Musician retires from army but gigs will go on

MUSIC was his passion and for four decades Gabriel Joseph used it to serve his country. Last week, after 42 years in the SA National Defence Force, the well-known musician from Parlock finally packed away his uniform.

“Today is my first day not at work. I’m just sitting on the couch for a while. My wife told me to relax but I’ll have to get used to this,” he said on Friday.

Joseph said that in 1977, at the age of 18, he was fresh out of school and ready to take on the world. He and his friend, Elvis Poonsamy, also 18, decided to join the navy, where he wanted to be part of the diving squad.

However, he perforated his eardrum in a decompression tank and that dream came to an end. Luckily music had always been part of his life and he was able to turn his passion for sound into a long career. “During my career I’ve played for presidents, on ships and at state funerals. I also played at all the Mandela memorials in Kwazulu-natal,” he said.

Joseph has been in both the army and the navy.

While he served in the navy for nearly 24 years, in 2000 when the navy band closed down and he was about to retire, the army started a band. He was given a transfer and put through an orientation programme, which led to almost 18 years in the army and 42 years of unbroken service in the defence force. One of the many highlights of his career was a trip to South America by ship. It was his first time outside the country and they spent 18 days at sea.

“Even though we were in the band, when you are in the navy they tell you that you are a sailor first. In the army they tell you that you are a soldier first.”

For those who don’t know, Joseph is also the front man for Dukes Combo, a band which has graced local stages for 60 years.

He and his cousin took over the reins when the founder of the band became ill.

And avid followers of the Comrades Marathon might know Joseph as the trumpeter who plays The Last Post to signal that the race is almost done.

He has played the trumpet call for the past three years, and prior to that he ran and completed the Comrades three times.

“The meaning of The Last Post is that you have worked hard and it’s time to rest. Go to sleep,” he said.

Joseph said having completed the race and knowing how runners feel when they get to the finish line made playing the trumpet call a very special experience.

Throughout our interview his phone kept ringing; calls from people who had heard about his retiremen and and wanted him to do a gig.

Most were requests for him to perform The Last Post at funerals.