black Ngoveni Nkoane Moloi Tabane Xaba	6:37
7.	"5&1"	More Black Ngoveni Nkoane Moloi Tabane Xaba	4:34
8.	"Papua Merdeka"	More Black Allen Benny Wenda Maria Wenda Koteka Wenda	6:41
9.	"Swift Gathering"	More Black Joe Armon-Jones	6:24
10.	"Future Toyi Toyi" (Edit)	More Black Allen DJ Mabheko Soundz of the South	3:28
11.	"International Love Affair" (Edit)	More Black Allen Ngoveni Nkoane Moloi Tabane Xaba	3:40
12.	"Crystallise" (Edit)	More Black Blakrok	3:46
Total length:			1:07:59

*Keleketla!*– Japanese edition (bonus track)^[11]
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
10.	"Future Toyi Toyi" (Gqom version)	More Black Allen DJ Mabheko Soundz of the South	6:14
Total length:			1:13:13

Personnel

Coldcut

Matthew Cohn – backing vocals (tracks: 2, 11), horns arrangement (tracks: 2–4, 11), JammPro MIDI controller (tracks: 5, 9, 12), producer
Jonathan Richard More – horns arrangement (tracks: 2–4, 11), JammPro MIDI controller (tracks: 5, 9, 12), producer

Vocalists

Nono Nkoane – vocals (tracks: 2, 3, 6, 7, 11), backing vocals (track 4)
Tubatsi Moloi – vocals (tracks: 2, 3, 6, 7, 11)
Thabang Tabane – vocals (tracks: 2, 3, 11)
Soundz Of The South Collective – vocals (tracks: 1, 10)
Afla Sackey – backing vocals (tracks: 2, 11)
Yugen Blakrok – vocals (tracks: 5, 12)
The Watts Prophets – vocals (track 4)
Benny Wenda – vocals (track 8)
The Lani Singers – vocals (track 8)

Instrumentalists

Tamar Osborn – baritone saxophone (tracks: 2, 4–6, 8, 9, 11, 12), clarinet & bass clarinet (track 9)
Tony Allen – drums (tracks: 1–4, 8, 10, 11)
Afla Sackey – percussion (tracks: 1–3, 8, 10, 11), additional percussion (track 6), djembe (track 8)
Al Riley – percussion (tracks: 1, 2, 10, 11), keyboards (track 4), additional percussion (track 6)
Ed 'Tenderlonious' Cawthorne – flute (tracks: 1, 2, 6, 10, 11), tin whistle & recorder (tracks: 1, 10)
Miles James – guitar (tracks: 1, 2, 8, 10, 11)
Gally Ngoveni – bass (tracks: 2, 3, 6, 7, 11)
Thabang Tabane – percussion (tracks: 2, 3, 6, 7, 11)
Shabaka Hutchings – tenor saxophone (tracks: 2, 5, 8, 11, 12)
Joe Armon-Jones – keyboards (tracks: 3, 4, 7, 9), piano (track 9)
Martin Perna – horns arrangement (tracks: 2–4, 11)
Antibalas – horns (tracks: 2–4, 11)
Sibusile Xaba – guitar (tracks: 2, 3, 7, 11)
Dele Sosimi – keyboards (tracks: 2, 6, 8, 11)
Patrick Carpenter – loops & editing (tracks: 2, 11)
DeeJay Random – scratches (tracks: 5, 12)
Chris "The Jungle Drummer" Polglase – drums (track 6)
Tubatsi Moloi – flute (track 7)
Darren "Sangita" Evans – piano (track 8)
Eska Mtungwazi – strings (track 9)

Technicals

Eric Lau – mixing
Al Riley – engineering, recording, additional mixing
Andrew Curnow – engineering, recording
Dion Monti – engineering, recording
Hugh Fothergill – engineering
Guy Katsav – engineering
Matt Colton – mastering

Charts

Chart (2020)	Peak position
UK Independent Albums (OCC)^[12]	38

Related Research Articles

Coldcut are an English electronic music duo composed of Matt Black and Jonathan More. Credited as pioneers for pop sampling in the 1980s, Coldcut are also considered the first stars of UK electronic dance music due to their innovative style, which featured cut-up samples of hip-hop, soul, funk, spoken word and various other types of music, as well as video and multimedia. According to Spin, "in '87 Coldcut pioneered the British fad for 'DJ records'".

<i>Whats That Noise?</i> 1989 studio album by Coldcut

What's That Noise? is the debut album by Coldcut, released in 1989.

<i>Wake Up</i> (The Vamps album) 2015 studio album by the Vamps

Wake Up is the second studio album by British pop band the Vamps. It was released on 27 November 2015. It debuted and peaked at number 10 on the UK Albums Chart and has been certified Gold.

