YOUR SOURCE OF JAZZ AND MORE IN WASHINGTON DC AND THE WORLD
The Development of Jazz in South Africa
By Hotep Idris Galeta
Born 1941 to 2010
African music, the progenitor of jazz and all other forms of African-American music has been around for a while. Given its ancient track record of longevity and creativity, I suspect it will be around for a long time to come, molding and influencing the various genres of world music. From a historical point of view and in this particular case, the musical chickens have come home to roost. Jazz has come full circle returning to its African roots.
South African Jazz has had many elements contributing to its evolution and development. The most prominent and significant being the rich eclectic cultural diversity of the country’s inhabitants and the influence of African-American musical culture upon it over the years. These two variants coupled with an environment of legislated racism, gross human rights violations, created the unique artistic forge and mould responsible for the evolution of jazz in South Africa. The first informal contact the inhabitants of Cape Town had with African Americans was during the American Civil War, when the Confederate warship the CSS Alabama came into the port of Cape Town in 1862 to replenish its supplies. The Alabama patrolled the South Atlantic where it would lie in wait for Union Ships to come around the Cape from the Far East on its way to the east coast ports of Philadelphia, New York, New Port and Boston. It would then attack, plunder and sink them. The CSS Alabama was one of the most notorious and feared Southern commerce raiders on patrol in the South Atlantic sending some fifty eight Union vessels to the bottom of the ocean during her two year patrol. Confederate captain Raphael Semmes commanded this British built steam powered schooner.
A mixed crew of British mercenary and Southern white sailors manned the ship. On board there were also a small contingent of African-American slaves who served as cleaners, mess stewards and also provided some sort of musical entertainment for the crew. When the Alabama docked in Cape Town the local population flocked to the waterfront to look at her. It was then that the African-Americans dressed in their minstrel outfits gave impromptu musical recitals at the dockside where the “Alabama” was moored. When the inhabitants of Cape Town inquired from the white crew who the black entertainers were, the reply was "These are just our "Coons"! Or more succinctly put, "Just Our Niggers!
The Alabama was finally tracked down and sunk off Cherbourg, France by the Union Warship the U.S.S. Kearsarge on the 19th of June 1864. On June 19th 1890 South Africans had their first formal contact with black-Americans and Black-American music when the minstrel troupe of Orpheus Myron McAdoo’s “Virginia Jubilee Singers” from Hampton Virginia presented a series of concerts in Cape Town. Orpheus McAdoo was born in 1858 in Greensborough, North Carolina. As a young man he attended the Hampton Institute in Hampton Virginia, where he studied and graduated as a teacher in 1876. Before turning to music as a professional career in 1886 he taught school in Pulaski and Accomac Counties in the state of Virginia for ten years. In 1886 he toured Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the Far East after joining five members of the original Fisk Jubilee singers. Upon his return to the U.S. a year or two later McAdoo formed his own company by recruiting some ex students and graduates from Hampton amongst who were his future wife Mattie Allen and his brother Eugene. With his newly formed troupe consisting of six women and four men, they set sail on a European tour in 1888. Two years later we find them arriving in South Africa. Their appearance was to have a significant impact upon the music scene as it later influenced the creation and formation of the “Kaapse Klopse” or “Coon Carnival.” Since it’s inception at the turn of the century the minstrel street carnival became an integral part of Cape Town’s performing arts culture during the New Year celebrations. To use the derogatory term of the racist American, south of that time,“ Coon” or "Nigger" being the equivalent of the South African derogatory term of “Kaffir,” "Boesman," “ Cooley” or “Hotnot”. If we look back to the Alabama’s visit to Cape Town we can now clearly see how the derogatory racist American term “Coon’ came to be known and adopted in Cape Town. Given South Africa’s colonial past of class consciousness, racism, divide and rule tactics, leaves little doubt for any speculation as to the name "Coon" and its tenure, popularity and longevity amongst the working class coloured population of Cape Town.
The “Coon carnival’s” popularity however decreased as more and more young people became politicized as the struggle for liberation intensified during the late 1970's and into the 1980's. McAdoo’s Minstrels stayed and toured throughout South Africa for eighteen months visiting places such as Grahamstown, King Williams Town and Alice where they visited and performed at Lovedale College, a South African equivalent of Tuskegee University. Musical history also indicates that their impact and influence upon the performing arts culture of the Eastern Cape was quite significant as it influenced the rich Xhosa choral traditions in existence there.
