The Jazz Epistles were South Africa 's first important (albeit short-lived) bebop band. Inspired by Art Blakey 's Jazz Messengers , its members included Dollar Brand (later known as Abdullah Ibrahim ) on piano, Kippie Moeketsi on alto saxophone, Jonas Gwangwa on trombone, Hugh Masekela on trumpet, Johnny Gertze on bass, and Early Mabuza or Makaya Ntshoko on drums. The group became famous after performing in the jam sessions called Jazz at the Odin in the Odin Theater in Sophiatown .
18-519: The group was formed in the mid-1950s when Brand and Mackay Davashe began working together initiated a collaboration with Gwangwa and Masekela. In 1959 just before breaking up, the Jazz Epistles recorded the first album by a black South African band, Jazz Epistle, Verse 1 . That same year, composer Todd Matshikiza 's musical King Kong became a hit in Johannesburg . It used a jazz score to tell
36-706: A considerable influence on the Manhattan Brothers' sound as a composer by bringing in African influences. 'General' Duze, a guitarist for the Manhattan Brothers, stated in 1987 that the band developed a unique, rather than imitative, sound during Davashe's tenure. Miriam Makeba and the Manhattan Brothers recorded Davashe's "Lakutshona Ilanga" in 1956. The song's popularity prompted requests for an English version, and in 1956, Gallotone Records released "Lovely Lies", Makeba's first solo success and first recording in English. In
54-633: A group called the Jazz Dazzlers, with whom Moeketsi also worked. The group won the "first prize in the jazz category" at the Cold Castle Jazz Festival in 1962, which had been won the previous year by the Jazz Epistles. Davashe died in 1972 in Soweto due to a stroke. Gallo Record Company Gallo Record Company is the largest (and oldest independent) record label in South Africa. It
72-669: A sound engineer) from the then just-defunct Metropole company in the United Kingdom, Gallo opened the "Gallo Recording Studios" under the auspices of Gallo Africa (using a red rooster as the company's symbol, which remains today). Gallo was South Africa's first recording company and became home to a number of classic recordings, including " Mbube " (recorded in 1939 by Solomon Linda and his "Original Evening Birds"). A wealth of local artists had recordings released on Gallo's many labels, including "Singer", "Gallotone", "Gallo New Sound", "USA", and many more. African music (or "black music", as it
90-401: Is based in Johannesburg , South Africa, and is owned by Arena Holdings. The current Gallo Record Company is a hybrid of two South African record labels, rivals between the 1940s and 1980s: the original Gallo Africa (1926–85) and G.R.C. (Gramophone Record Company, 1939–85). In 1985 Gallo Africa acquired G.R.C.; as a result, Gallo Africa became known as Gallo-GRC. Five years after the acquisition,
108-524: The Jazz Epistles , along with Moeketsi, trombone player Jonas Gwangwa and trumpeter Hugh Masekela . Scholar Christopher Merz describes them as quickly becoming the "most highly-regarded jazz group in the country", and remaining so until Brand left for exile in 1962. In the 1950s, a musical group he led was selected by the Manhattan Brothers as a backing band . Davashe was described as having
126-600: The Johannesburg region sought to cover "Majuba", a song he wrote. That year, Drum magazine wrote that Davashe's "renditions of African themes are the best we have had so far". In 1950 he was leading a group called the Shantytown Sextet, in which Kippie Moeketsi played. Davashe's style at the time was described as similar to that of tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins . By the mid-1950s Davashe had developed an interest in bebop , and began collaborating with Dollar Brand (later known as Abdullah Ibrahim ). The duo formed
144-823: The 1950s they started producing the Gallotone guitar . Arnold Golembo founded the Gramophone Record Company in Johannesburg in 1939. GRC obtained the South African franchise for the Capitol Records label in 1946 (later moved to EMI Brigadiers), and the franchise for CBS Records in 1956. In 1985, G.R.C. was incorporated into Gallo Africa. The company was named Gallo-GRC, and incorporated Gallo's production stable, Mavuthela, and GRC's production stable, Isibaya Esikhulu. These stables had been fierce rivals from around
162-639: The Cannibals (1976), and Amaswazi Emvelo (1978). Other figures at Gallo over the years have included talent scouts Rupert Bopape and Louis Abel Petersen as well as musician-composer-arrangers such as Shadrack Piliso , Marks Mankwane , Hilda Tloubatla , Lucky Monama , Joseph Shabalala , Simon Mahlathini Nkabinde and Thandi Nkomo , in addition to figures such as Eric Gallo , Peter Gallo, and others. In 2006, Johnnic Communications (Gallo's parent company, which changed its name to Avusa in November 2007) entered
