Cups Nkanuka

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Ephraim Cup Nkanuka (* 9. January 1931 in Kensington , Cape Town ; † August 2012 ) was a South African jazz musician ( tenor saxophone , and piano, composition ). He was one of the pioneers of jazz in the Western Cape and was known in Cape Town as the “Godfather of jazz”.

Nkanuka, who with his sister was called "Cups and Saucers" by his grandfather, began as a jazz singer. He received his instrumental training from Christopher Columbus Ngcukana . Since the late 1950s he was one of the musicians who regularly held a jam session at the Ambassadors School of Dancing in Cape Town's Woodstock district ; other musicians there were Ngcukana, Chris McGregor , Dave Galloway, Makaya Ntshoko and Martin Mgijima. He then belonged to the first McGregor band. With pianist Temba Matole he founded the Jazz Ambassadors , who took part in the Cold Castle National Jazz Festival in 1962 ; he was honored there as the best tenor saxophonist in South Africa. He also trained younger musicians like Winston Mankunku .

As the apartheid regime worsened the opportunities to perform, he gave up his musical career in the mid-1960s and supported his family as an employee. It was not until the 1990s that he began to play again, initially on the piano. Since 2002 he has appeared again in public. The Cups Nkanuka Big Band , initiated by Duke Ngcukana and with whom he performed at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival , included musicians such as Ezra Ngcukana , John Ntshibilikwana, Stoto Zibi, Cliffie Moses, Winston Mankunku, Shamba Lerole, Basil Moses , Gxabeka or Roger Khoza.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. a b Short biography (Western Cape Jazz Legends)
  2. a b Living Heritage Jazz Concert (October 6, 2007) ( Memento from January 17, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
  3. ^ Maxine McGregor: Chris McGregor and the Brotherhood of Breath: My Life with a South African Jazz Pioneer. Flint, MI: Bamberger Books 1995, p. 15
  4. A title of the band, to which Louis Moholo belonged, is documented at Cold Castle National Jazz Festival 1962 (Gallo)
  5. Recording of a session from 1965