South African jazz
Encyclopedia
South African jazz is the jazz music of South Africa
, also often mistakenly called "African jazz".
, South African jazz was strongly influenced by the music styles of the black population. That said influences from the US led to its formation. The first jazz in the country was done by a Dixieland
band from New Orleans that came to the nation after World War I
. In this period Queenstown
would be an important point in the development of a South African jazz. Boet Gashe and William Mbali's Big Four were among the early jazz successes in South Africa, although both had relationship to the blues as well. Later the Jazz Maniacs entered the scene and mixed influences from Marabi
music to Duke Ellington
.
The 1950s saw an increasing bebop
influence and also increasing restrictions by the Apartheid government. Still the decade saw the rise to prominence of Chris McGregor
, Johnny Gertse, Makaya Ntoshoko Jonas Gwangwa
, and others. A notable group from the period, and one of the most notable South African jazz groups of all time, was The Jazz Epistles
. It featured trumpeter Hugh Masekela
and saxophonist Kippie Moeketsi
. The South African tour of American John Mehegan
gave more interest to this music in the wider world.
The 1960s brought a considerable decline as many musicians were forced or chose to leave South Africa because of political repression. This would be true of Dollar Brand (aka Abdullah Ibrahim
) and his wife, singer Sathima Bea Benjamin
. Many of these musicians died in exile, but Louis Moholo Moholo was one exception. That said, jazz did survive in this period with singers like Abigail Kubheka and Thandi Klaasen
; Cape Jazz
musicians Robbie Jansen
and Hotep Idris Galeta
; and others
The end of apartheid has brought a revival of jazz music.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, also often mistakenly called "African jazz".
History
As in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, South African jazz was strongly influenced by the music styles of the black population. That said influences from the US led to its formation. The first jazz in the country was done by a Dixieland
Dixieland
Dixieland music, sometimes referred to as Hot jazz, Early Jazz or New Orleans jazz, is a style of jazz music which developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century, and was spread to Chicago and New York City by New Orleans bands in the 1910s.Well-known jazz standard songs from the...
band from New Orleans that came to the nation after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. In this period Queenstown
Queenstown, Eastern Cape
Queenstown, named after Queen Victoria, is a town in the middle of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, roughly half way in between the towns of Cathcart and Sterkstroom. It is currently the commercial, administrative, and educational centre of the prosperous surrounding farming district...
would be an important point in the development of a South African jazz. Boet Gashe and William Mbali's Big Four were among the early jazz successes in South Africa, although both had relationship to the blues as well. Later the Jazz Maniacs entered the scene and mixed influences from Marabi
Marabi
Marabi is an indigenous music that evolved in South Africa over the last century.The early part of the 20th century saw the increasing urbanisation of black South Africans in mining centres such as the gold mining area around Johannesburg - the Witwatersrand...
music to Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
.
The 1950s saw an increasing bebop
Bebop
Bebop differed drastically from the straightforward compositions of the swing era, and was instead characterized by fast tempos, asymmetrical phrasing, intricate melodies, and rhythm sections that expanded on their role as tempo-keepers...
influence and also increasing restrictions by the Apartheid government. Still the decade saw the rise to prominence of Chris McGregor
Chris McGregor
Christopher McGregor , was a South African jazz pianist, bandleader and composer born in Somerset West, South Africa.- Early influences :...
, Johnny Gertse, Makaya Ntoshoko Jonas Gwangwa
Jonas Gwangwa
Jonas Mosa Gwangwa has been an important figure in South African jazz for over 40 years. He first gained significance playing trombone with The Jazz Epistles...
, and others. A notable group from the period, and one of the most notable South African jazz groups of all time, was The Jazz Epistles
The Jazz Epistles
The Jazz Epistles were South Africa's first important bebop band. Inspired by Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, its members included Dollar Brand on piano, Kippie Moeketsi on alto saxophone, Jonas Gwangwa on trombone, Hugh Masekela on trumpet, Johnny Gertze on bass, and Early Mabuza or Makaya Ntshoko...