<i>ArtScience</i> 2016 studio album by Robert Glasper Experiment

ArtScience is a studio album by American musician Robert Glasper. It was released on September 16, 2016 via Blue Note Records, his last one with that music label. Recording sessions took place at the Parior Recording Studio in New Orleans. Production was handled by Casey Benjamin, Derrick Hodge, Mark Colenburg and Glasper himself. It features contributions from Jahi Sundance on turntables and Mike Severson on guitar. The album peaked at number 129 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart.

<i>Fin</i> (Syd album) 2017 studio album by Syd

Fin is the debut solo studio album by American R&B singer Syd. It was released on February 3, 2017, by Columbia Records.

<i>Hive Mind</i> (The Internet album) 2018 studio album by the Internet

Hive Mind is the fourth studio album by American R&B band the Internet, released on July 20, 2018 by Columbia Records. It was preceded by the singles "Roll ", "Come Over" and "La Di Da".

<i>Mulberry Violence</i> 2018 studio album by Trevor Powers

Mulberry Violence is the fourth studio album by American musician Trevor Powers, and his first release under his real name. It was released on August 17, 2018, via Baby Halo. Recording sessions took place at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas. Production was handled entirely by Powers with additional production from Jason Kingsland and Tim Friesen.

<i>Black Focus</i> 2016 studio album by Yussef Kamaal

Black Focus is the only studio album by English duo Yussef Kamaal, composed of drummer Yussef Dayes and keyboardist Kamaal Williams. It was released on 4 November 2016 under Brownswood Recordings. Characterised by its "spontaneity and flow", the album draws influence from electronic music of British origin. It received universal acclaim from music critics, being described as having a culturally diverse palette.

<i>Rouge</i> (Yuna album) 2019 album by Malaysian singer Yuna

Rouge is the fourth international studio album by Malaysian singer-songwriter Yuna. The album, which saw her collaborate with many international acts, was released on July 12, 2019, by labels Verve Forecast Records and Universal Music Group. Five songs in the album were released as singles. Rouge, Yuna's seventh album overall, was recorded between 2017 and 2019.

<i>Amadjar</i> 2019 studio album by Tinariwen

Amadjar is the eighth album by the Tuareg band Tinariwen, released on September 6, 2019. The album's title means "the foreign traveler" in the Tamashek language. The album features guest appearances by Noura Mint Seymali, Micah Nelson, Cass McCombs, Stephen O'Malley, Warren Ellis, and Rodolphe Burger. The album reached number 74 on the Ultratop albums chart in Belgium.

<i>K.G.</i> (album) 2020 studio album by King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard

K.G. is the sixteenth studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, released on 20 November 2020 on their own label. The album was preceded by four singles, the first three were released alongside music videos uploaded to YouTube. K.G. is a sonic "sequel" to Flying Microtonal Banana, which was subtitled "Explorations into Microtonal Tuning, Volume 1" and also a direct predecessor to L.W..

<i>Who Cares?</i> (album) 2022 studio album by Rex Orange County

Who Cares? is the fourth studio album by the English musician Rex Orange County, released on 11 March 2022, through RCA Records. The album was written and produced by Rex Orange County and the Dutch musician Benny Sings, with an appearance from the American rapper Tyler, the Creator.

<i>Panorama</i> (Hayley Kiyoko album) 2022 studio album by Hayley Kiyoko

Panorama is the second studio album by American singer and actress Hayley Kiyoko, released on July 29, 2022, through Empire and Atlantic.

<i>Self Explanatory</i> (Ne-Yo album) 2022 studio album by Ne-Yo

Self Explanatory is the eighth studio album by American singer Ne-Yo. It was released by Compound Entertainment and Motown on July 15, 2022.

<i>Ali</i> (Vieux Farka Touré and Khruangbin album) 2022 studio album by Vieux Farka Touré and Khruangbin

Ali is a collaborative studio album by Malian singer and guitarist Vieux Farka Touré and Texan trio Khruangbin. It consists of covers of songs by Vieux's father, Ali Farka Touré. It was released on September 23, 2022, on Dead Oceans.

<i>Amatssou</i> 2023 studio album by Tinariwen

Amatssou is the ninth album by the Tuareg band Tinariwen, released on 19 May 2023. The album's title means "beyond the fear" in the Tamashek language. The album features contributions from Fats Kaplin and was produced by Daniel Lanois.

<i>Sounds of Crenshaw Vol. 1</i> 2017 studio album by The Pollyseeds

Sounds of Crenshaw Vol. 1 is the first studio album by American musical supergroup The Pollyseeds. It was released on July 14, 2017, through Sounds Of Crenshaw/Ropeadope Records. Recording sessions took place at Organic Grease Studios and Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles. Production was handled by Terrace Martin and Robert Glasper, with co-producer Marlon Williams.

Timeless is the third solo studio album by the Canadian electronic music producer Kaytranada, released by RCA Records on June 7, 2024.

