Bheki Khoza Quartet

ABOUT

Bhekisisa Khosa is the well-known left

handed guitarist from Umlazi, Durban,

South Africa. In 19 91 he received a Tal-

ent Award and scholarship to study mu-

sic in America. He returned in 1995 from

studying at the University of Hartford,

Connecticut, with the great Jackie Mc-

Clean, on of the few living legends.

While in America, Bheki was resident

with Larry Ridley’s jazz legacy playing

the whole spectrum of African American

music. The band was headed by Lar-

ry Ridley himself, who played with Wes

Montgomery, Sonny Rollin, Miles Davies,

Horace Silver, Kenny Burell, George Ben-

son, Dexter Gordon and far too many

other musicians great to mention. By the

time Bheki left America he was already

making a name for himself playing clubs

like Blue Note, Saint Mark’s Zinno’s and

Smalls, a famous club often referred to

as: The Mecca of Jazz” which has jam

sessions every night to all hours. Khoza

also played at the famous Shamberg au-

ditorium in Harlem.

Some of the musicians he held the op-

portunity to play with included Kenny

Barron, Hilton Ruiz, Kirk Ligtsey, Cecil

McBee, Virgil Jones, Charlces Davis and

Steve Davis, who now Anarchy, a jam

club for African music, in particular. Gigs

stemming from the African connection

included backing vocalist Floxy Bee from

Nigeria and Thuli Dumakude, a singer

from South Africa, of Mabatha Fame.

Prior to studying in America, Bheki played

with the African Jazz Pioneers, Abie Cin-

di, Sipho Gumede, Winston Mankunku

Ngozi, Rene McClean, Victor Ntoni, Mike

Makhalemala, George Lee, and Berry Ra-

chabane, among others. He also backed

South Africa’s famous songbirds, Si-

bongile Khumalo, Sophic Mgina, Dolly

Rathebe, Abigail Kubheka, and Themi

Personal

Mtshani. During this time Bheki also had

his own band Thayima, which played jazz

and African music directly addressing

the social conditions of the late 1980’s

for this reason the band was never re-

corded.

Bheki musical influence are many. His

grandmother played Jewish harp and

harmonica, and enriched him with tradi-

tion of Zulu music which he then found

in Phuz Shukela, Kati Elimnyama and

Ngane Ziyamfiva. He was also influenced

by people at wedding, funerals, in the

street and shebeens. Other influences

include Philip Thabane, Alan Kwela, Ab-

dulah American Influences-Wes Mon-

togomery, Barney Kessel, Kenny Burrell,

Joe Pass, George Benson and Charlie

Parker in later which Bheki also picked

up.

During his early years in Durban, Bheki

learnt to play solo due to the lack of full

time musicians to accompany him. In

spite of this, he has wide experience and

interest in small group and big band mu-

sic alike.

Bheki recorded an album entitles “Asam-

be” in 1995, which is often aired on Ra-

dio Metro and Safm. The album is com-

prised of original compositions, some of

which used to be Shonilanga. Bheki also

composed the African Jazz Pioneers hit

“Sgaxa Mabhande”.

His recordings include guitar for Mike

Makhalemela’s last “Searching”. Bheki

DIRECTIONS