Cellist’s death leaves a vacuum
THE LEGACY of South African cellist and member of the Soweto String Quartet Reuben Khemese, who died on Wednesday, will live on, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa said yesterday.
“We are shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of the cellist Khemese. The Soweto String Quartet captured the imagination of the public in South Africa and the world,” he said.
“We shall remember him, his evergreen music, his commitment to his family and society, and his rootedness. His musical legacy lives on. Our condolences go to the remaining members of the quartet and the Khemese family.”
Khemese and brothers Sandile and Thami were founding members of the Soweto String Quartet, along with their friend Makhosini Mnguni, in 1989.
“They combined kwela with jazz and mbaqanga, among other musical forms, into melodic tunes that a generation of South Africans could hum in their heads and know by heart,” Mthethwa said.
The quartet performed and recorded their own interpretations of Afrikaans hit songs and were not confined to the music of a particular period or genre. – ANA