Songs of Sekoto in South Africa
by Robyn Sassen
Born in 1913 in Botshabelo, Gerard Sekoto is regarded as one of the fathers of contemporary black art in South Africa. His struggle to become an artist was constantly thwarted by financial and political circumstances and continued to be difficult in Paris, where he went into exile in 1947 and died in 1993.
Sekoto's pre-exile paintings and works on paper are unanimously acknowledged as extraordinary historical and poetic documents of the areas in which he lived and the privations of apartheid. Celebrated as a colourist in a class of his own, Sekoto has been heralded for his ability to meld colour with form and evoke urban landscapes which crackle and sing in a wealth of colour, composition and drama.
His post-exile work is arguably less fresh and exhuberant. Some critics are of the opinion that the work is weakened by its derivative, nostalgic quality.
Sekoto consistently struggled to use his aesthetic values and innate skills to lubricate the fabric of his material existence. He had been exposed to music at a very young age. When his father bought a harmonium, the young Gerard proved quickly able to master the instrument. Many years later, in Paris, Sekoto played the piano in cafés in order to supplement his income.
In 1950, he secured a job at L'Echelle de Jacob, rue Jacob in the St. Germain de Pres area of Paris. It was there that he began to compose and perform his own songs and lyrics. It was only in 2002, after Sekoto's death that these musical compositions, annotated on paper, were discovered. The Trustees of the Gerard Sekoto Foundation agreed that the songs should be brought to the attention of the South African public, and marketed as a valuable part of Sekoto's creative legacy.
The Blue Heads, an eight-piece band, was formed specifically to introduce Sekoto's compositions, and they have arranged the music, whilst remaining true to the original intentions of the composer and committed this to CD. The band's name derives from a drawing Sekoto made of local singing diva Miriam Makeba in the 60s. He made this drawing while already in Paris, and, like much of his work at that time it is based on memory and nostalgia.
For reasons unclear, this gem of a CD sadly somehow missed out on the publicity it deserved when it was launched late last year.
The Blue Heads comprises well-established performers in the industry alongside several newcomers. The CD's 12 tracks are light and nostalgic in tone, and make for easy listening. With lyrics in English, isiZulu and French, these are love songs dedicated either to an individual as in Angelina my darling, Zondi and It's You or to a place, as in Africa, Igoli or Paree always is Paree.
With a blend of jazz idiom and catchy lyrics, the material is not groundbreaking, but rather it is lightweight. This insight into Sekoto's creative abilities provides insight into his visual output. As light as pen and wash drawings on crisp white paper, these pleasant, beautiful songs provide a taste of Sekoto's predicament. The occasional use of the accordion lends a prosaic and provincial Parisianism to their context and tone, but they remain irrevocably African in their reference and musical idiom.
The Blue Heads, featuring the music of Gerard Sekoto is distributed by Sheer Sound
Tel: (011) 444 1818
info@sheer.co.za
www.sheer.co.za
