Awesome Tapes from Africa are pretty good at delivering on their label promise; everything’s from Africa, and it’s usually pretty awesome. But Penny Penny is something special. Penny Penny is a record label janitor turned pop singer turned South African politician. Dude was squatting at said label, where he met Tsonga disco producer Joe Shirimani and convinced him to help out with a demo. Shirimani then convinced the label to release Penny Penny’s music, and six months after apartheid ended for good, the record became a huge mainstream surprise hit. Penny Penny has toured across Africa, rocking countless stages, and is now a regional politician in the African National Congress party a.k.a. Nelson Mandela’s party.

Speaking of parties (heeeeyyyyyo) Penny Penny’s music sounds like a party-rockin’ combination of African pop and the whole Crystal Waters/C&C Music Factors/Robin S. disco R&B dance trend of the early-to-mid 1990s. In Awesome Tapes from Africa press release speak, however, it’s “a genre-defining Shangaan disco record of Xitsonga language anthems” called Shaka Bundu. And now, ladies and gentlemen of non-South African lands, this insta-party can be yours for the first time ever on LP/CD/MP3/limited-edition CS on November 12. Check out album opener “Shichangani” below:

Shaka Bundu tracklist:

01. Shichangani

02. Shibandza

03. Ndzihere Bhi

04. Dance Khomela

05. Shaka Bundu

06. Zirmini

07. Milandu Bhe

08. Shichangani (Remix)

• Awesome Tapes from Africa: http://www.awesometapes.com