Dudu Pukwana

Mtutuzeli "Dudu" Pukwana (born July 18, 1938 in Port Elizabeth , South Africa , † June 28, 1990 in London ) was a South African jazz musician ( saxophonist , pianist , singer and composer ).

Live and act

Pukwana's mother was a singer, his father a singer and pianist. He learned piano from his father from the age of six ; initially he worked as a pianist for Tete Mbambisa's vocal group Four Yanks . He soon switched to the alto saxophone after meeting tenor saxophonist Nick Moyake in 1956. With his Jazz Giants , which also included Moyake, Mbambisa and Makaya Ntshoko , he won first prize at the Johannesburg Jazz Festival in 1962 . He also played with Gideon Nxumalo and was part of the ensemble of Stanley Glassers musical Mr. Paljas . In 1963 he played with Chris McGregor's Castle Lager Big Band . He then became a member of the Blue Notes that under the conditions of apartheid -Gesetze as multiracial were and were increasingly restricted by the authorities in their work. After being invited to the Antibes Jazz Festival , Pukwana went into exile with the Blue Notes (which, in addition to McGregor Moyake, Mongezi Feza , Johnny Dyani and Louis Moholo ). After stops in Zurich and France , Pukwana went with the group to London, where he settled permanently.

Under initially extremely poor economic conditions, Pukwana continued to work with the Blue Notes and the Brotherhood of Breath that emerged from them as a core , but also in Keith Tippett's formation Centipede . He was later involved with the Afro rock group Assagai before forming his own groups Spear (with John Stevens ) and then Zila (regularly with Harry Beckett , Django Bates and the singer Pinise Saul ). He could now be heard increasingly on the soprano saxophone . He has also recorded with Misha Mengelberg and Han Bennink , with trumpeter Hugh Masekela, as well as with Harry Miller's group Isipingo and with Dyanis Witchdoctor's Son . He has toured the USA, Central Europe, France and West Africa and played at major festivals such as Moers and Willisau .

As a studio musician, he played with Gwigwi Mrwebi , the Incredible String Band and the Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra and was involved in Jonas Gwangwa's film music for Cry Freedom . Pukwana has given new impulses to European jazz with his compositions and concepts based on South African kwela music. His sometimes "uneconomical" and very tense way of playing a solo on the alto saxophone also enriched improvised music .

Recordings (selection)

D. Pukwana: In the Townships (with Bizo Mngqikana, Mongezi Feza, Harry Miller , Louis Moholo, 1973)
D. Pukwana: Diamond Express (with Feza, Moholo, K. Tippett, Elton Dean , 1975, also under the title Ubaqile )
J. Dyani: Witchdoctors Son (with John Tchicai , 1978)
Dudu Pukwana, Han Bennink , Misha Mengelberg : Yi Yole (1979)
J. Dyani: Song for Biko (with Don Cherry and Makaya Ntshoko , 1978)
D. Pukwana / J. Stevens: Radebe - They Shoot to Kill , (1987)
D. Pukwana: Cosmics Chapter 90 (with H. Beckett, Mervyn Africa , D. Bates, Lucky Ranku , 1990)

Web links

Individual evidence

↑ Compositions like Angel Nemali were also taken up by Hugh Masekela , Derrick Morgan or Stanton Moore .

personal data
SURNAME	Pukwana, Dudu
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Puwana, Mtutuzeli
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	South African jazz musician
DATE OF BIRTH	July 18, 1938
PLACE OF BIRTH	Port Elizabeth , South Africa
DATE OF DEATH	June 28, 1990
Place of death	London

[1] Compositions like Angel Nemali were also taken up by Hugh Masekela , Derrick Morgan or Stanton Moore .