Tributes pour in for Ray Phiri

WHEN jazz icon Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse learned of his “brother” Ray Phiri’s death, he nearly collapsed from shock.

“You know in life there are people you always want to hold on to because you know the kind of contribution they make to society,” Mabuse said.

‘‘Ray was one of those people. The whole music industry is probably much poorer without Ray Phiri because he was not just a voice. He was also a voice in the political narrative that affected musicians as a whole.”

Phiri, 70, died in hospital yesterday.

He was born in Mpumalanga and started his career in the late 1960s as a guitarist. His music had its roots in mbaqanga and African jazz. He founded a

African jazz. He founded group called the Cannibals and thereafter Stimela.

“When I received the news I nearly collapsed. We were just talking about him yesterday. We were planning to go visit him. This is the biggest shock. The whole nation is in mourning. In six weeks we have lost some of our great musicians and artists in this country. This week, we were burying one of our own, Johnny Mekoa. Myself, Ringo (Madlingozi) and Bra Hugh (Masekela) were talking about Ray only to find out that was our last conversation about him alive,” said Mabuse.

“You can imagine, the music industry without that voice.” Phiri was awarded the Order of Ikhamanga in Silver for his contribution to South African music and his life’s contribution to the transformation of the arts.

“He was a musical giant. This is indeed a huge loss for South Africa and the music industry as a whole. We are with his family in thoughts and prayers during this trying period. May his soul rest in peace,” Zuma said yesterday.

Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa said: “It is with sorrow and shock that we learnt of the passing of the great musician and inimitable artist. We thank his family for allowing him to spend the best part of his life on the musical stage and sharing his songs with us.

“We shall always remember hit songs like People don’t talk let’s talk, Whispers in the Deep and Zwakala.

“Ray Phiri and his contemporaries urged us on in the darkest days and fired the last salvos at apartheid. This is what gave this music an edge, which it maintains to this day, as it still holds sways among many music-lovers. They were bright, defiant, quick-thinking, street-wise and urbane.”

Chairperson of the the portfolio committee on arts and culture Xoliswa Tom said SA has lost a patriot, who contributed to democracy.