. It featured trumpeter Hugh Masekela
Hugh Masekela
Hugh Ramopolo Masekela is a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, and singer.-Early life:Masekela was born in Kwa-Guqa Township, Witbank, South Africa. He began singing and playing piano as a child...
and saxophonist Kippie Moeketsi
Kippie Moeketsi
Kippie ‘Morolong’ Moeketsi was a South African saxophonist and jazz musician. Born into a musical Johannesburg family, Moeketsi was the youngest of eleven brothers, and one sister who was a nurse of whom all but 4 played an instrument...
. The South African tour of American John Mehegan
John Mehegan
John Mehegan was an American jazz pianist, lecturer and critic.Mehegan was born in Wethersfield, Connecticut, and began playing the piano at the age of five. He taught himself to play by matching his fingers to the notes played on a neighborhood player piano. His mother gave him violin lessons,...
gave more interest to this music in the wider world.
The 1960s brought a considerable decline as many musicians were forced or chose to leave South Africa because of political repression. This would be true of Dollar Brand (aka Abdullah Ibrahim
Abdullah Ibrahim
Abdullah Ibrahim , born Adolph Johannes Brand, 9 October 1934 in Cape Town, South Africa, and formerly known as Dollar Brand, is a South African pianist and composer...
) and his wife, singer Sathima Bea Benjamin
Sathima Bea Benjamin
Sathima Bea Benjamin , is a South African vocalist and composer born in Johannesburg, raised in Cape Town, and now based in New York City.-Early life:...
. Many of these musicians died in exile, but Louis Moholo Moholo was one exception. That said, jazz did survive in this period with singers like Abigail Kubheka and Thandi Klaasen
Thandi Klaasen
Thandi Klaasen is a jazz musician from Sophiatown, Gauteng. Her career as a singer and dancer began in the mid-1950s. In 1961 she moved to London to work in the musical King Kong. She has since performed with Dolly Rathebe, Miriam Makeba, Dorothy Masuka, and others.When she was a teenager, her face...
; Cape Jazz
Cape jazz
Cape jazz is a genre of jazz, similar to the popular music style known as marabi, though more improvisational in character, which is performed in the very southern part of Africa...
musicians Robbie Jansen
Robbie Jansen
Robert Edward Jansen was a South African musician and a folk hero in the Western Cape. He was born in Cape Town, South Africa.-Biography:...
and Hotep Idris Galeta
Hotep Idris Galeta
Hotep Idris Galeta was a South African jazz pianist and educator. His legal name at birth was Cecil Galeta, but according to local custom he was more commonly known as a child and young man as Cecil Barnard, his father's first name being used instead of a last name.In his teens he played with...
; and others
The end of apartheid has brought a revival of jazz music.
Individuals
- Banzai Bangani-Composer and trumpeter.
- Ronnie Beer-Flautist and saxophonist.
- Jonathan ButlerJonathan ButlerJonathan Butler is a singer-songwriter and guitarist. His music is often classified as R&B, jazz fusion or worship music.-Biography:...
-Guitarist, also does Rhythm and bluesRhythm and bluesRhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
. - Basil “Manenburg” Coetzee-Saxophonist, deceased
- Johnny DyaniJohnny DyaniJohnny Mbizo Dyani was a South African jazz double bassist and pianist, who played with such musicians as Don Cherry, Steve Lacy, David Murray and Leo Smith....
-Composer and double bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
ist, deceased - Mongezi FezaMongezi FezaMongezi Feza was a South African jazz trumpet player and flautist.-Biography:Feza was born in Queenstown, South Africa in 1945. A member of The Blue Notes, he left South Africa in 1964 and settled in Europe, living in London and Copenhagen. As a trumpeter, his influences included hard bopper...
-Composer, trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
player, and flutist. - Paul HanmerPaul HanmerPaul Hanmer is a South African composer, pianist and one of its foremost jazz musicians.In 1987 Hanmer moved to Johannesburg where he formed Unofficial Language with drummer Ian Herman and bassist Pete Sklair...
-Composer and pianist. - Moses KhumaloMoses KhumaloMoses Khumalo was a South African jazz saxophonist. He studied at Manu Technical College from 1994-1998 after graduating from community college...
