The South African Rand is, well, ickle. In a fit of nostalgia, I just bought four CDs from online South African CD store One World.

I bought:

Peach - On Loan For Evolution
It was 1981. South Africa discovered Noo Wave. An almost-all-girl group, Peach were sexy and punky and spikey and fresh. OK, they were lame copyists, but I was young - I knew no better.

Various Artists - Rocking Against The System
Get that title, man. More 80s bands who thought they were oh-so alternative. Via Afrika and e'Void stole inspiration from township jive and added synths and dance rhythms. And very silly costumes.

Various Artists - Hits Of South Africa
Township pop, with the truly great Mahlatini and the Mahotella Queens and the African Jazz Pioneers bumping the average age of the artists on this compilation way up.

Various Artists - Hits Of South Africa 3
More of the same, but a couple of tracks make the crossover into the rock market. Steve Kekana and PJ Powers duet on "Feel So Strong" - imagaine Janis Joplin and a castrated Stevie Wonder. Mango Groove do their enthusiastic, poppy take on big band African jazz. "Paradise Road" by Joy is a slushy inspirational ballad that was number one for ever in the late seventies.

And all this shopping cost me about thirty quid, one-third of which was for postage. I shall soon be wallowing in nostalgia and listening to the sounds of Afrikaaa. Which will come as a pleasant antidote to this Saturday's Eurofest.