180-522: The English version, the Xhosa lyric about a man looking for his beloved in jails and hospitals was replaced with the unrelated and innocuous line "You tell such lovely lies with your two lovely eyes". "Lovely Lies" became the first South African record to chart on the United States Billboard Hot 100 . Davashe helped write songs for King Kong , a 1959 Jazz musical. In the 1960s, Davashe led
198-673: The company poached Bopape to join Gallo. Bopape formed the Mavuthela Music Company division of Gallo Africa, recording famous and local mbaqanga and jive artists, and was promoted as "South Africa's Motown " (the acclaimed Mavuthela quintet, the Mahotella Queens , was perhaps the South African equivalent to Motown's trio of stars, The Supremes ). Dozens of recordings were issued on labels such as "Motella", "Gumba Gumba", "CTC Star Records", "FGB", "Gallotone", "USA", and many more. Also in
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#1733085670614216-569: The company was renamed Gallo Record Company. Eric Gallo set up a one-man business, the Brunswick Gramophone House , in 1926. The record shop was originally devised to distribute records from the US-based Brunswick Records into South Africa. However, noticing the lack of recording facilities (as well as the amount of local talent) in the country, Gallo decided to form a recording studio in 1932 and, borrowing equipment (and
234-837: The country. Members of Jazz Epistles welcomed the opportunity. Most of them found the freedom and the contacts with other musicians in Europe irresistible and chose exile over returning. Thus many of the most adventurous strains in South African music were pursued outside its borders for several decades. Following a 56-year hiatus, in June 2016 several members of the Jazz Epistles played two reunion concerts in Johannesburg. In 2017–18 they played several concerts in North America and Europe, including San Sebastian (Spain) Jazz Festival on 25 July; Berlin on 4 August and Ann Arbor on 13 April 2018. Mackay Davashe Makwenkwe " Mackay " Davashe (1920–1972)
252-659: The mid-1960s up to Gallo's take-over of G.R.C. The company was renamed Gallo Record Company in 1990. Producers at Gallo included West Nkosi , who was an influential and intimidating figure at the company from 1964 until his death in 1997. Nkosi was a member of the Makgona Tsohle Band , which backed up all of Mavuthela's (1964–1985) mbaqanga artists such as the Mahotella Queens , Abafana Baseqhudeni , Mahlathini , and many others. Nkosi introduced to Gallo some of its most well-known artists – these included Ladysmith Black Mambazo (1972), The Green Arrows (1974), Mpharanyana and
270-615: The tragic story of South African heavyweight boxer Ezekiel "King Kong" Dhlamini. Miriam Makeba , members of the Manhattan Brothers , and the Jazz Epistles musicians were involved in the production. The 1960 Sharpeville Massacre marked the beginning of an era of vicious apartheid and greater repression of African culture. After the Sharpeville incident, the government imposed a State of Emergency, made mass arrests, issued thousands of bannings, and put activists who challenged apartheid laws on trial. The repression extended to African arts . Jazz
288-490: Was a South African musician. He achieved success as a saxophonist and composer with the Manhattan Brothers and later the Jazz Epistles . Davashe was born in 1920 in the South African city of East London . He played the pennywhistle in his youth before switching to the saxophone . He toured with several older musicians, including the Jazz Maniacs, a top South African orchestra, in the mid-1940s. In 1952 several bands in
306-474: Was an expressive force seeking musical and social equality. The apartheid system could not tolerate it. Performances were not allowed, jazz was prohibited from radio broadcasts, and prominent musicians were threatened. When the producers of King Kong received invitations to perform in Europe, the South African government, believing the musical would be helpful propaganda, issued passports to African performers who otherwise would not have had opportunities to leave
324-612: Was then known) was produced by Griffith Motsieloa , a local talent scout whom Gallo had recruited to his fold. Throughout the 1950s, Gallo remained successful, though it was competing against the South African branch of EMI . EMI's African music division, led by black talent scout Rupert Bopape , prospered well into the early 1960s with marabi and African jazz recordings by the Dark City Sisters and others. Gallo lost sales in its own black music unit, led by saxophonist-producer Reggie Msomi and scout Walter Nhlapo , and so, in 1964,
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