South Africa's Legendary Jazz Musicians

South African jazz has such an identifiable sound. It is a blending of musical cultures which arose from the oppressive conditions experienced by black South Africans.

Abdullah Ibrahim, Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba left South Africa and became internationally recognized artists, particularly in the US. Many other distinctive South African jazz musicians chose to stay, persevering despite the incredible hardships. Some lived long enough to witness the end of apartheid in the early 1990s Others chose to leave for Europe or England.

Basil Coetzee and Barney Rachabane were early tenor saxophonists who embraced American jazz, but put their distinctive South African stamp on the music. The saxophonist and composer Dudu Pukwana traveled to England and became a founding member of The Blue Notes, one of the great free jazz bands of their era.

Bheki Mseleku burst upon the scene in the 1980s, and quickly became one of South Africa's most celebrated jazz artists. The self-taught composer, pianist and saxophonist moved to London in the mid-1980s where his blend of African township music, church music, and jazz. led to an international career.

Zim Ngqawana was another internationally acclaimed musician with a distinctive sound on both saxophone and flute. His music was rooted in indigenous sounds, a hallmark of much of South African jazz.