The Anchors - Black Soul

Ground-breaking afro-rock and jazz with Memphis soul roots on this lost 1972 gem. Lovingly restored and reissued on vinyl and digital platforms by Matsuli Music on 7 March 2025.

Black Soul (LAB 4037) from 1972 is the third and last known album by The Anchors, a soul group originally formed in Johannesburg's Alexandra township in 1968. Their first two albums, Soul Upstairs (CYL 1001) from 1969 and Everything (CYL 1008) from 1971, were issued on Teal's City Special label alongside other prominent South African soul groups of the era like The Beaters, The Movers and The Flaming Souls.

On Black Soul, The Anchors undergo a notable shift, moving away from their early Memphis soul influences towards a pioneering African-driven sound. These changes laid the foundations for an emerging afro-fusion scene in the years to come from groups like Batsumi, The Drive and Harari.

Black Soul features a who's who of intergenerational musicians from great South African bands over the decades. In addition to Zacks Nkosi, the renowned bandleader of the Jazz Maniacs and long-time member of the African Swingsters in the 1940s and 50s, this album includes kwela star Little Kid Lex Hendricks, known for his Columbia recordings of the late 1950s; as well as Zack's son Jabu Nkosi who would go on to play with The Drive, Roots and Sakhile; and Banza Kgasoane later a member of The Beaters, Harari and then Mango Groove.

Now remastered for its first release since the original 1972 pressing, this lost gem offers a revealing glimpse into the evolution of South African music during a transformative era.