Allen Kwela

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Allen Kwela (born September 11, 1939 in Chesterville near Durban , † June 30, 2003 in Johannesburg ) was a South African guitarist who initially belonged to the pioneers of Kwela music and later played modern jazz . With Philip Tabane he is one of the most influential guitarists on the South African scene.

Live and act

Kwela, whose older brothers played guitar and violin, grew up as a cattle herder and made his own instruments for making music. In the early 1950s he went to Johannesburg , where he soon appeared with Spokes Mashiyane and from 1954 recorded some of the early Kwela hits, some of which were composed by him. In the late 1950s he turned to jazz and played regularly at Dorkay House , for example with Kippie Moeketsi , Barney Rachabane and Duke Makasi . He was also involved in Dennis Mpale's 1970 tribute album for Early Mabuza . In 1972 his album Allen's Soul Bag, which was committed to soul jazz and recorded with an octet, was released . Artists as diverse as The Angels and Darius Brubeck were involved in the recordings for his next album The Unknown (1984) . In 1998 he recorded the album The Broken Strings of Allen Kwela with musicians such as Sibongile Khumalo , Barney Rachabane and Vusi Khumalo, which was nominated for the South African Music Award in the category "Best Album in Contemporary Jazz" , but sometimes incorrectly as his debut album was designated.

Kwela also taught guitar at Carleton University and the Université du Québec . He died of an asthma attack .

Discographic notes

  • The Best of Allen Kwela (with, among others, Darius Brubeck, Pat Matshikiza , Sibongile Khumalo)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Max Mojapelo Beyond Memory: Recording the history, Moments and Memories of South African 2009, p 223 and Zambian Mail and Guardian Online
  2. ↑ See Max Mojapelo Beyond Memory , p. 282
  3. ↑ See Max Mojapelo Beyond Memory , pp. 116, 257
  4. ↑ Max Mojapelo Beyond Memory , p 257
  5. ^ Obituary on Billboard , August 9, 2003
personal data
SURNAME Kwela, Allen
BRIEF DESCRIPTION South African guitarist
DATE OF BIRTH September 11, 1939
PLACE OF BIRTH Chesterville near Durban
DATE OF DEATH June 30, 2003
Place of death Johannesburg