kagablog

RAMPHOLO MOLEFHE
9/2/2004 12:24:20 AM (GMT +2)

Botswana’s jazz lovers were distraught at the passing away of veteran South African bass player, Sipho Gumede last month. Less visible was the taller than six foot figure of ‘Bra Geoff’ Matlherane Mphakathi who died at the age of 64.

The larger than life Mphakathi was a rare species of a self-instructed promoter, moved by a total commitment to the arts and the crafts and the people who made it.

Mphakathi managed Phillip Tabane and his group that came to be popularly known as Malombo in the 1960s. The group that included drummer Julian Bahula and flutist Abe Cindi caused a sensation at the Castle Lager sponsored jazz festival in Mamelodi in the 1960s where they took first place among a multitude of mainstream oriented jazz bands.

Their music, inspired by the more primitive Pedi based style of Malopo, captured the imagination of the audience and judges alike. Malombo was a radically new ‘jazz’ voice. Bra Geoff then managed Malombo’s protégés who went by the name of Dashiki. This ensemble included vibraphonist, Oupa Mokou and drummer Lefifi Tladi, also a poet, sculptor and graphic artist.

Mokou and Tladi were forced into exile in Botswana where they were joined by Bonjo Keipidile, Thabiso Leshoai and Rampholo Molefhe to continue the tradition of Dashiki. Jonas Gwangwa later joined Dashiki in the late 1970s and the group evolved to be called Shakawe.

Mphakathi visited Botswana on several occasions and continued to inspire the troupe and Tladi in particular. Tladi and Mphakathi collaborated to organise exhibitions of South African artists at the National Museum and Art Gallery in Gaborone.

Among the artists who benefited from Bra Geoff’s tireless work were Motlhabane Mashiangwako, Winston Saoli, the late Fikile Mgadlela and Harry Moyaga who is now resident in Manchester, United Kingdom.

Tladi’s thirst for further instruction in the graphic arts took him to Sweden where he now resides. This Day reports that at the time of his death, Bra Geoff was on the third day of shooting a film documentary Giant Steps: a portrait of Lefifi Tladi

Born on February 4 1940, Bra Geoff established the Jazz appreciation Society in the late 1960s. In the 1970s he established several temporary art galleries that exhibited the works of a broad spectrum of South African artists.

He continued his work in the 1980s through the establishment of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Artists.

He staged art exhibitions in Holland, Sweden, Russia and the United States. Bra Geoff published two books, Lesego Rampolokeng’s Black Heart and Laduma by A K Thembeka after establishing the publishing house, MK Media early this year.

Before his untimely death, Bra Geoff had wanted to re-publish House of Bondage, Ernest Cole’s photographic comment on apartheid.

this obituary first appead on the arts/culture review