Drumming through six decades: Louis Moholo-Moholo's incredible legacy
Louis Moholo-Moholo was the last survivor of South Africa's revolutionary Blue Notes sextet, the only member who lived to return home after decades in exile.
His pioneering fusion of traditional African rhythms with free jazz experimentation made him a central figure in European avant-garde jazz and a sought-after collaborator with legends like Cecil Taylor.
Awarded the National Order of Ikhamanga (Silver) in 2004, Moholo-Moholo used his drums as 'a weapon against oppression', defying apartheid by forming multi-racial groups
As tributes pour in following the news of legendary musician Louis Moholo-Moholo's death, he has been described as a pioneer and hailed for his mastery behind the drums and his fight against apartheid.
Family spokesperson Phila Mtwana confirmed the legendary musician's death to News24, saying: 'He died this morning [Friday] in his sleep at home.'
Early life and musical influences
Born in Cape Town on 10 March 1940, Moholo-Moholo hailed from a musical family and was a self-taught drummer.
In an interview with Misterioso, he traced his ancestry to Basotholand (now Lesotho), with his forefathers migrating to the Orange Free State to work on the diamond fields.
His father eventually settled in Cape Town, where he met Louis' mother, a Cape Town local.
The musician was born at St Monica's Hospital in Cape Town. He was married to Mpumie Moholo (1947-2021), who studied midwifery at St Monica's Hospital and provided significant support throughout his musical career.
For any individual described as a maestro, there should have been a beginning, and almost always, people want to dig in to find out where the genius comes from.
'I used to run a ruler against a fence on my way home from school. I discovered rhythm that way,' he said about his early childhood experience, forming what would be his foundation as a renowned drummer.
In a Recording of the Week interview with the British Library (initially done by Denys Baptiste), Moholo-Moholo discussed his first encounters with jazz through BBC radio broadcasts in South Africa. He recalled hearing artists like Charlie Parker, 'Big Sid' Catlett, Ted Heath and Duke Ellington, who influenced his musical development.
'We had the BBC. And through the BBC, we could hear Charlie Parker, 'Big Sid' Catlett-oh, I loved that man - Heath, and Duke Ellington,' he said.
He also described jazz music in the interview:
This is Great Black music. It's not just music to dance to. It's spiritual music, it's intellectual music.
When asked why he started in music, he said it was embedded in him. 'My father used to play this British radio station. You could hear Ted Heath, Big Sid Catlett, and Charlie Parker. I liked what I heard, and later, I found out that it was jazz. I loved it and still love it today,' he said in the Misterioso interview.
'Unfortunately, I didn't go to school for music. I'm self-taught. I tried to go to music school, but was chased away from the University of Cape Town during the apartheid years. I tried to apply there, and the guy wouldn't even let me get into the premises. But I taught myself and have no regrets at all,' he said.
Musical journey
His band, the Chordettes, participated in the 1962 Johannesburg Jazz Festival, where Moholo-Moholo won first prize for drums. After this, Chris McGregor asked him to join the Blue Notes, replacing the original drummer.
In the early 1960s, he joined The Blue Notes with Nikele Moyake, Chris McGregor, Johnny Dyani, Mongezi Feza, and Dudu Pukwana. 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, he 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. Throughout his extraordinary six-decade career, Moholo-Moholo's masterful drumming anchored numerous ensembles that shaped jazz history.
After the Blue Notes, Moholo powered Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath, a revolutionary large ensemble fusing township jazz with European avant-garde sensibilities, while simultaneously contributing to the Afro-rock band Assagai and Harry Miller's Isipingo.
His 1978 album Spirits Rejoice! with the Louis Moholo Octet, featuring luminaries Evan Parker, Kenny Wheeler, and Keith Tippett, remains a landmark recording. Following the loss of his Blue Notes bandmates in exile, Moholo-Moholo established The Dedication Orchestra to preserve their musical legacy, founded the nine-piece Viva-La-Black (the first group he took to post-apartheid South Africa), led the flexible Louis Moholo-Moholo Unit, and in recent years, collaborated with younger generations through his Four Blokes and Five Blokes ensembles, featuring talents like Alexander Hawkins and Shabaka Hutchings, ensuring his percussive innovations continue to resonate across generations.
He performed with international luminaries, including Cecil Taylor, Steve Lacy, and Derek Bailey. Of the original Blue Notes, Moholo had the time and inclination to branch out further, making him a very sought-after partner.
He reflected on the challenges of playing with both black and white musicians during apartheid. He also spoke about his identity as an exiled musician. 'I am the spirit of the exile,' he said, encapsulating his personal journey and the broader themes of displacement and resistance that defined his life.
Coming back home
Moholo-Moholo's used his music as a powerful protest against apartheid, amplifying the struggles of black South Africans and raising awareness among European audiences. Unlike his Blue Notes bandmates, all of whom died in exile, he lived to see the end of apartheid and returned to South Africa in 2005, settling in his hometown of Langa in Cape Town.
'I have this incredible feeling. It's an incredible feeling to be among your people. I tell you, if I were born again, I would never go into exile. I missed my people for all those years. Most likely, I would never indulge myself in music because, somehow, it made me suffer and gave me some pain. But there is nothing better that I know now than music; it's all that I know,' he said about coming back to South Africa.
David Redfern/Redferns/Getty Images
Musical legacy
His extraordinary six-decade recording career showcases his evolution from exiled South African jazz pioneer to globally respected free jazz innovator. His discography includes:
Early Years & Blue Notes Era
• Brotherhood (1972) with the Blue Notes on RCA Records, capturing the exiled South African group's revolutionary sound.
• Bremen to Bridgwater (1971-75), documenting live Blue Notes performances later released by Cuneiform.
• Spirits Rejoice! (1978), his landmark Ogun Records debut as bandleader.
Expanding Collaborations
• Alarm (1983) with Peter Brötzmann Group.
• Letter to South Africa (1986) and Live at the Bimhuis (1988) with the Curtis Clark Quintet.
• Freedom Tour (1993), the emotional document of Moholo's return to post-apartheid South Africa.
• Bush Fire (1997) and Foxes' Fox (1999), significant collaborations with Evan Parker.
Later Career Highlights
• Khumbula (Remember) (2005) and An Open Letter to My Wife Mpumi (2009).
• Sibanye (We Are One) (2008), featuring pianist Marilyn Crispell.
• For the Blue Notes (2014), a tribute to his former bandmates who died in exile.
• Uplift the People (2018) with his Five Blokes ensemble.
• Viva La Black (2024), his most recent release via Bandcamp.
His contributions to music and anti-apartheid activism earned him the National Order of Ikhamanga (Silver) from former president Thabo Mbeki in 2004. Among his many awards is this 2004 South African national honour granted to him as part of the Blue Notes by Mbeki for: 'Excellent achievement in the genre of jazz music, contributing to the development of music in the South African townships and defying apartheid laws by forming a multi-racial group.'
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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