SamaBlue Community Radio Station In Soweto - Johannesburg

 SamaBlue Community Radio Station In Soweto - Johannesburg

It is a community radio station founded by Mr. Isaac Khonjelwayo from Soweto, South Africa in 2001. SamaBlue is not only INSPIRED by the struggle against human suffering from economic participation in our country, under Apartheid. It is music of the heart, SOUL and mind. To question once origins and purpose in life. It represents a period of reflection of once own reality. A review of Black peoples' past, present and the future because everything went wrong. This music is very much complimentary to various legendary American & British music icons of the 70’s and 80’s. A time in our history where "Love & Peace" was a mantra of hope around Woodstock Musicians to voice their discontent against international terrorism and war against all mankind. Today as you listen to this music. It is a conundrum and a pronunciation that represent a De javu of South Africa's' political mis courage of justice and leadership maladjustment under the current governing party of year 2023. You know who!

Originally this music is an epitome of Motown & TSOP i.e. The Sounds Of Philadelphia's' strong political stands to assert our Black Conscientiousness Identity to own a voice or a microphone. To tell a tale or shout out pain. To sing a song or dance your veins. To wreck your brains in thought or sniff cocaine to drive demons away. To stand tall or be shot to the ground because you're a victim. The choice was yours. This is still prevalent in this age and time the world over. Black people have to ALWAYS prove they exist with a purpose, against white supremacy. Yet all men are equal in the eyes of God. Music was the voice of Hope. God was this hope. If God speaks through me. I'd listen and spread my wings to fly. That is how disciples of love responded to the call of duty. Music was not only for pleasure, but a stage to protest or air your views and a classroom to teach listeners a lesson in the trials and tribulations of love.

·         Harold Malvern and the Blue Notes was typical in this case (with the song "Wake Up Everybody" to make a statement.

·         Pat Matheny Band, Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson,

·         Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff and the OJays'

·         Berry White and his orchestra with Love Unlimited

·         Weather Report of Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter

·         Earth Wind and Fire was another vehicle that carried and filled us with joy to know we are black and proud as James Brown would say it. "Say It Loud".

·         The Temptations became our extension of this freedom.

·         David Sanborn and Michael Brecker to Chick Corea our innate tone of self-satisfaction

·         The Spinners, Quincy Jones and many other Rock and Jazz bands like “Return-To-Forever”, Stanley Clarke

·         Herbie Manne with "Memphis Underground" was a mouthful to say the least.

·         Pink Floyd "The Wall", Metropole Orchestra, orchestrated our assembly to gather around the radio and listen with our hearts. The gospel truth of contemporary fusion of our confused personal and fractured states of being.

·         There was no television to distract us from this obsession. Yet there was a Message In The Music -The 3 Degrees was all about this.

It was an era of Apartheid in South Africa that brought all Black Folks together as children of the lost Ark. A political dark cloud in the history of the struggle that defined a Black man as inferior to his fellow white employer and neighbors. Yet, the music kept our self-esteem high. Our courage and our feet strong to withstand the heavy rhythm of rock and the blues. It made us appreciate how to stand tall in the hour of despair. That "ONE DAY WE’LL BE FREE," said Donny Hathaway. Free to follow the sounds of liberation to the land of milk and honey. The promised land was freedom and liberation against oppression.

Motown & TSOPs' religious musical indoctrination gave us hope. To elevate our souls and spirits to a higher vibration of song and dance. Shake every bit of our happiness and bones to kingdom come. Where ecstasy to be alive was a blessing from our ancestors. Love ruled and Peace was the holy grail. A necklace to wear around your life's neck to heighten your aura in the process of sustaining your reason to exist.

·         This ululation and jubilation reverberated from Soweto to “Club York City” in Fordsburg, via Mamelodi to Attridgeville, back to Alexandra township.

·         While the rest of our other tribes from Durban, Eastern Cape & Limpopo’s Turfloop university swung their roots from moods, with a hyped hip-hop to Orlando East “Pelican Night Club” in Soweto.

·         We made connections with various political and student organizations to move our political agenda forward from inside-out.

·         Others used Medunsa Medical Campus in Garankuwa escape route when cash ran dry and out. To cash on, in their medical bursary stipend for the next day ride.

·         How convenient to fight our struggle by chasing our beloved rhythms and blues apart from the mirage of pursuing our identity crisis.

·         We played hard and worked hard with a sense of purpose to win the struggle by any means necessary. This music is here one such part of this iota of a dream come true for me.

