kwela

British

/ ˈkwɛlə, ˈkweɪlə /

noun

a type of pop music popular among the Black communities of South Africa

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of kwela

C20: said to be from Zulu or Xhosa: jump up

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The music incorporates a variety of South African rhythms and styles, including Marabi, Kwela, Mbaqanga and Mbube, mixed in with Western sounds.

From Washington Times

Compare the Tlā-tlī-sī—Kwela and Nekum-ke-līsla septs of the Kwakiool people.

From Project Gutenberg

South African publisher Kwela Books has created Sapphire Press in response to a need for "black romance" in the country.

From BBC

In the dusty streets, urchins rock to the pennywhistle's fast kwela beat; in shabby speakeasies, women shuffle to its slower marabi rhythm.

From Time Magazine Archive

Princess Margaret herself has cut some kwela steps.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023