Afro-pop legacy group Mango Groove are celebrating 40 trips around the sun and 4 decades of making South Africa dance:
South Africa (09 January 2025) — Back in 1984, when Afro-pop battled to hold its own against heavyweight genres in the music industry, a group uniquely named Mango Groove came together in Johannesburg. And they meant business.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
Four decades later and Mango Groove is celebrating their 40th birthday—a rare milestone for most music groups.
View this post on Instagram
Not only is Mango Groove responsible for some certified toe-tappers like ‘Special Star’ and ‘Pennywhistle’, they are also one of the groups that changed South Africa’s trajectory in the music world forever thanks to their innovative blend of Marabi, Kwela and pop to the tune of Claire Johnston’s distinct vocals. This multi-faceted approach to music has inspired countless local artists ever since. In another chapter for the history book, they were one of SA’s first multi-racial music groups.
The group made unity and change through music all the more present at times when it counted most, with standout performances at concerts like SOS Racism in Paris and the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness via a satellite link-up. They touched the world with their sounds and passion, not to mention their music, which also accompanied the broadcast of Madiba’s release from prison, linking them eternally to the birth of South Africa’s democracy.
In their home country, Mango Groove enjoyed over 12 Number 1s in its time.
In true Groove style, the group are celebrating their musical milestone with South Africa at a concert set to take place this weekend at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens in Cape Town.
View this post on Instagram
Sources: Mango Groove
Don’t ever miss the Good Things. Download the Good Things Guy App now on Apple or Google.
Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes & hear their incredible stories:
Or watch an episode of Good Things TV below, a show created to offer South Africans balance in a world with what feels like constant bad news. We’re here to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in South Africa & we’ll leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.
by 