<i>The Art of the Lie</i> 2024 studio album by John Grant

The Art of the Lie is the sixth studio album by American musician John Grant, released on June 14, 2024, through Bella Union. It received positive reviews from critics.

<i>Sonido Cósmico</i> 2024 studio album by Hermanos Gutiérrez

Sonido Cósmico is the sixth studio album by Ecuadorian-Swiss band Hermanos Gutiérrez, consisting of brothers Estevan and Alejandro Gutiérrez. It was released on 14 June 2024 by Easy Eye Sound and recorded by producer Dan Auerbach at his Nashville studio, their second collaboration with Auerbach after predecessor El Bueno y el Malo (2022). The album received positive reviews from critics.

References

↑ Pareles, Jon (2 July 2020). "Coldcut + Tony Allen and African Artists = Studio Electricity". The New York Times . ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved 11 July 2020.
1 2 "Keleketla! by Keleketla! reviews | Any Decent Music". AnyDecentMusic? . Retrieved 11 July 2020.
1 2 "Critic Reviews for Keleketla! – Metacritic". Metacritic . Retrieved 11 July 2020.
1 2 Simpson, Paul. "Keleketla! – Keleketla! | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved 11 July 2020.
1 2 Hopfe, Safiya (2 July 2020). "Keleketla! Cross Borders on Celebratory Self-Titled LP". Exclaim! . Retrieved 11 July 2020.
1 2 Skala, Jemima (29 June 2020). "Keleketla! – Keleketla! – Album Review". Loud and Quiet . Retrieved 11 July 2020.
1 2 Johnson, Steven (3 July 2020). "Keleketla! – Keleketla! | Album Reviews". musicOMH . Retrieved 11 July 2020.
1 2 Pontecorvo, Adriane (7 July 2020). "The World Comes to Johannesburg on Phenomenal Collaboration 'Keleketla!'". PopMatters . Retrieved 11 July 2020.
1 2 Kalia, Ammar (3 July 2020). "Keleketla!: Keleketla! review | Ammar Kalia's global album of the month". The Guardian . ISSN 0261-3077 . Retrieved 11 July 2020.
↑ Pontecorvo, Adriane (7 December 2020). "30. Keleketla! – Keleketla! [Ahead of Our Time]". PopMatters . Retrieved 17 January 2021.
↑ "BEATINK.COM Keleketla!". Beatink.com. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 11, 2020.

External links

Keleketla! at Discogs (list of releases)

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Pareles, Jon (2 July 2020). "Coldcut + Tony Allen and African Artists = Studio Electricity". The New York Times . ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved 11 July 2020.

[ADM-2] 1 2 "Keleketla! by Keleketla! reviews | Any Decent Music". AnyDecentMusic? . Retrieved 11 July 2020.

[MC-3] 1 2 "Critic Reviews for Keleketla! – Metacritic". Metacritic . Retrieved 11 July 2020.

[AM-4] 1 2 Simpson, Paul. "Keleketla! – Keleketla! | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved 11 July 2020.

[Hopfe-5] 1 2 Hopfe, Safiya (2 July 2020). "Keleketla! Cross Borders on Celebratory Self-Titled LP". Exclaim! . Retrieved 11 July 2020.

[L&Q-6] 1 2 Skala, Jemima (29 June 2020). "Keleketla! – Keleketla! – Album Review". Loud and Quiet . Retrieved 11 July 2020.

[OMH-7] 1 2 Johnson, Steven (3 July 2020). "Keleketla! – Keleketla! | Album Reviews". musicOMH . Retrieved 11 July 2020.

[PM-8] 1 2 Pontecorvo, Adriane (7 July 2020). "The World Comes to Johannesburg on Phenomenal Collaboration 'Keleketla!'". PopMatters . Retrieved 11 July 2020.

[Guard-9] 1 2 Kalia, Ammar (3 July 2020). "Keleketla!: Keleketla! review | Ammar Kalia's global album of the month". The Guardian . ISSN 0261-3077 . Retrieved 11 July 2020.

[10] Pontecorvo, Adriane (7 December 2020). "30. Keleketla! – Keleketla! [Ahead of Our Time]". PopMatters . Retrieved 17 January 2021.

[11] "BEATINK.COM Keleketla!". Beatink.com. Retrieved 13 January 2021.

[ac_UKIndependent_KELEKETLA-12] "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 11, 2020.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

v t e Coldcut
Matt Black Jonathan More
Albums	What's That Noise? Philosophy Let Us Play! Sound Mirrors
Singles	"Say Kids What Time Is It?" "Beats + Pieces" "Doctorin' the House" "The Only Way Is Up" "People Hold On" "My Telephone" "Timber" "Man in a Garage"
Related	Journeys By DJ: Coldcut - 70 Minutes of Madness Lisa Stansfield Ninja Tune Yazz