It is somehow ironic that this genre of Creole/African/American minstrel-spiritual music which became one of the key developmental elements of jazz in New Orleans in 1895 should also become a contributing factor and play a crucial role in the development of South African Jazz. The introduction of Jazz into South Africa took place shortly after the 1st World War, around 1918 and this introduction was again via Cape Town. The first Jazz recording was only made in 1917, and this by the all white New Orleans Band called “The Original New Orleans Dixieland Band”. Some of these early recordings were brought to Cape Town by American merchant seaman. Local white and coloured bands (the Creole mixed racial population group resident in the Cape Town area) and even some visiting American musicians were instrumental in popularizing early New Orleans style jazz at the Cape after the 1st World War. To the white musicians who played it and the white audiences who danced to it in America and elsewhere in the British and European Imperial colonies it became known as Dixieland. Given the dreary social life and appalling conditions in the black South African townships, it is easy to understand why the introduction of the radio, gramophone and recordings of New Orleans Jazz served as the biggest catalyst for the developing styles of early township music and black professional musicianship in the 1920’s. It was in Queenstown in the province of the Eastern Cape that Jazz first developed and started to take on its South African character. Of all black people in South Africa at that time, the Xhosa nation were the most educated as the result of the early establishment of the British Missionary school system. Formal education, exposure to European hymnody and western classical music gave rise to a black upper class and a group of very sophisticated musicians and composers who embraced this new black American art form called Jazz.
In the 1920’s Queenstown became known as “Little Jazz Town” because of the many New Orleans style bands that were resident there. The most popular bands there in the 20’s and 30’s were Meekly Matshikiza’s “Blue Rhythm Syncopators” and William Mbali’s “Big Four” who entertained both whites and upper class blacks. Some of the earliest preserved examples of South African Jazz were recorded by Gumede’s Swing Band on Gallotone GE 942 in the late 1920’s. It was during the late 20’s that Boet Gashe an itinerant organist from Queenstown popularized the three chord system the forerunner to the Marabi and Mbaqanga styles that were later to be perfected in the township shebeen environments of Johannesburg and Marabastad situated on the outskirts of Pretoria. Sophiatown the legendary ghetto of Johannesburg became the experimental ground for this vibrant new township music that was to under go further innovation during the 1930’s into the 50’s.
The music of the townships served as an important platform and vehicle for developing singers and instrumentalists. Larger 15 piece bands such as the “Jazz Maniacs” were formed by popular Doornfontein shebeen pianist turned saxophonist, Solomon “Zulu Boy” Cele. Cele who was listening to the African/American bands of Fletcher Henderson,Count Basie and Duke Ellington saw the enormous potential of developing marabi into a big band style. This band was to feature and develop some of the legendary township Jazz players. They included saxophonists Mackay Davashe, Zakes Nkosi, Ntemi Pilliso and Wilson “King Fish” Silgee. The Jazz Maniacs are significant because they carried the spirit of marabi to the dance halls and provided inspiration for a new breed of emergent Jazz musicians such as Dollar Brand now known as Abdullah Ibrahim, Hugh Masekela, Kiepie Moeketsie, Jonas Gwangwa, Sol Klaaste, Early Mabuse and Gwigwi Mwerebi. Some of the legendary Sophiatown vocal groups and singers associated with the “Jazz Maniacs” are the Manhattan Brothers, The Quad Sisters, The Woody Wood Peckers and a group that was to launch four great individual singers, The Skylarks, consisting of Miriam Makeba, Abigail Khubeka, Letta Mbulu and Mary Rabotaba. The demise of marabi big bands can be directly attributed to encroaching legislated racism, forced removals and regulations forbidding blacks to appear at venues where liquor was served.
As the dance halls in Sophiatown and other areas around the country were destroyed, black musicians were shut out of the inner cities or had to play behind a curtain when playing with some of their white counterparts at whites only clubs, Jazz was gradually being deprived of its multi racial audience.
The 1950’s are remembered as the days of passive resistance against the Nationalist government’s institutionalized racism, but it is also remembered as a great age of Jazz development in South Africa. A new strain of Jazz began to emerge which contained a greater American influence. This new strain was the result of the Bebop revolution in the U.S. Young emergent musicians such as Dollar Brand, Chris McGregor, Johnny Gertse, Sammy Moritz, Makaya Ntoshoko Mra “Cristopher Columbus” Ngcukana, Jonas Gwangwa, Jimmy Adams, Early Mabuza, “Cups and Saucers” Nkanuka, Hugh Masekela, Kippie Moeketsie, Henry February, Anthony and Richard Schilder, Harold Japhta and this writer included took to this new exciting Jazz form from America like ducks to water. The real milestone occurred when one of my future mentors to be, visiting American pianist and Jazz educator John Mehegan came to South Africa in the late 50’s on an American State Department sponsored tour.
