Information About United States' Doo-Wop Music & South Africa's Gwijo Music

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a four part pancocojams series on comparisons between United States' Doo-Wop music and South Africa's Gwijo music.

This post presents information about Doo-Wop music and information about Gwijo music.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/06/the-similarities-and-differences.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post presents information about the similarities and differences between these two music genres.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/06/acappella-soul-doo-wop-group-singing.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. That post showcases a YouTube video of United States Doo Wop music and presents a few selected comments from that video's  videos' discussion thread.

 
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/06/the-south-african-gwijo-thina.html for Part IV of this pancocojams series. That post showcases one YouTube videos of United States Doo Wop music, presents a partial Xhosa transcription with English translations, and presents a few selected comments from those videos' discussion threads.

The content of this post is presented for historical and socio-cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

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INFORMATION ABOUT DOO-WOP MUSIC
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doo-wop
"Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a subgenre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s,[2] mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Detroit, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.[3][4] It features vocal group harmony that carries an engaging melodic line to a simple beat with little or no instrumentation. Lyrics are simple, usually about love, sung by a lead vocal over background vocals, and often featuring, in the bridge, a melodramatically heartfelt recitative addressed to the beloved. Harmonic singing of nonsense syllables (such as "doo-wop") is a common characteristic of these songs.[5] Gaining popularity in the 1950s, doo-wop was commercially viable until the early 1960s and continued to influence performers in other genres.

[...]

Doo-wop street singers generally performed without instrumentation, but made their musical style distinctive, whether using fast or slow tempos, by keeping time with a swing-like off-beat,[12] while using the "doo-wop" syllables as a substitute for drums and a bass vocalist as a substitute for a bass instrument.[6]

[...]

Elements of doo-wop vocal style

In The Complete Book of Doo-Wop, co-authors Gribin and Schiff (who also wrote Doo-Wop, the Forgotten Third of Rock 'n' Roll), identify five features of doo-wop music:

 -it is vocal music made by groups;

-it features a wide range of vocal parts, "usually from bass to falsetto";

-it includes nonsense syllables;

-there is a simple beat and low key instrumentals; and

-it has simple words and music.[16]

While these features provide a helpful guide, they need not all be present in a given song for aficionados to consider it doo-wop, and the list does not include the aforementioned typical doo-wop chord progressions. Bill Kenny, lead singer of the Ink Spots, is often credited with introducing the "top and bottom" vocal arrangement featuring a high tenor singing the intro and a bass spoken chorus.[17] The Mills Brothers, who were famous in part because in their vocals they sometimes mimicked instruments,[18] were an additional influence on street vocal harmony groups, who, singing a cappella arrangements, used wordless onomatopoeia to mimic musical instruments.[19][20] For instance, "Count Every Star" by the Ravens (1950) includes vocalizations imitating the "doomph, doomph" plucking of a double bass. The Orioles helped develop the doo-wop sound with their hits "It's Too Soon to Know" (1948) and "Crying in the Chapel" (1953).

 Origin of the name

Although the musical style originated in the late 1940s and was very popular in the 1950s, the term "doo-wop" itself did not appear in print until 1961, when it was used in reference to the Marcels' song, "Blue Moon", in The Chicago Defender,[21][22] just as the style's vogue was nearing its end. Though the name was attributed to radio disc jockey Gus Gossert, he did not accept credit, stating that "doo-wop" was already in use in California to categorize the music.[23][24]

"Doo-wop" is itself a nonsense expression. In the Delta Rhythm Boys' 1945 recording, "Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin", it is heard in the backing vocal. It is heard later in the Clovers' 1953 release "Good Lovin'" (Atlantic Records 1000), and in the chorus of Carlyle Dundee & the Dundees' 1954 song "Never" (Space Records 201). The first hit record with "doo-wop" being harmonized in the refrain was the Turbans' 1955 hit, "When You Dance" (Herald Records H-458).[23][25] The Rainbows embellished the phrase as "do wop de wadda" in their 1955 "Mary Lee" (on Red Robin Records; also a Washington, D.C. regional hit on Pilgrim 703); and in their 1956 national hit, "In the Still of the Night", the Five Satins[26] sang across the bridge with a plaintive "doo-wop, doo-wah".[27]."...

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INFORMATION ABOUT GWIJO MUSIC
These excerpts are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only:
Excerpt  #1

From https://www.soccerladuma.co.za/fan-park/update/ten-words-from-mzansi-s-football-dictionary/304884 Ten Words From Mzansi's Football Dictionary, By Captain Alzheimers June 2, 2015
..."”Igwijo” or “Amagwijo”

The words simply means ‘song.’ These songs are sung in stadiums by fans and by players in dressing rooms just before games."...
-snip-
"Football" in that title means what people in the United States refer to as "soccer".

