John Wizards - John Wizards

2013 release from the South African band. John Wizards might have started in Maputo. It also might have started in Cape Town. It certainly owes a debt to Dar es Salaam. These are the three places that band leader and producer John Withers either travelled through or lived in, and he feels have had a marked influence on his musical output. They also happen to be cities in which Emmanuel Nzaramba, John Wizards' Rwandan singer has lived too. The duo has since grown into a band and recorded an album that gently but persuasively gets under your skin on the strength of it's lovely melodies and strong, smart arrangements. It is a brilliant combination of traditional African music, R&B and chamber pop, filtered through gentle electronic arrangements that cross-pollinate with South African house, Shangaan Electro and dub, and it's the sort of music that effortlessly captivates with it's beauty and richness.

1) Tek Lef Schrempf
2) Lusaka By Night
3) Limpop
4) Muizenberg
5) Iyongwe
6) Finally/Jet Up
7) Maria
8) Jabu Ley
9) Jamieo
10) Leuk
11) Durvs
12) I'm Still a Serious Guy
13) Hogsback
14) Lushoto
15) Friend