PHATHA PHATHA

Created on 29/07/2009
Latest update on 10/04/2023

Artist: Sunbeams
Author: Shumi Ntutu/Zacks Nkosi
Label: Columbia
Year: 1959

Instrumental. Title inspired by local dance craze in the townships of Johannesburg and a far cry of what later became the most famous Kwela song ever (as Pata Pata). Phatha means Touchy in both Xhosa- and Zulu lingo and became a highly erotic dance since Dorothy Masuka's Ei-Yow, also featuring Phatha Phatha yells. But the Brown Cool Six version, the first one entitled Phatha Phatha, literally opened the floodgates to more versions.

Covers:

1959:

Black Mambazo [as Some More Phatha Phatha, also for Columbia]

1959:

Spokes Mashiyane & his Golden Saxophone

1959:

Sunbeams [with Miriam Makeba; vocal version for Tropik]

1959:

Spokes Mashiyane, Miriam Makeba & The Skylarks [as Miriam And Spokes' Phatha Phatha with credits for Miriam; released on Gallotone New Sound]

1962:

Killingstone Stars [as Phatha Phatha Rock, for Columbia]

1967:

Miriam Makeba [Top 10 R&B & top 20 US, NL & B as Pata Pata, popped-up by Jerry Ragovoy with some English lyrics; became her theme song until the very end; she died of a heart attack on stage in Italy while finishing performing her song]

1967:

Wes Montgomery [idem]

1968:

Tito Puente [idem]

1980:

Osibisa [idem]

1980:

Sylvie Vartan [hit Fr as Tape tape]

1991:

Dorothy Masuka [from Zimbabwe; continued to claim Miriam Makeba stole her song; she did cut her own Phatha Phatha before the Skylarks all right, but that version (as Ei-Yow) does not show the slightest link with the future hit; anyway, this underdog position gave Dorothy the opportunity to keep touring on the back of her so-called original, which of course she performed in the Makeba way for every promotor falling in her trap]

1994:

Championettes [in Go Latin medley]

1998:

Voice Male

1999:

Helmut Lotti

2001:

Yamboo [all as Pata Pata]

2011:

Milk And Sugar feat. Miriam Makeba [as Hi-a-Ma (Pata Pata)]

By 1967, out of the townships and into the world of pop, that highly erotic Touchy Touchy-aspect was veiled. The summer of love sure had limitations. In 1959 Miriam Makeba left South Africa (to attend the Venice Film Festival) and was refused re-entry. With Mandela in power that ban was finally lifted.

Contact


If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:

Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)

info@originals.be

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