Christopher Ngcukana

Christopher "Columbus" Ngcukana (* 1927 ; † 1993 ) was a South African jazz musician ( tenor and baritone saxophone , trumpet , composition) and band leader. He is considered "one of the legendary saxophonists in South Africa".

Ngcukana led his own bands in the 1950s and taught, among other things, Cups Nkanuka , who was previously only active as a singer, on the saxophone. He also played in various big bands, such as the Castle Lager Big Band by Chris McGregor in 1963 , whose recordings were repeatedly released. The composition "Mra", made internationally known by Hugh Masekela , Dudu Pukwana and Chris McGregor and ascribed to him by Hugh Masekela, contains some of his riffs. Mra was also one of his nicknames; another was Columbus or "Collie", probably because he discovered new sounds on the saxophone (according to Basil Coetzee ).

His sons Ezra , Duke and Fitzroy Ngcukana are active as musicians.

literature

• Y. Huskisson: Christopher Columbus Ngcukana, called Mbra and Collie, tenor and baritone sax player, trumpeter, composer, bandleader (1927-1993) . In: L. Rasmussen (Ed.) Jazz People of Cape Town. København 2003, pp. 177-80

Individual evidence

1. ^ Jürgen Schadeberg , Don Albert Jazz, Blues & Swing: Six Decades of Music in South Africa 2007, p. 158
2. ↑ Living Heritage Jazz Concert (October 6, 2007) ( Memento from January 17, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
3. ↑ Ngcukana at Discogs
4. ↑ http://pagesperso-orange.fr/improjazz/Archives/plongeon.html http://www.jazz.co.za/popupStockitem.asp?StockItemID=34
5. ↑ cf. also his recording of Oosoga for the radio in 1979, first published on the compilation Next Stop… Soweto. Vol. 3: Giants, Ministers and Makers (Strut 2010)
6. ↑ Basil Breakey, Steve Gordon Beyond the blues: township jazz in the '60s and' 70s p.46