"Igwijo" (gwijo) is the Xhosa singular term for "song" and "amagwijo" is the Xhosa plural term for "songs". 

I've come across and sometimes use the English word "gwijos" in pancocojams posts on this subject, even though I'm aware that "gwijos" is an incorrect term 

**
Singing amagwijo ("gwijos") at South African sport events.

**
Many South African sports teams sing amagwijo in their locker room, during bus rides to and from their games, and elsewhere apart from their playing fields. This is a new phenomenon (2017and on). Black South African school students sung amagwijo long before this form of music was sung at sports events.

Amagwijo ("Gwijos") are sung to demonstrate and reinforce unity and to raise the spirits of the team and others singing these songs.
**
Many amagwijo have the same lyrics or are adapted forms of traditional Xhosa songs and/or Xhosa struggle (protest) songs. 
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/10/information-about-videos-about-south.html for Part I of the 2019 pancocojams series "Information About & Videos About South Africans' Amagwijo". The link for Part II of that series is included in that post.

 

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Excerpt #2
From https://www.instagram.com › theafricacenter › reel Nov 26, 2023
"Gwijo (igwijo) is a practice of call and response style collective singing deeply embedded in South African Xhosa culture. It uses no instruments besides the voice. Though gwijo is traditionally of the Xhosa people, today, it is part of South African culture as a whole, with a larger growing presence in sports."...
-snip-
The sentence that gwijo "uses no instruments besides the voice" is incorrect if hand clapping (and to a much more limited extent body [chest] slapping) is included in the definition of "musical instruments". Furthermore, I have come across a few YouTube videos (from 2024 & 2025) of gwijo groups singing while one person plays a traditional African drum or singing while one person plays a "Mpampampa (a hand held pillow-looking percussive instrument that is also known as "I-Beat" or other names).

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Excerpt #3
From https://www.jeremydetolly.com/blog/ep39 E039 - iGwijo: healing anthems for South Africa
published by vocal liberation, Nov 23, 2020
"iGwijo

Gwijo is a practice of collective singing deeply embedded in South African Xhosa culture that takes the form of call and response (“I say something//You say something; I hear you//You hear me; We’re in dialogue together”). Because Gwijo uses no instruments (other than human voices), it could be described as a cappella. Gwijo songs have traditionally been sung by the amaXhosa people of South Africa to accompany weddings, funerals, initiations, and other sacred moments and rites of passage.

Part of these songs’ potency resides in their being so cathartic across a range of human emotions: they can express joy, determination, and victory, but also devastation. A Gwijo ‘performance’ can celebrate, protest, resist, or reclaim. Ultimately, though, it draws on the power of the collective to attain a kind of fierce grace, a coming together in intensity."...

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Excerpt #4
From https://www.newframe.com/gwijo-squad-the-new-sound-of-south-african-sport/ Gwijo Squad, the new sound of South African sport 20 ; By: Sibusiso Mjikeliso , Photographer: Ihsaan Haffejee,  Jun 2019

This article was first published by New Frame. [under Creative Commons Attribution]

"It is said that freedom wasn’t free. And that, when democracy was negotiated, the last vestiges ceded into the hands of white minority control were the land and rugby.

Rugby was at the heart of the former rulers’ chests – almost literally so, when you consider the constant wrangling over the existence of the Springbok badge and its position on the World Cup jersey. The sport gave meaning to so many, within the segregated confines and among those marginalised.

However, time has brought a new generation and a breath of fresh air into the sport. They call themselves the Gwijo Squad and as far as disruptions go, they are the noisy new neighbours chanting in the west stand.

You might have seen them on some obtrusive viral video, perhaps sent unsolicited to your neighbourhood watch WhatsApp group. They sing songs of jubilation, elation and devastation. To the uninitiated ear, they sound like “struggle songs” but they are, in fact, the chants that reverberate through Xhosa initiation ceremonies, weddings and, of course, rugby matches in the Eastern and Western Cape provinces.

You might have even asked yourself, “Who are these people, really?” Perhaps you might question what they want at old rugby coliseums such as Loftus Versfeld, Ellis Park and Newlands.

More than a concert of predominantly black African, Xhosa-speaking rugby fanatics, the Gwijo Squad is made up of individuals determined to create a movement that could end in the true unification of a sport that was used as a powerful tool to suppress black people.

[...]

[photo caption] "1 June 2019: The Gwijo Squad started as a group of rugby fans from the Eastern Cape who took the spirit of igwijo with them to Gauteng, initially to support first black Springbok captain Siya Kolisi in his inaugural assignment against England at Ellis Park in June 2018."