After the tour he assembled a local group to record an album for Gallo Records entitled “Jazz in Africa”. Beside Mehegan on piano the group consisted of Hugh Masekela on Trumpet, Jonas Gwangwa on Trombone, Kiepie Moeketsie on Alto Saxophone, Gene Latimore on Drums and Claude Shange on Bass. When Mehegan departed for the U.S. Dollar Brand added Johnny Gertse on Bass and Makaya Ntoshoko on Drums, creating a new rhythm section to which he added Masekela, Gwangwa and Moeketsie, calling this new band “The Jazz Epistles” One of the most dynamic and creative bands of the late 50’s. The band recorded two albums “The Jazz Epistles Vol. 1 and Vol. 2” played a few gigs around the country and disbanded when Masekela and Gwangwa left to study in the U.S. in 1960. That unfortunately was the end of the line for that kind of American Jazz in South Africa. Many of the musicians who played it left the country because of the increasingly repressive political situation, this writer included. With the advent of the Avant Garde in the 60’s the “Blue Notes” led by Eastern Cape born pianist Chris McGregor together with saxophonist Dudu Pukwane, trumpeter Mongezi Feza, bassist Johnny Mbizo Dyani and drummer Louis Tebogo Moholo took up the banner and propelled the music in a new direction. They also had to leave the country but made a huge impact upon the European and British jazz scene with their fiery brand of South African Avant Garde Jazz. It is only Louis Tebogo Moholo that is alive today. The rest of them all died in exile before they could experience the freedom of democracy in the land of their birth. Many stayed and continued to produce creative music in a political environment that became increasingly oppressive and brutal. In the province of the Western Cape in the city of Cape Town musicians such as Basil “Mannenberg” Coetzee, Robbie Jansen, Paul Abrahams, Chris Schilder, Gilbert Matthews, and many others to numerous to mention gave their commitment, time and creativity to the struggle for democracy. They used South African Jazz as a platform and became deeply involved in the struggle for democracy on a creative level using their music as a clarion call for liberation at United Democratic Front political rallies in the townships. Today in a democratic South Africa jazz is thriving in an environment of freedom and racial reconciliation. At present there exists an up and coming core of extremely masterful young musicians, both black and white. Some of them are graduates from tertiary institutions here in South Africa with vibrant jazz education programs and some come from community jazz education programs. Gloria Bosman, Judith Sephuma, Melanie Scholtz, Zim Ngqawana, Kevin Gibson, Andile Yenana, Lulu Gontsana, Mark Fransman , Eddie Jooste, Buddy Wells, Paul Hamner, Keshivan Naidoo, Dominic Peters , Andre Petersen, Victor Masondo, Marcus Wyatt, Herbie Tshoali, Themba Mkize and the late Moses Taiwa Molelekwa.
These are just a few of some of the new innovative core of younger South African musicians who are responsible for taking the music into a new creative direction. Their vision and innovative approaches is creating a significant impact upon the South African jazz scene by the development of new concepts and ideas within the South African jazz genre. This bodes extremely well for the development of jazz in South African which like in Nazi Germany some sixty odd years ago had been suppressed and stifled during the turbulent apartheid era.
Copyright: by Hotep Idris Galeta
Zebtepi Music
Executive Director & Founder
Washington DC Jazz Network
Since 2008
New CD Release
Walk Spirit Talk Spirit
Talkin Jazz! Speakin Jazz! Real Jazz!
Listen to WPFW
Robyn's Place with Robyn Holden, Friday 7 - 10 pm
Good Music and Conversation
Special Guest
George V Johnson Jr
Friday, July 22, 2022
8:00 pm
featuring New CD Release
Walk Spirit, Talk Spirit! Wpfwfm.org
Are you a Music Connoisseur and have a Extensive Knowledge of Music History? Test your skills
Sign Up Today and Play Jazzology with host Willard Jenkins
#SavageContent
#Jazzology
@SavageContent
Looking forward to this Sunday Serenade come Sunday April 24th, when VTY Jazz pays their respects to trombonist Benny Powell. All of this will be going down live at the fabulous Cutting Room and just to pull your coats, their will be no squares allowed �de42. If your Hip you know the deal and where to be come Sunday April 24th. Reservations are strongly suggested, 917-882-9539. April is Jazz Appreciation month, but for the Hip, Jazz appreciation is 24/7 twelve months a year. If your not Hip you need to get Hip quick because you're missing some great music and vibes. Hope to see you live and in-person at the Cutting Room on April 24th.
