Slow Life and Likwezi Arts present McCoy Mrubata Live in Concert

ABOUT

Tomorrow evening in Kalk Bay another Jazz legend. Sound engineering by The Cape Audio College

McCoy plays with Hlubi Kwebulana on vocals, Lonwabo Mafani (keyboards) Stephen de Souza (bass) and Tefo Mahola (drums)

When we started Jazz at the Bakery, McCoy Mrubata played with Mark Hauser from Switzerland and to a sold out audience. We welcome him back and especially because of his iconic status as the cream of the South African Jazz crop

?BIOGRAPHY

Saxophonist, flute player, band leader and composer Born in 1959 in Cape Town’s historic Langa township, South Africa. Reedman McCoy Mrubata grew up with the sounds of African music: the soulful hymns of the Zion Church, the chants and rhythms of traditional healers and the brassy jive of the Merry Macs band who rehearsed opposite his home. When schooling became impossible in the fiery aftermath of the 1976 uprising, the young McCoy then playing flute studied informally under Langa greats like Madoda Gxabeka, Winston Ngozi , the Ngcukanas, Ezra and Duke, Blackie Tempi and Robert Sithole. By the early 1980s he was playing in cover bands like Fever, Touch , Airborne and Vukani, from there he moved to crossover outfit Louis and the Jive.

In 1987 McCoy was spotted by bandleader Sipho Hotstix Mabuse who helped him make Joburg his home. In 1988 he joined PJ Powers band and also that year McCoy was sported by veteran producer Koloi Lebona who offered him a recording deal with a British based record company Zomba Records the same record company had produced music for, amongst others: Jonathan Butler and Billy Ocean. McCoy’s debut album, Firebird was released the following year. In 1989 he formed Brotherhood, which also included guitarist Jimmy Dludlu pianist Nhlanhla Magagula, Mwezi Zazi, Gladwin Mashoko and Lucas Khumalo and later Moses Molelekwa and Phakamisa Xangathi. In 1990 the band won the Gilbey's Music for Africa competition , beating top bands like Bayethe , Peto , Stax and Zanusi. In 1992 he began touring with Hugh Masekela’s Lerapo, alongside Vusi and Bakithi Khumalo , Lawrence Matshiza and the late Moses Molelekwa among others. He also created his own bands, Cape to Cairo and McCoy and Friends. In the mid 1990s, he made the first of a series of albums as leader for the independent Sheer Sound label: Tears of Joy. The personnel of Friends, including pianist Paul Hanmer, bassist Andre Abrahamse and trombonist Jabu Magubane among others have formed a consistent team of collaborators for McCoy. Since those days, more albums have followed: Phosa Ngasemva, Hoelykit, Face the Music which won the 2003 South African Music Award in the Traditional Jazz category and Icamagu Livumile which won the same award in 2005 and Brasskap Sessions Volume 1 won the 2008 award. McCoy also won awards with bands : The Sheer All Stars and Kulturation. In addition, McCoy has collaborated with a dazzling array of South African jazz players, and with overseas artists such as Airto Moreira and Flora Purim and the late great South African Reggae artist Lucky Dube of which he toured the world in 1995/96. He has been involved in drama, creating scores for South African productions about journalist Bloke Modisane and saxophone legend Kippie Moeketsi .

