Kippie Moeketsi

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Kippie Moeketsi (born July 27, 1925 in Johannesburg , † April 1983 , actually Jeremiah Morolong Moeketsi ) was a South African saxophonist and clarinetist. He is considered one of the most important jazz musicians in his country.

Life

Moeketsi grew up as the youngest of four musical brothers in George Goch Township near Johannesburg . His mother often looked for him and called after him like a chicken "Kippie, Kippie", which is what gave him his nickname. At the age of 20 he started playing the clarinet , but soon switched to the alto saxophone . Influenced by his brother Jacob Moeketsi, Kippie's career began as a member of the band in Blue , who performed in Shebeens . He played with various bands such as Mackay Davashes Shantytown Sextet or Gwigwi Mrwebis Harlem Swingsters and was significantly involved in the transfer of the Kwela style into jazz. Together with Dollar Brand , Jonas Gwangwa and Hugh Masekela , he then founded the Jazz Epistles at the end of the 1950s , with which he recorded two records and which became known in South Africa for its fusion of modern jazz and kwela music into African jazz . Moeketsi toured Europe with the South African musical King Kong , but returned to South Africa despite the Sharpeville massacre in 1960.

Moeketsi also played with the Jazz Dazzlers and with Gideon Nxumalo ; he later recorded with Abdullah Ibrahim as well. In 1975 he played the album Tshona with Pat Matshikiza . He died completely impoverished and went down in the annals as a mentor of South African African jazz. Abdullah Ibrahim commented on his life with the words: “Kippie's life was not in vain! He taught and given us everything. We only built on what he taught us back then. "

aftermath

Today a large jazz club in the Market Theater in Johannesburg is named after Moeketsi. His tragic life is depicted in Peter Esterhuysen's book Kippie Moeketsi: Sad Man of Jazz . The South African Glenn Ujebe Masokoane shot the film Blues for Kippie as a homage .

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Moeketsi, Kippie
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Moeketsi, Jeremiah Morolong
BRIEF DESCRIPTION South African jazz musician
DATE OF BIRTH July 27, 1925
PLACE OF BIRTH Johannesburg
DATE OF DEATH April 1983