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By Girish Mahajan, Alchetron.com
Sept 2022
Reviews of all Qkumba Zoo’s albums, including some of our more well-known remixes.
By Timeslive.co.za (Sunday Times) South Africa
July 2014
“The lifestyle team got thinking about South Africa’s greatest songs of the past 50 years. We compiled a list of 100, and profiled some immortal tunes… Here they are, in chronological order, chosen by a 20-strong panel of writers using three criteria: 1) musical brilliance; 2) popular success and; 3) impact on the national mind. Some tracks aced one category and flunked the other two, but plenty ticked all three boxes…”
By Sassy D
December 2005
Many people have never explored Qkumba Zoo beyond their hit single, “The Child Inside”, which appeared on many dance compilations, and recently was (unfortunetly) used in commercials. But beyond the surface of this song lies a band truly unique in every way.
The original trio behind QZoo – Levannah, Owl, and Tziki – originate from South Africa, which highly influences their music. For instance, the song “Weeping” (A cover song) is written about apartheid. The entire album takes a peek into the soul, and into life beyond how most of us view it. Their entire feel, all the way down to their look, is meant to provoke the mind. (Seeing them in action in the Child Inside music video is incredible!)
Qkumba Zoo’s music, on this album in particular, is very dancey. Upbeat songs like the leading tune “Rain” and “Time of Wonder” leave you feeling happy, while slower, softer ones such as “Cloud Eyes” give off more of a wistful glow. Owl mixes amazing sounds throughout each song, complimenting Levannah’s unique and trilling voice, which has a language all its own.
If you truly enjoy this music, you may want to try hunting down their second album “Butterfly Peepl” (under the shortened name “QZoo”). It is even more powerful than the first, considering they went through many changes themselves. It doesn’t contain such a heavy dance beat throughout the CD, and gives off the vibe of metamorphosis. 🙂
All in all, Qkumba Zoo is my favorite group in the entire world, and have been so for nearly 10 years now. They have inspired SO much within my life, especially my future career in art. While that may not exactly help you decide to buy this or not, I have to impress that this album should be given a chance. Grab a copy while you can!
By Odins Joke
July 2013
“Discovered this group while in Italy in 1997. Love the music and still listen to it today. So sad to not get more from them as they really were good. Was in South Africa in 2010 and finally understood what this song was about. My American perspective of Apartheid was basically black vs white. In SA I learned it was so much more than that simplistic view. Was feeling privilege to visit SA and see/learn about the beautiful and rich country. So much promise there for their future too!”
By Electronicrumors.com
September 2011
“Now is the prefect time for Qkumba Zoo to strike while the iron is hot.”… “Vocalist Levannah that really drives this album, her effortless sliding, between the chanted and the ethereal, weaves an audio narrative that is surprisingly involving, and if you can get into the ‘90’s groove then the album is a good experience. If you’ve been chilling in the sun this summer, busting out the old Orbital or Opus III as the ‘90’s revival hits full swing.”
By Larry Flick, Billboard Magazine
September 1996
“The Euro-NRG sound that has propelled dance music back into pop radio prominence has been in need of a little variation and development. This intriguing new act successfully accomplishes the task without tam-pering too much with the genre’s tried-and-true formula. Typically bright and springy beats underline a contagious melody that is executed with whooping tribal chants and quirky female vocals. A plethora of well-crafted remixes is included to allow for maximum radio impact and underground club acceptance. Hit-bound single piques interest in the act’s forthcoming debut disc, “Wake Up And Dream.”