Gallo Vault Sessions

Gallo Vault Sessions is a 6-part podcast series brought to you by Gallo in collaboration with KONJO. We delve into the story of Gallo Music, Africa’s largest and oldest recording company, and reflect on the ways music shapes culture, and how our culture has been shaped by music…both at the centre and periphery of Africa’s music history. We bridge 95 years of Gallo’s music history with KONJO’s passion for cultural storytelling and chat with artists, label execs, radio veterans and music thinkers as we explore the undercurrents, backstories and overlooked tapes from the Gallo Vault…from mbaqanga to soul, and of course, provide you with a curated playlist to soundtrack your month. Follow us on @gallorecordcompany & @k.o.n.j.o All GVS mixes can be found here: https://www.mixcloud.com/KONJO/

English South Africa Music History

7 Episodes

Music Through Transition

This is the sixth and final episode of the first season of Gallo Vault Sessions: A podcast in collaboration with KONJO. In this episode we think through South African music through transition; both the transition in South Africa’s socio-political landscape, but also how the sounds and music-technologies within South Africa’s…

Season 0 / Episode 54 min

South African Music Goes Global

In the fifth episode of Gallo Vault Sessions, we follow the ways South African music has proliferated across the international stage, and trace a few Gallo-affiliated artists as they and their music traversed the globe! We charter a flight with the music of Lucky Dube, Ray Phiri, Solomon Linda, and…

Season 0 / Episode 1 hr 06 min

Talent Scouts & In-House Producers

In this fourth episode of Gallo Vault Sessions picks up on some threads from earlier in the season, and takes a look at some of the stories behind the talent scouts and in-house producers at the labels that would eventually fall under Gallo Music; the people behind so much of…

Season 0 / Episode 1 hr 03 min

Afrikanerdom: Dysfunction & Aspiration

In this episode of Gallo Vault Sessions we take a look at Gallo Music’s Afrikaans language catalogue, and consider how the sound of whiteness and in particular, Afrikanerdom was a conscious construction by the SABC and by extension, the Broedebond. We will explore how music in particular was used as…

Season 0 / Episode 58 min

Radio, Race & Genre in South Africa

In this episode of Gallo Vault Sessions we take a look at music’s role in the retribalisation project of the apartheid regime through the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s radio bantu, Gallo Music’s African music imprints, the impact this had on local conceptions of language, as well as what was deemed…

Season 0 / Episode 51 min

95 years of Gallo Music

In this episode of Gallo Vault Sessions we take a look at the story of Gallo Music as we celebrate Gallo Music’s 95th anniversary and learn about some of the key moments in South Africa’s recording industry history! We’re joined by 5 people who have dedicated their lives to developing…

Season 0 / Episode 1 hr 05 min