press kit Here's a concise summary of all you need to write and talk about us.....! Kwela...and the Positively Testcard Kwela -- South African penny-whistle jive -- must be the world’s happiest and most uplifting music. Originally played on the street -- an ululance of whistlers and a guitarist -- kwela became the first black commercial music of apartheid-stricken South Africa. It had a brief heyday in the late 50's and early 60's, when thousands of Kwela 78's were made. The music evolved into sax-jive and eventually Mbaqanga, and the whistle craze was over -- until now.. The Positively Testcard have taken up the challenge of single-handedly rekindling the Kwela groove frenzy. The band was founded (in 1995) by Dave Woodhead, trumpeter to Billy Bragg, Robyn Hitchcock & Sid Griffin, and the current line-up draws on the talents of Adam Keelan on guitar, Marcel Stranis on bass and Mario Guarnieri on drums. The band now have three CDs to their name, all released through the er..quite specialised 'House of Kwela' label -- the brand new ‘Let's Do The Kwela!’, the pithy ‘Indestructible Beat of South Norwood’, and the more full-flavoured ‘Gas Up My Hotrod Stoker, The Kwela Groove Frenzy’s Hit Town’. They've also contributed to a compilation of Blind Willie Johnson songs released on Deep Sea Records - entitled "Dark Was The Night" - and are currently working on new studio material. The Testcards have four Andy Kershaw sessions (for BBC Radio One, and Radio Three) under their belts, and spots on Charlie Gillett's, Phil Jupitus' and Mel & Sue's shows for GLR/London Live. Dave Woodhead contributed substantially to March 2003's BBC Radio 4 documentary 'A Bit of Pipe with Six Holes' outlining the history and scope of the penny-whistle, and the band gained final establishment recognition with an appearance on Radio 4's Loose Ends. Whilst Ned Sherrin mispronounced everyone's'names, he did at least manage to say kwela correctly (It's pronounced KWAE-LA .). Last year we initiated our bid for global domination with an appearance on the BBC World Service's Outlook programme, and we've even dabbled in commercial radio, with a session for Spectrum Radio in London last year Our appearance at Glastonbury 2007 on the Leftfield stage was preceeded by an honourable history of top flight entertaining. The Testcards have opened the evening for Hugh Masekela at the Barbican, and took the stage there again as part of the Africa Roots and Shoots festival. In addition to a support slot for the Mahotella Queens at London's 100 Club, they’ve played at the South African High Commission on Freedom Day. The Positively Testcard are veterans of many an evening at Bar Nubia and Mambo Inn club nights in their beloved South London, as well as the usual round of gigs, festivals and functions. Dave and band members also regularly run Kwela workshops, where they encourage the latent talents of whistlers aged from five to seventy-five!  Lowdown 1.78Mb Moody 1.3Mb CP Mast 1.59Mb Sphinx 1.78Mb Sphinx Mast 1.77Mb Whacky 2.3Mb
 
 
 
 
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