[1] Their sound drew on American ragtime, jive, swing, doo-wop, and several other jazz strains, as well as African choral and Zulu harmonies.
[2] Members of the group included Nathan Dambuza Mdledle(leader and founder), Joe Mogotsi,[3] Ronnie Sehume,[1] Rufus Khoza,[1]and Miriam Makeba.
[2] In the 1950s, the Manhattan Brothers chose as their backing band a musical group led by Mackay Davashe.
[4] 'General' Duze, a guitarist for the Manhattan Brothers, stated in 1987 that the band developed a unique, rather than imitative, sound during Davashe's tenure.
Its popularity led to requests for an English version, which became the first South African piece on the Billboard Hot 100.