Brothers of Peace are made up of Oscar "Wa Rona" Mdlongwa and Bruce Sebitlo, who have managed to rework the current music scene in South Africa, taking it to another level by combining house music with kwaito. Their latest offering, ?Project A?, has hit the airwaves in a big way, securing a number of hits and garnering them two South African Music Award nominations in the categories Best Kwaito album and Best Duo or Group.

But it?s not only their music that has had a profound effect on the South African music scene - their lyrics are also very deep. "We talk about serious issues affecting society. We call a spade a spade," Mdlongwa says.

The group, initially consisting of just the two members, formed as a project, then it was Don Laka, Oscar ?Wa batho? Mdlongwa and Christos. Their first album, ?Traffic Cop?, released in 1994 sold over 50 000 copies. In 1996 they released ?King of Kwaito Uyagawula?, which went double platinum. They don?t label their music as kwaito. "We prefer to call it d'gong, since we concentrate on the bass sound and drumming. But anyone is free to call it whatever they like," Sebitlo says.

Oscar is a deejay for the popular station Yfm and Star Taxi Music and has produced albums for groups such as Boom Shaka, Bongo Maffin, Trompies, Thebe, Chakaroski and Alaska. Bruce is one of the most respected producers in South Africa and has also worked with the creme de la creme of South African talent such as Thebe, Skizo, Alaska, Chakaroski Bongo Maffin and Boom Shaka.

The first single on ?That Impahlayakho? is by far the highlight of the album. The thumping beats accompanied by the vocals of Tamara Dey has made it their biggest hit to date. Her smooth vocals slide over the beats, making it hard not to notice why this song was one of the hottest tunes this summer.

Another outstanding offering is track three, ?Sikelela?, which once again features Tamara. The track is very easy to listen to with BOP?s trademark heavy bass beats as well as the trumpets, courtesy of Jimmy Ngwadi, giving it that jazzy feeling.

I thought track five, ?Phambile Siyaya?, sounded very impressive. The fusion of bass beats and piano provides a good, relaxing listen.

On the whole, the album makes for interesting listening as it explores previously unchartered musical territory. It manages to incorporate the kwaito beats with smooth instrumentals and heavy bass beats. ?Project A? is one of the best albums I've listened to in a while; its level of maturity is evident in every song. The group?s ability to take chances and not to take note of any boundaries has made this album a definite winner.