McCoy also worked In three Norwegian productions (Nordic Black Theatre) : two In 1994/5 In SA and In Oslo on two Bob Marley Musicals and in 2001 starring in A play based on the life of John Coltrane “Beyond The Blues” , playing a leading role. McCoy's other projects Include Kulturation a duo-led album with pianist Wessel van Rensburg exploring new interpretations of tunes from the African and Afrikaans communities. This project blends together familiar tunes from the Xhosa and Zulu cultures with Afrikaans folk music tunes fusing these into contemporary versions of local South Africa music. Vivid Africa, is another collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Greg Georgiadis, using instruments like the oudh and bouzouki alongside saxophones to explore the musical spices of the East African coast. McCoy was also a member of a super band Sheer All Stars which consisted of some of the best musicians In SA Jazz : the late Sipho Gumede, Errol Dyers, Paul Hanmer, Frank Pako, Wessel van Rensburg and Louis Mhlanga. They recorded three albums; Indibano, Live at the Blues Room and Dance With Me. In 2012 McCoy and his long time friend Paul Hanmer released a CD that was recorded live In 2009 at Alte Kirche Boswil, Switzerland during the Kulak Jazz festival.McCoy was made ambassador for the Angola COCAN 2010 football competition and travelled to Angola with his band to perform and promote the competition. In January 2011 McCoy and pianist Luyanda Madope collaborated with Norwegian musicians In project called Indibano and they performed at the Nordic Black Theatre In Oslo.McCoy also conducted the 2012 South African Youth Jazz Band In June/July that year at the Grahamstown Arts Festival and they also performed In August at the Joy Of Jazz In Newtown JHB South Africa. In 2012 McCoy was among the top Jazz educators who helped to launch the Jazz Faculty at University Of South Africa and has subsequently conducted workshops and master classes commissioned by the Institution. In 2014 McCoy went on a successful USA tour with a collaborative band called Uhadi which he directs. The band comprise of some of SA top Jazz musicians :, Feya Faku , Paul Hanmer , Herbie Tsoaeli and Justin Badenhorst. and guest Sibongile Khumalo. In June 2014 McCoy release a CD “Brasskap Sessions Volume 2” and went on a national tour to promote It. In 2015 “Brasskap Sessions Volume 2” won the SAMA’s best Jazz Album category.McCoy had a good run In Switzerland from the 26 August to 28 September 2015 at the Bird’s Eye Jazz Club, Basel University and St Gallen playing with three different bands. The Bird’s Eye run was recorded and a double CD, “ McCoy Mrubata Live At The Bird’s Eye”was released In 2016. McCoy and Uhadi went on a successful US Tour again In 2016. The tour commenced on 30 March to 18 April.On 30 April 2016’s International Jazz Day 2016 McCoy launched his DVD that was recorded live the same day and for the same occasion in SA 2015 at the Market Theatre. In 2017 McCoy toured South Africa with Mark Hauser a fellow saxophonist from Switzerland whom he met In Basel when he toured Switzerland In 2015. In 2018 McCoy and Paul Hanmer , his long time friend celebrated 30 years of friendship and collaborative work in music and had performances around SA and they also toured USA performing and conducting workshops at some of the higher institutions like Berklee, UCLA and Howard University. McCoy Is also one of the winners of the 2018 Kennedy Center Gold Awards.McCoy received an Invitation from the South African Embassy In Kuwait to perform on 15 January 2019 with his band at the Al Quarian Festival. The performance went well and McCoy and his band also went to music Institutions and theatres and Interacted and shared Ideas with Kuwaiti artists.In 2018 McCoy released a new CD, “Brasskap Sessions Volume 3” of which he started recording In December 2017 In Johannesburg, Cape Town and In Paris.McCoy was one of the South African artists who went to perform with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis at the Lincoln Center In 2019. In 2021 McCoy released the album Quiet Please and this year 2022 released The Strings Attached Project, First Green. He is currently promoting both albums.

Awards received In 2022 :

Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s South African Music Awards

The Western Cape Department Of Cultural Affairs Award for the contribution In the arts. Drakensberg Promotion Award for the contribution In the arts.

McCoy Mrubata Discography Solo Albums

1988 Fire Bird

1998 Tears Of Joy

1999 Phosa Ngasemva

2000 Hoelykit ?

2002 Face The Music

2002 The Best Of The Early Year

2004 Icamagu Livumile

2007 Brasskap Sessions Volume 1

2007 The Very Best Of McCoy Mrubata

2014 Brasskap Sessions Volume 2

2016Live At The Bird’s Eye

2018 Live At The Market Theatre

2019 Brasskap Sessions Volume 3

2021 Quiet Please

2022 The Strings Attached Project,First Green

Collaborations

(Sheer All Stars)

1999 Indibano

1999 Live At Mega Music Warehouse 2001 Live At The BluesRoom

2002 Dance With Me

2004 Kulturation

2004 Vivid Africa

2011Boswil Concert

2012 Mbaqanga Jazz

Awards

1991 Gilby’s Music For Africa winner with McCoy Mrubata’s

4 time winner of the South African Music Award winner for the “Best Jazz Album” category 2 time winner South African Music Awards for the “Best Instrumental with “Sheer All Stars” and “Kulturation”.

2010 Angola COCAN Africa Cup Of Nations Competition Ambassador 2018 Winner of the Kennedy Center Gold Medal Award