kwela
/ˈkweɪlə
/noun [mass noun]
1A style of rhythmical, repetitive popular music of central and southern Africa, resembling jazz, in which the lead part is usually played on the penny whistle.Freshlyground is indigenous African folk mixed with jazz, soul, kwela and dance hall music....
- When the popularity of kwela started to fade, Black Mambazo swapped the pennywhistle for the saxophone.
- It has 14 tracks that showcase a variety of musical styles like dance, reggae, jazz, mbaqanga, kwela and gospel.
1.1 [count noun] A type of dance performed to kwela.The kwela and twist, performed by the Rainbow Theatre Community Group, brought back memories of Sophiatown, the suburb that symbolised the city's melding of many cultures and which was destroyed by apartheid's forced removals.
Origin
1950s: Afrikaans, perhaps from Zulu khwela 'mount, climb'.