-Saxophonist. - Allen KwelaAllen KwelaAllen Kwela was a kwela and jazz guitarist from South Africa. He was raised around Durban where he herded cattle and learned music after making a tin guitar. He began in kwela with Spokes Mashiyane, but later branched into jazz. His 1984 work The Broken Strings of Allen Kwela received award...
-Guitarist. - Early Mabuza-Drummer.
- Sammy Maritz-Bassist.
- Dorothy MasukaDorothy MasukaDorothy Masuka is a jazz singer who was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe in 1935, then called Southern Rhodesia. She was the fourth of seven children and her mother was Zulu while her father was a Zambian hotel chef. Still, she attended a Catholic school deemed good by the standards of education allowed...
-Singer born in ZimbabweZimbabweZimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
, moved to South Africa at twelve. - Tete Mbambisa-Composer, pianist, singer.
- Harry MillerHarry Miller (jazz bassist)Harold Simon 'Harry' Miller was a South African jazz bass player.Miller began his career as a bassist with Manfred Mann, and came to settle in London...
-Composer and bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
ist. - Dennis Mpali-Trumpeter, deceased
- McCoy MrubataMcCoy MrubataMcCoy Mrubata is a South African jazz saxophonist. He plays tenor, soprano, and alto saxophone in addition to flute.He had an interest in music from an early age and in 1976 played flute for a time. By 1979 he had started playing professionally with a group...
-Saxophonist and flautist. - Nikele MoyakeNikele MoyakeNikele Moyake was a jazz musician from South Africa, who played tenor saxophone in the sextet The Blue Notes alongside Chris McGregor, Dudu Pukwana, Mongezi Feza, Johnny Dyani and Louis Moholo. He was born in the early 1930s, making him by far the oldest member of the band, but he was also the...
-Saxophonist. - Moses Taiwa MolelekwaMoses Taiwa MolelekwaMoses Taiwa Molelekwa was a South African jazz pianist from a family of jazz musicians. His father was nicknamed "Monk", by the jazz society he belonged to, for his understanding of Thelonious Monk. Despite that poverty and issues concerning apartheid caused Moses education in his childhood to be...
-Pianist, deceased - Sipho Gumede - bass guitaristist, deceased
- Christopher Columbus Ngcukana-Saxophonist, deceased.
- Concord Nkabinde-bass guitar player.
- Zim NgqawanaZim NgqawanaZim Ngqawana was a South African flautist and saxophonist. He was later known as Zimology.-Biography:...
-Composer, flautist and saxophonist. - Dudu PukwanaDudu PukwanaMtutuzel Dudu Pukwana was a South African saxophonist, composer and pianist .-Early years in South Africa:...
-Composer, saxophonist, and pianist deceased . - Barney Rachebane-Saxophonist.
- Lucky Ranku-Guitarist resident in London
- Judith SephumaJudith SephumaJudith Sephuma is a South African jazz and Afro-pop singer. She grew up in Polokwane and moved to Cape Town in 1994 to study as a jazz vocalist. In 1997 she graduated from the University of Cape Town with a Performer's Diploma in Jazz and went on to further study...
-Singer, now an Afro-pop singer seldom sings jazz. - Phillip Tabane-Composer and guitarist.
- Mabi Thobejane-Drummer.
- Marcus WyattMarcus WyattMarcus Wyatt , is a South African trumpeter, composer and producer.Marcus was introduced to music, mostly folk and blues, at a young age as his father was chairman of the local folk club. He was introduced to the trumpet at age eleven and started playing in his school band where he learnt to read...
-Composer, trumpeter, and producer. - Andile YenanaAndile YenanaAndile Yenana is a South African pianist.Andile obtained a teaching diploma from the University of Fort Hare in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province before taking up music studies under Darius Brubeck at the University of Natal's School of Jazz and Popular Music...
-Pianist. - Tony Schilder- Pianist.
- Kolosa Qomoy- Bongo Drums.
