Farewell to Louis Moholo-Moholo: Jazz revolutionary and anti-apartheid voice dies at 85
Louis Tebogo Moholo-Moholo, who died at 85, was the final surviving member of South Africa's pioneering Blue Notes sextet.
He was also the only member who lived to return home after decades in exile.
Moholo-Moholo's work protesting against apartheid raised global awareness about South Africa's struggle and earned him the National Order of Ikhamanga from President Thabo Mbeki in 2004.
The South African jazz world has lost one of its greatest pioneers. Louis Tebogo Moholo-Moholo, the internationally acclaimed drummer and last surviving member of the Blue Notes sextet, died at age 85.
Family spokesperson Mr Phila Mtwana confirmed the legendary musician's death, saying, 'he died this morning in his sleep at home.'
Moholo-Moholo was one of the founding members of the Blue Notes, along with pianist Chris McGregor, trumpeter Mongezi Feza, bassist Johnny Dyani, and saxophonists Dudu Pukwana and Nikele Moyake.
He was the only member of this influential group to survive their years in exile.
Born on 10 March 1940 in Cape Town, Moholo-Moholo's journey through music began in the townships of apartheid South Africa.
In 1964, facing increasing racial oppression that limited their ability to perform together as a mixed-race group, the Blue Notes left South Africa to perform at the Antibes Jazz Festival in France. What was initially planned as a temporary departure became permanent exile as apartheid's grip tightened at home.
After settling in London, the legendary drummer became a central figure in the European avant-garde jazz scene.
His drumming style, which merged traditional African rhythms with free jazz experimentation, made him a sought-after collaborator. He performed with the Brotherhood of Breath, a big band that combined South African exiles with British free jazz musicians and worked with international luminaries, including Cecil Taylor, Steve Lacy, and Derek Bailey.
His music protested apartheid, raising awareness among European audiences about the struggles faced by Black South Africans. Unlike his Blue Notes bandmates, all of whom died in exile, Moholo-Moholo lived to see the end of apartheid and returned to South Africa in 2005, settling in his hometown of Langa, Cape Town.
His contributions to music and anti-apartheid activism earned him the National Order of Ikhamanga in Silver from former president Thabo Mbeki in 2004. More recently, he was honoured during KwaLanga's centenary celebrations with legacy projects designed to introduce his pioneering work to younger generations of South Africans.
Moholo-Moholo leaves behind an unparalleled legacy as not just a master drummer but as a cultural ambassador who used music as a weapon against oppression and a bridge between traditions.
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