Congratulations, Herb Scott, on being named Recipient of 2022 JOSEPH R. BIDEN LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD HONOREE
#POTUS
A True Cultural Warrior Thank you for your hard work and dedication to America's Classical Music "So Called Jazz."
Keep on Swinging!
Orrin Evans
The DC Jazz Festival in collaboration with the Howard University Department of Music is presenting jazz pianist Orrin Evans in a 3 day jazz residency beginning on March 15-17, 2022.
For me, music and life are all about style~~~Miles Davis
Cock your hat - angles are attitudes~~Frank Sinatra
A different type of church
Straight Ahead Live Jazz
Every Friday 6-9pm
"It's the best deal in town"
Bring the family * Spread the word * Let's celebrate!
Dick Smith
Executive Producer
A Member of the Washington DC Jazz Network
November 5, 2012
JEANNE GIES
A Member of the Washington DC Jazz Network
w/ Master Guitarist
New York Post observes that he is "...one of the very finest young guitarists working today."
October 29, 2012
An Advocate for Preserving America's Classical Music, "JAZZ", it's African American Heritage, Roots & Legacy throughout the world!
Executive Director & Founder
Washington DC Jazz Network
The Eddie Jefferson School of Bop
Hello George, I am proud to be a member of the Washington DC Jazz Network (WDJN).
I am able to find out what's going on in town and on the east coast
and to network with other musicians. I get a lot of my news from the emails I receive from WJN.
I also would like to thank you for supporting the Jazz
program at Howard University in Washington, DC. Keep up the great work.~~~FRED IRBY
WATSON-JOHNSON
DANCE THEATRE
Trenton New Jersey's Premiere Dance Institution
Presents
"NUTCRACKER CAFE' AU LAIT" Sat., Dec. 22, 2012 RSVP Today!
Bring the Entire Family!
Available for
Bookings & Tours
609.403.6070
Ms. Carol
Artistic Director Founder Choreographer
B.F.A. Howard University 1980
A Member of the Washington DC Jazz Network
A Member of the Washington DC Jazz Network
Washington DC Jazz Network Welcomes
Public Service Announcements (PSA) on radio and television stations.
Support the Network that Supports you!
A different type of church
Straight Ahead Live Jazz
Every Friday 6-9pm
"It's the best deal in town"
Bring the family * Spread the word * Let's celebrate!
Dick Smith
Executive Producer
A Member of the Washington DC Jazz Network
Posted by ArtistPR on November 19, 2024 at 5:06am 0 Comments 0 Likes
With jazz, R&B, and hip-hop fusion, Making Moves is a genre-blending single inspiring listeners to stay true to their dreams
Atlanta, GA —North “2unes” Woodall, a versatile…
ContinuePosted by billy jones bluez on July 14, 2024 at 11:59pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
Posted by ArtistPR on July 13, 2024 at 8:00am 0 Comments 0 Likes
Celebrated Canadian jazz vocalist Heather Ward debuts her solo album “Honeysweet,” showcasing a rich blend of original tracks and fresh jazz arrangements
Seattle, Washington —Produced collaboratively by Heather and Dave Houghton, and recorded under the expert mixing of Ben Lange at Lange Recording Studios, Heather Ward’s new release: “…
ContinuePosted by billy jones bluez on May 20, 2024 at 10:46pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
Posted by ArtistPR on April 12, 2024 at 8:00am 0 Comments 0 Likes
Chicago Duo Art & Pete’s inventive musical spirit takes all audiences by surprise as they set new standards with a heartfelt, moving, and thoroughly immersive release
Chicago, Illinois —For the past two years, multi-genre sensations Art & Pete have been captivating audiences with their unique songwriting process on Twitch. During live sessions lasting 4-6 hours, they invite audience participation to shape every aspect of the…
ContinuePosted by ArtistPR on March 23, 2024 at 8:00am 0 Comments 0 Likes
Renowned guitarist- composer, Martin Packwood marks a brilliant third release with “Moonlight in Paris,” delivering a soul-shaking musical experience
Felixstowe, Suffolk, United Kingdom —With “Moonlight in Paris,” Martin invites listeners on a mesmerizing journey through the realms of Jazz Fusion. The…
ContinuePosted by ArtistPR on March 18, 2024 at 8:00am 0 Comments 0 Likes