- Esther Miller- Vocalist now residing in London
- Mpumi Dlamini- Saxophone, Piano, Composer - Multi instrumentalist
- Claude Deppa- Trumpet - Resident in London
- Cyril Magubane, Guitar, Deceased
- Morris Goldberg, Saxophones- Resident in New York * Adam Glasser- Harmonica, Composer - Resident in London
- Tutu Puoane- Vocalist - Resident in Belgium
- Estelle Kokot- Vocalist, Pianist, Vocalist, Composer, Resident in London
- Ratau Mike Makhalemele- Saxophone, deceased
- Rus Nerwich- Saxophone
- Sammy Webber- Electric Bass * Schalk Joubert- Electric Bass
- Stix Hojeng- Piano
- Themba Dlamini- Guitar
- Bokani Dyer- Piano
- Kesivan Naidoo- Drums * Winston Mankunku Ngozi- Saxophone, deceased * Bheki Mseleku- Piano, Saxophone, deceased * Paul Petersen- Guitar, Vocals * Ernie Smith- Guitar, Vocals * Sandile Shange- Guitar, deceased * Blues Ntaka- Vocals * Pat Matshikiza- Piano * Johnny Fourie- Guitar, deceased * Themba Mkhize- Piano * Bheki Khoza- Guitar * Jimmy Dludlu- Guitar * Blacky Tempi- Trumpet * Alan Gordon- Trumpet * Ian Smith- Trumpet * Peter Sklair- Bass * Theo Bophela- Piano * John Davies- Trombone * Allou April- Guitar, Vocals * Anna Davel- Vocals * Marc Duby- Bass * Rob Blaine- Piano, Keyboards * Ratau Mike Makhalemele- Saxophone, deceased * Bridget Mitchell- Vocals, resident in Hong Kong * Ike Moriz- Vocals * Julian Bahula- Band Leader, resident in London * Bushy Dubazana- * Richard Ceasar- Vocals Guitar * Melanie Scholtz- Vocals, Piano * Lisa Bauer- Vocals, drums * Fundile Mdingi- Bass * Tshepo Mngoma- Violin * Tammy- Bass * Robbie Jansen- Alto Sax, Flute, Vocal, deceased * Hilton Schilder- Piano, multi instruments
- Derrick Schippers- Guitar * Amanda Tiffin- Vocals, Piano * Alvin Dyers- Guitar * Errol Dyers- Guitar * Andre Abrahams – Bass * Avzal Ismael- Piano * Alan Cameron- Piano * Alison Dewar- Vocals * Andile Mseleku- Vocals * Andrew Ford- Piano * Maud Damons- Vocals, resident in London * Donald Tshomela- Vocals, deceased * Andrew Lilley- Piano, Trumpet * Barney Rachebane- Saxophone * Shannon Mowday- Saxophone * Feya Faku- Trumpet * Ezra Ngcukana - Saxophone, deceased * Bongani Nkwanyana- Bass * Brian Thusi- Trumpet * Bridget Mitchell- Vocals – Resident in Hong Kong * Carlo Mombelli- Bass * Mac McKenzie- Guitar * Dave Lithins- Piano, deceased * David Bravo- Piano, Keyboards – Resident in New York * Denzil Weale- Piano * Derek Hutton- Piano * Don Laka- Piano, Keyboards * Donald Tshomela- Vocals, deceased * Ebrahim Kalil Shihab– Previously known as Chris Schilder - Piano * Frank Mallows- Vibes * Brydon Bolton- Acoustic Bass * Gavin Minter- Vocals, Saxophone * Glen Mafoko- Vocals, Bass * Gloria Bosman- Vocals * GTX (Ismael) Xaba- Piano * Harold Jefta- Alto Sax, Woodwinds – Charlie Parker exponent, resident in Sweden * Harry Talas- Vocalist, Acoustic bass * Hilton Gelderbloem- Vocals * Hilton Mowday- Saxophones, resident in Australia * Ivan Mazuze- Saxophone * James Scholfield- Guitar * Jason Reolon- Piano * Jonathan Crossley- Guitar * Kani Naidoo- Guitar * Kgaogelo Mailula- Trumpet * Khaya Mahlangu- Saxophone * Kyle Shepherd- Piano, Saxophone * Leslie Kleinsmith- Vocals * Mark Fransman- Piano, Saxophones, Vocals * Mark Ginsburg- Saxophones, Resident in Australia * Megeshen Naidoo- Piano * Melissa van der Spuy- Piano, Vocals * Merton Barrow, Piano, Vibes * Mervyn Africa- Piano * Mike Perry- Piano * Mlungisi Gegana- Bass * Sylvia Mdunyelwa- Vocals * Moses Khumalo- Saxophones * Moss Mogale- Guitar * Neil Gonsalves- Piano * Nhlanhla Magagula- Piano, deceased * Prince Kupi- Guitar * Robert Payne- Keyboards * Sammy Hartman- Piano * Sasha Sonnbichler- Guitar * Buddy Wells- Saxophones * Nick Carter- Guitar * Soi Soi Gqeza- Vocals * Sydney Ace Mnisi- Saxophones * Sylvester Mazinyane- Piano * Moreira Chonguica- Saxophones * Tony Cedras- Guitar, Piano – resident in New York * Vusi Khumalo- Drums * Wessel van Rensberg- Piano * Zelda Benjamin- Vocals * Ian Herman- Drums, Resident in New York * Alex Van Heerden- Trumpet, deceased * Sean Bergin- Saxophone, Flute, resident in Holland * Bobby Gien- Drums * Dave Ledbetter- PIano, Guitar, Vocals * Tina Schouw- Guitar, Vocals * Lulu Gontsana- drums, deceased * Basil Moses- Bass
Groups
- The Blue NotesThe Blue NotesThe Blue Notes were a South African jazz sextet, whose definitive line up featured Chris McGregor on piano, Mongezi Feza on trumpet, Dudu Pukwana on alto saxophone, Nikele Moyake on tenor saxophone, Johnny Dyani on bass, and Louis Moholo on drums...
- Tucan Tucan
- AirborneAirborne (band)Airborne is an American contemporary jazz / smooth jazz / world fusion band, formed in the late 1980s. Airborne the proclaimed “Musical Peacemakers” of Contemporary Jazz sends out an Inspirational Message of Hope to the World. They are a multi-cultural jazz band from New Haven, Connecticut who has...
- Chameleon
- Loading Zone
- Uhambo
- MJ 9
- Jazz Ministers
- Clive Sharrock Big Band
- Jonny Cooper Big Band
- Kesivan And The Lights
- Cassidy-Clarke Band
- Jazz Monitors Quintet
- Offshore
- Abstractions with Duke Makasi
- The Elite Swingers
- Little Giants
- Don Jeany
- Rush HourRush hourA rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute...
- Absolute Zero
- African Jazz Pioneers
- Afronaut
- Alexander High School Big Band
- Archie Silansky & Dan Hill
- Benguela
- Bezz Martin Jazz Capers
- Breakfast Included
- Brian Abrahams District Six
- The Prisoners Of Strange
- Brotherhood Of Breath
- Concert Boulevard
- Cool Cats
- Creeper
- Nu Jazz Connection
- Afro Cool Concept
- Dondo
- Elite Swingsters
- Fourfourty
- Hanepoot & The Biggish Band
- Heshoo Beshoo
- Jazz Ambassadors
- Jazz Dazzlers
- Jazz Ministers
- Jazz Disciples
- Jazz Monitors
- Manhattan Brothers
- Merry Macs
- Modern Jazz Quintet
- Monday's Jazz Quintet
- Moss Mogale Unit
- National Youth Jazz Band
- Ntemi Piliso & The Alexander All Stars
- Ojoyo
- Pacific Express
- Phatbrass
- Rise
- Sheer All Stars
- hort Attention Span
- oft Landing
- Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Band
- Tamu * The Blue Heads
- The Classic Jazz Masters
- The Dominant Seven
- Track Five
- The Ghoema Kings
- The Glenn Robertson Jazz Band
- The Jazz Epistles
- The Moreira Project
- The Rhodes University Jazz Band
- The Trio
- Tonk
- Tribe
- Truly Fully Hey Shoo Wow Band
- UCT Big Band
- Virtual Jazz Reality
- Voice