Parliament paid tribute to South African jazz legend, Dr Phillip Tabane, who passed away on Friday.
Parliament said that “Dr Tabane was best known for his hit songs Nkupi and Muvhango but acclaim for his music goes back much further – to the Malombo Jazzmen, the band he formed in the early 1960s.”
Parliamentary spokesperson, Molotho Mothapo, said that Dr Tabane was amongst the South African jazz greats whose pioneering music defied the constraints of oppression during the height of apartheid and showcased our country's unique and remarkable talent to the world.
“The Malombo Jazzmen toured the United States in the 1970s, where renowned musicians, such as Herbie Hancock and Miles Davis played with them. Their album, Malombo, was a commercial and critical success,” he said.
“Through his masterpieces, Dr Tabane made the world pay attention and recognise South Africa's rich traditional culture and appreciate the timeless beauty of the boundless quality of its arts,” Mothapo said.
Tabane died in the Mamelodi Hospital two days after being admitted with an “age-related” illness.