Constantine Campbell’s KAVOS blends the rich heritage of Greek music with the soulful rhythms of Jazz in their latest release, capturing the essence of Athens
Canberra, ACT, Australia —KAVOS, under the leadership of Constantine Campbell, is a testament to the innovative fusion of cultural sounds, blending the traditional melodies of Greece with the improvisational spirit of jazz. Their latest offering, a vibrant single named…
ContinuePosted by billy jones bluez on February 28, 2024 at 8:14pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
Posted by billy jones bluez on February 18, 2024 at 4:14am 0 Comments 0 Likes
Posted by billy jones bluez on February 8, 2024 at 8:44pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
Posted by ArtistPR on January 19, 2024 at 8:00am 0 Comments 0 Likes
New York City, NY — In a heartfelt celebration of love and legacy, seasoned crooner Marc Eliot is set to captivate audiences once again with the rerelease of two timeless classics, “Speak Silently” and “One of the Good Guys.” These musical gems, adorned with poignant lyrics and Eliot’s signature vocal finesse, commemorate the dual wedding anniversaries of Marc’s parents and Marc and his wife, both couples affectionately known as “Mr. and Mrs.…
ContinuePosted by ArtistPR on January 11, 2024 at 8:00am 0 Comments 0 Likes
Orlando, FL — Solomon Jaye is excited to release his Premiere Single of 2024, “Sight of Love”. Jaye’s latest single drops January 26th on all streaming platforms with Spotify Pre-save available now. The first of several to come in this year, “Sight of Love” takes a deep dive into Jaye’s jazz roots and gives the listener a soulful introduction of things to come from this introspective song writer. Written and performed by Solomon Jaye and featuring the…
ContinuePosted by ArtistPR on December 29, 2023 at 8:00am 0 Comments 0 Likes
Calabar, Cross River, Nigeria —
”As simple as it sounds, “I Know I Can” gives a clear message of hope to all… |
Posted by ArtistPR on December 28, 2023 at 8:00am 0 Comments 0 Likes
Delivering jazzy melodies and compelling harmonies of The Ray La\’ Mar Experience, Ray La’ Mar evokes warmth, relatability, and love through moving storytelling
Philadelphia, Pa —The Ray La’ Mar Experience transcends genres, seamlessly blending Jazz, R&B, and Rap, creating a musical fusion that captivates hearts. With a focus on love, relationships, and the complexities of life, Ray La’ Mar’s music is an eclectic amalgamation…
ContinuePosted by billy jones bluez on December 20, 2023 at 5:48pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
Posted by billy jones bluez on December 7, 2023 at 11:22pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
Outlaws of the Blues Highway (instrumental)
Posted by billy jones bluez on December 2, 2023 at 7:32pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
Posted by ArtistPR on November 21, 2023 at 8:00am 0 Comments 0 Likes
A genre-defying sensation, Eric Thomas is a world-class saxophonist and producer
Atlanta, GA —November 21st, 2023 – A driven and talented Miami-born saxophonist, Eric Thomas has captivated audiences with his scintillating fusion of Jazz, Hip-Hop, R&B, Soul, and Funk, since the release of his debut album, “Take It…
ContinuePosted by ArtistPR on November 19, 2023 at 8:00am 0 Comments 0 Likes
Straddling a diverse blend of music streams, Arman Ayva’s jazzy and groovy new single, “Playful Comebacks” is an expression of ingenuity
Montreal, Quebec, Canada —November 17th, 2023 – Arman Ayva’s energetic, jazzy, and groovy new release is one that defies boundaries and traditional musical conceptions, inviting listeners to a unique musical experience. Titled, “…
ContinuePosted by ArtistPR on November 17, 2023 at 8:00am 0 Comments 0 Likes
An artist, composer, pianist, and producer, Scarlett Deva showcases her unbridled musical prowess with a spellbinding jazz record for the ages
Toronto, ON, Canada —Having released on October 31, 2023, Scarlett Deva’s five-piece collection fuses modern jazz with classical elements, delivering a sonic experience that is both contemporary and timeless.
Scarlett Deva’s One Woman Show has…
Continue
© 2025 Created by WASHINGTON DC JAZZ NETWORK.
Powered by
You need to be a member of WASHINGTON DC JAZZ NETWORK to add comments!
Join WASHINGTON DC JAZZ NETWORK