Louis Moholo

Born in Cape Town on March 10, 1940, South African jazz drummer Louis Tebogo Moholo was a member of such notable groups as The Blue Notes, Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath and Assagai. He founded the pioneering South African jazz group The Blue Notes with Chris McGregor, Johnny Dyani, Nikele Moyake, Mongezi Feza and Dudu Pukwana, before emigrating to Europe with them in 1964. Settling in London, he became part of a community of South African exiles who made a major contribution to British jazz. In 1966, he toured Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he performed at the Theatron with Steve Lacy, Johnny Dyani and Enrico Rava, and recorded the album The Forest and the Zoo with the same musicians. From 1969, he was a member of Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath, a big band made up of several South African exiles and leading musicians from the British free jazz scene of the 1970s, and at the same time created Viva la Black and The Dedication Orchestra. His first album under his own name, Spirits Rejoice! (1978), is considered a classic example of the fusion of British and South African musicians. In the early 1970s, Moholo was also a member of the Afro-rock band Assagai. He has played with many avant-garde musicians, including Derek Bailey, Steve Lacy, Evan Parker, Enrico Rava, Roswell Rudd, Irène Schweizer, Cecil Taylor, John Tchicai, Archie Shepp, Peter Brötzmann, Mike Osborne, Keith Tippett, Elton Dean and Harry Miller. He returned to South Africa in 2005, performing with George E. Lewis at the UNYAZI electronic music festival in Johannesburg. He then adopted the more ethnically authentic name of Louis Moholo-Moholo. Appearing on numerous free jazz, avant-garde and improvisation albums, where his drumming touch was much in demand, Louis Moholo died on June 13, 2025 at the age of 85.

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