·         A labour of love and commitment to test my patience. If this goal of creating world music will come to fruition. Where resources to accomplish this was limited. I hustled as a painter/artist to raise money and make ends meet.

·         I worked more than 2 jobs at a time. Sold Encyclopedia Britannica and Life Insurance to make a living day and night, as part of my means to survive and prove my self-worth.

Music was where our meetings with God and Gods of LOVE & PEACE met to entertain us from dawn to dusk. We chilled and cherished every borrowed hour with good intensions. To prove that Black folks possess rhythm and talent to understand Stanley Turrentines’ tenor saxophone tones and colours of communicating our thoughts and frustrations. Everything about boogie-land drove us to wonderland until early hours of the dawn. Times were tough. But our heaps, feet and knees could carry the strain of the dancefloor all night long. Because God was alive and amongst us. The Commodores gave life to our breath before we could kiss and say goodbye from the train of joy. SamaBlue is a trail of the past, present and the future. It is about jazz, rock, funk, fusion, MOR, contemporary, hip-hop, soft-rock, R&B, new age, afro-jazz, afro-rock, dance, it's an enigma and more...

Pains of suffering began to subside as misery against aggravation by discriminatory laws of the country faded with the morning sunrise and the dawn of time. In 2001 SamaBlue was born. Conceived to give birth to a new musical identity of self-liberation. To break FREE from boundaries of conformity, and any written rules or laws about what music should be. Here I rejoice and honour our adventurous state of madness with desperation to break free from tight chains of self-limiting concepts. (Mental slavery is optional). Now it is 2023. This music is streaming 24 hours 7 days. Any person can relax and take their heart along this journey with me. Use it to chill with their partner or friends. Reminiscence those good old days. As Black folks a majority in the African continent, the question you should ask yourself is; “How hard do you have to prove – That you possess God given talent and skills to be accepted by the white race in their homes, community and schools”. We cannot force white people to love us, because the South African constitution dictates the terms of democracy.

Black people must learn to be the best God wants them to be. This is without being acknowledged by any race or nation to box us into a species that does not qualify to be part of this existence. If this is the case, then it is time that we prove to deserve the honour we want to demand. We should not demand anything from anyone, but learn to earn the right and respect to earn it. This is how we are going to preserve and build the legacy we’ve always ignored because someone other than us was pulling the strings.

SamaBlue’s attempt to create this music was to dispel any myth that Black people have no ability to create anything from scratch, but are thieves, criminals and slaves instead of possessing capability to change the world and make it better than we found it. South African Black people have lost their plot to understand this difference. Black people in South Africa thrive on taking shortcuts to acquiring fame and fortunes without applying their minds, blood sweat and tears in the process of creating wealth for themselves. Legacies were not built over night, but take time to realize and achieve. This music is not about acquiring short-term riches to fame and fortunes. It is about, my identity to own a voice or a microphone. To tell a tale or shout out pain. To sing a song or dance my veins. Not to wreck my brains in thought or sniff cocaine to drive my demons away. Not to stand tall or be shot to the ground because I think I’m a victim. I have a choice to affect people in a positive way. This is my destiny and it is not negotiable.!

It is about competing with myself to prove God exist in me and He can find a way to work through me, while I give Him the chance and the opportunity to shine and express Himself through me by any means necessary. Be in Art, Music, Poetry, Graphic Design, Writing or expressing my thoughts with the hope to make someone’s life better after they’ve read it, seen it, or listened to my opinions or thoughts. I do not seek an approval from anyone as long as God approves my existence, that’s’ good enough for me. Only history will judge and record what I’ve accomplished during my lifetime. From simple tempos of unbelievable old school music of the 70’s and 80’s where my inspiration was derived. Music is the only weapon where we I’m able to reach out and touch enemies and lost hopes. The same applies to art and poetry. I would not find any better medium of self-expression to express my vote of confidence. Pay my best compliments to those icons in the 70's, and 80's who break limitations imposed to them by crossing boundaries from which Apartheid and Discrimination became our barrier to gain acceptance in a white world populated by white audiences. (Now I know how Berry Gordy & Kenny Gamble felt during production of their music). My dream is to hear Metropole Orchestra present one of my songs in their world concerts.

This tells me the new age has arrived. "The more things change - The more they remain the same". Who knows where our world will be day after tomorrow? Which sound is going to define the path to our true identity as Black folks? Where the message is in the music. History has a funny way of repeating itself. I hope this is not one of them. It takes time for God to answer prayers. This collection of music is one of them.

Peace- SamaBlue Streaming Music 24/7 - Listen HERE

Author: Mr. Isaac Khonjelwayo

 

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