[...]

Igwijo and the trouble it caused
In many ways, [Xhanti] Madolo has always been the guy at the forefront of a wave of change. In high school, he was the rugby cheerleader and courted trouble at post-1994 Dale College in King William’s Town in the Eastern Cape for his penchant for igwijo.

“We sang the school songs with pride and vigour, but we mixed things up with igwijo the year I took over as cheerleader [in 2000],” he recalls.

“We needed to take the cheering to another level, because our team was on another level and the culture was changing. We started bringing in the more popular traditional songs: “Ntombi emnhlotshazana … Yinton’ le uyenzayo, ayilunganga (Fair-skinned girl, what you’re doing is not right)”. And we readapted struggle songs, replacing names like Oliver Tambo and Nelson Mandela with the first team captain.

“The boys took to it, but the teachers on the other hand had other opinions. They banned igwijo. I don’t know how many times I have been called into the headmaster’s [James Haupt] office because of igwijo.

“Then Grey High School [from Port Elizabeth] threatened not to play against Dale if amagwijo would be sung at rugby matches. They said they were ‘savage songs’ or something like that. But it was too big a thing, too big to contain. They couldn’t fight it and it grew into something that is now the norm in the passages at the school.”...
-snip-
The Gwijo squad also sings during cricket matches. View the video given as #2 below.

Update: October 28, 2018
There are also YouTube videos of South African soccer team members singing in the locker room before games: Here's one link to a compilation of some of those videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiCr5X0awS8 South African Soccer Songs Compilation laughter.mr, May 27, 2018

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Excerpt #5
From - AI result for my June 28, 2025 Google request for information about The Gwijo Squad 
"The Gwijo Squad is a South African fan movement known for its energetic support of the Springboks (the national rugby team) and other sports teams, using traditional Xhosa call-and-response singing known as igwijo. Born from a desire to create a more inclusive and vibrant atmosphere at sporting events, the group started with a small group of friends and has grown to become a staple at Springbok matches and other sporting events.

Here's a more detailed look at their history:

Origins:

The Gwijo Squad emerged in 2017 when a group of friends, concerned about the lack of support at a Springboks 'A' match against the French Barbarians, decided to bring their energy to the stadium.

Early Days:

They started with 35 members attending the match in Soweto and have since grown, with members contributing financially to attend games.

Inclusivity and Unity:

The group aims to foster unity and inclusivity in South African sport, a space historically marked by segregation and racial tension.

Gwijo:

The term "Gwijo" refers to a traditional Xhosa singing style that is a form of call and response, and the group uses this style to energize and unite fans.

Beyond Rugby:

While initially focused on rugby, the Gwijo Squad has expanded their support to other sports and even cultural events, becoming a recognized force in South African sports and culture.

Impact:

The Gwijo Squad's presence is credited with creating a more positive and inclusive atmosphere at games, contributing to a sense of communal joy and belonging."
-snip-
The popularization of The Gwijo Squad has led to the formation in South Africa of numerous qwijo  music groups that don't have any recording contracts particularly among Black teenage boys and Black young men.

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Excerpt #5 
From AI result for my June 28, 2025 Google question "Do any Gwijo groups have recording contracts?"
"AI Overview

Yes, some South African gwijo groups have record contracts, including one notable example:

The Joy, an acclaimed acapella/gwijo music group, has released their self-titled debut album on Transgressive Records.

Onset Music Group, an acapella group that has gained significant popularity with their gwijo songs, signed a major deal with Virgin Music Group SA.

Additionally, there are initiatives like the "Gwijo & Acapella music competition" which offer the potential for record deals to emerging artists, including a potential deal with Onset Music Group's label, ONEGroup.

While it seems that some gwijo groups have achieved success in the music industry through record deals, the specific details and number of such groups may vary."
-snip-
Here's some information about the South African music group The Joy from https://blackmajor.co.za/artist-link/the-joy/
"The Joy share a powerful live performance video, recorded at Durban’s iconic Playhouse Theatre during Sjava The 2018 Tour. Blending stirring harmonies with traditional gwijo songs, the set captures the group’s signature sound which is rooted in culture, unity, and vocal excellence. 

[...]

Duzie and Guduza, prominent voices from the acclaimed South African group The Joy, have officially released their second single, Sekwanele. Following the release of their debut track, Imizwa, this latest offering solidifies their place as artists to watch. Released under Transgressive Records, Sekwanele explores profound personal emotions through soulful melodies and intricate vocal harmonies....  

Jennifer Hudson Features The Joy on Her Holiday Album The Gift of Love.”…

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This concludes Part I of this pancocojams series.

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