Sean Bergin

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sean Bergin

Sean Bergin (born June 29, 1948 in Durban , South Africa , † September 1, 2012 in Amsterdam ) was a South African jazz musician who lived in the Netherlands .

Live and act

Bergin's musical career as a saxophonist and flutist began as a teenager in the Blue Note Club in Durban, where black and white musicians ( illegal under the racist apartheid regulations ) performed together. His playing was decisively shaped by musicians such as Pat Matshikiza and Dick Khosa. In Cape Town he later performed with Winston Mankunku Ngozi . On the other hand, he played psychedelic underground rock around 1970 in the group Abstract Truth , with whom he recorded two records.

In 1973 Bergin emigrated to London , where he worked with Dudu Pukwana and Chris McGregor , among others . After a stay in the USA, he settled in Amsterdam in 1976 , where he worked with the music clown Jango Edwards , but soon also became part of the inner circle of the Bimhuis scene. He started his band project MOB with Tobias Delius , Mary Oliver , Wolter Wierbos , Alex Maguire , Franky Douglas , Ernst Glerum and Han Bennink in 1986. He expanded this group in 2005 to include the singers Phil Minton , Mola Sylla and Maggie Nicols . With the musicians of his project Nansika , he dedicates himself to South African jazz.

He was also in ensembles such as the Trio San Francisco (with Delius and the Italian woodwind player Daniele D'Agaro ), Viva La Black by Louis Moholo , the Andaband , the quartet by Mal Waldron with Jean-Jacques Avenel and John Betsch , the Band by JC Tans , as well as active in formations around Tristan Honsinger , the ICP Orchestra and the Kwela group Lebombo . As a studio musician, he has worked with Miriam Makeba and Monica Akihary , among others . In 1994 he was a member of the Dedication Orchestra . The singer Una Bergin is his daughter.

He died in 2012 after a long illness.

Award

In 2001 Bergin received the most prestigious jazz award in the Netherlands, the VPRO / Boy Edgar Prize .

Discography (selection)

  • Kids Mysteries (Nimbus Records)
  • Live at the BIMhouse (BV Haast)
  • Copy Cat (BV Haast)
  • MOB Mobiel (Data Records)
  • Nansika (Data Records)
  • Song Mob: Fat Fish (Data Records)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Obituary , Nederlands Dagblad , September 4, 2012