Celebrating jazz legend and revolutionary Johnny Dyani
International and national artists set to perform in East London
International and local jazz artists will pay tribute to legendary Eastern Cape antiapartheid jazz musician Johnny Dyani in the Buffalo City Homecoming celebration in December.
Duncan Village-born Dyani, one of SA’s most accomplished bassists, was also a vocalist and pianist, and shared the stage with many SA and international stars.
He died suddenly in 1986 at the age of 40, while performing in West Berlin in Germany.
The Buffalo City Homecoming celebration, featuring jazz artists from Europe, Canada and across the country, will pay tribute to his contribution to SA jazz as well as the apartheid struggle.
Dyani went into exile in 1964 with his band Blue Notes, taking a stand against apartheid through his music.
The interracial band performed for a short period in SA before moving to Europe.
The Buffalo City Homecoming celebration will start off with a workshop on December 17 for 60 students from Duncan Village, where Dyani grew up.
The jazz extravaganza featuring top artists will be held on December 18 at the Steve Biko Stadium, starting at 6pm.
Dyani’s memorable Song for Biko will be performed on the day that would have also been Biko’s 76th birthday.
The international artists set to perform include Daniel Guggenheim, from Germany, Claude Deppa, from England, and Alen Jacobson, from Canada.
They will perform alongside local artists such as Lex Futshane, Sakhi Nompozolo, Sisonke Xonti, Sakhile Simani, Chester Summerton, Retsi Pule and Zintle Mbuyazwe, known as NE-AhtYah.
Pule, who met Dyani while they were growing up in Duncan Village, said he was honoured to be part of the celebration.
“I know him from Duncan Village, where we grew up.
“I know him because of his art in music, we met in the late ‘50s.
“He worked with Tete Mbangisa, a selftaught pianist, and we just clicked.
“We performed together in many shows.” Pule said what he had loved most about Dyani was his ability to share his gift with other people.
“He was self-taught but shared his gift with other people before he left for overseas.
“He loved people and would mentor them, this is why he left home with a big name. He was known in the circles of jazz music.
“I am excited to know I will be playing in the show, I know how soulful his music is, I have it painted on my mind.
“I know how he phased and how beautifully he played his bass,” Pule said.
Futshane said Dyani was known as a great bassist as well as a revolutionary who used his art to promote the liberation struggle.
“He was a great double bass player, a great revolutionary, a great composer ... the superlatives are endless,” Futshane said.
“His music spoke to what we believe in and that was the liberation of different people without restrictions in terms of colour, class ...
“He had been playing with different bands in different countries with different experiences and that was the Dyani we knew.
“I feel very honoured that I am taking part in this project of making sure his legacy lives on. A history in the making.”