Sipho Gumede

Sipho Gumede (born April 17, 1952 in Cato Manor , Durban , † July 26, 2004 in Durban) was a South African jazz and fusion musician ( bass , vocals ).

Live and act

As a child, Gumede played skiffle and kwela music on a self-made guitar and a penny whistle . At the age of sixteen he learned the basics of modern jazz from jazz guitarist Cyril Magubane . He switched to bass and then played with Dick Khoza and with the Jazz Revellers . In 1970 he moved to Johannesburg , where he played with Dennis Mphale and Cocky Tlhotlhalemaje in Isintu and performed at the Piano Culo Music Festival . He also recorded with Abdullah Ibrahim . He later went on tour with Gibson Kente to then form the fusion band Roots with Jabu Nkosi, Barney Rachabane , Duke Makasi , Dennis Mpale and Enoch Mtlelane . Together with Bheki Mseleku and Russell Herman , he then founded Spirits Rejoice , the then leading fusion band in South Africa. In 1982 he concentrated with Khaya Mahlangu on integrating African music into fusion music and founded the band Sakhile with him and Mabi Gabriel Thobejane , which became known with songs like Mantombi . He toured North America and the Caribbean with Harry Belafonte and Letta Mbulu . He then played with Caiphus Semenya , Hugh Masekela , Jonas Gwangwa and Letta Mbulu in the musical Buwa , which was performed in Zimbabwe as well as in Sweden. In 1987 he performed with some of these musicians at the Montreux Jazz Festival and was on a European tour with Sakhile . Since the beginning of the 1990s, he has concentrated on his solo career. In 1999 he accompanied the American pianist Joe McBride on a tour of South Africa and brought him and Andy Narell for his album New Era . As a bass player he was a member of the Sheer All Stars alongside Paul Hanmer , McCoy Mrubata , Errol Dyers and Frank Paco . He continued to record with Kippie Moeketsi , Stimela , Margaret Singane, Juluka , Winston Mankunku and Brenda Fassie .

In 2000 Gumede moved back to KwaZulu-Natal , where he also worked as a music teacher and performed for young South Africans in the townships .

Prizes and awards

In 1992 his solo album Thank You for Listening won an OKTV Award for best African fusional album . In 1995 he received a Johnny Walker Award for his contribution to South African music. The album Kalamazoo 3 (2002), recorded with Pops Mohamed , was nominated for the South African Music Award (SAMA) as the best traditional South African jazz album.

Discographic notes

• Faces and Places (1985)
• Down Freedom Avenue (1993)
• Outernational Meltdown (1994)
• Ubuntu (1995)
• A Blues for My Mother (1998)
• New Era (2000)

Web links

• Portrait (South African Music )
• Lexical entry at South African History Online (English)
• Obituary in The Sunday Times (English)