McCOY MRUBATA

JAZZ
Estacios Valoi
07/0309

The 2009 Cape Town International Jazz Festival that takes place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on 03-04 April will be a “mother of all celebrations”.

On my long journey looking for the other I got across with the award-winning saxophonist McCoy Mrubata


McCoy has a new out: The Brasskap Sessions Volume 1

Who is McCoy Mrubata, the man the musician, and his own living style?
M-McCoy the Saxophonist, flute player, band leader and composer was born in 1959
in Cape Town’s historic Langa township, South Africa. 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. McCoy just believed in simplicity and humility.
According to him he does not really write songs, songs goes to him because every day he wakes up with a melody and simply works on it when he is awake. McCoy also produces, teaches and spends a lot of time, as he puts it, simply being a family man.
“My ambition is to keep our kind of music alive here at home. Everything I do is about linking the now to the community I came from all those years back in Langa, and sharing my South African experiences through music with the rest of the continent and the world" said Mrubata.
For how many nights and days have you been cooking your music?
M-I don’t really write songs, songs come to me because everyday
I wake up with a melody and I simply work on it when I’m awake.
When was the first light comes and makes your decide to take this musical train?
M -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. But basically in 1976 when I first picked up a pennywhistle.

McCOY Or just Mrubata was also engaged in other waves. In 1989 he formed Brotherhood, which also included guitarist Jimmy Dludlu pianist Nhlanhla Magagula and Lucas Khumalo. In 1990 the band won the Gilbey's Music for Africa prize. In 1992 he began touring with Hugh Masekela’s Lerapo, alongside guitarist Lawrence Matshiza and pianist, 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, as well as the compilation CD - Best of the Early Years.
To become a musician which you are today, what are your sources of inspiration ‘beers, smoke’?
M- I never drank or smoked, People from all walks of life, places situations
And fellow musicians inspire me.
Until now how many albums do your really have and what is your favorite one and who will be performing with you at the fest?
M-I’ve released eight solo albums and five collaboration albums; I don’t really have a favorite song I love all of them.
I love music but Jazz music is my favorite, I lead a couple of bands,
McCoy and Friends which was formed in 1993. I also lead a big band called
Brasskap, I also lead a band with Greg Georgiades called Vivid Africa.
At the Cape Town International Jazz Fest I’ll be performing with McCoy Mrubata & Special Friends : Louis Mlhanga,Paul Hanmer,Marcus Whyatt,Kesivan Nidoo & Herbie Tsoaeli.

Mrubata By the early 1980s he was playing in cover bands like Fever, Touch and Airborne, from where he moved to crossover outfit Louis and the Jive. A declining live music scene in Cape Town meant lots of touring, and McCoy was spotted by bandleader Sipho Hotstix Mabuse who helped him make Joburg his home. Now playing a wider range of reeds, and composing more, he worked with a range of pop and jazz bands; in 1988 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.

Is not your first time to be invited to attend a festival of such magnitude? What can people expect from your and how was for your being part of the previous one?
M- It’s always a privilege to be part of such a festival and I enjoy every minute of it.
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. He has been involved in drama, creating scores for South African productions about journalist Bloke Modisane and saxophone legend Kippie Moeketsi, and in 2001 starring in a Norwegian production based on the life of John Coltrane. He has also created what he calls the Oyoung Friends: collaboration with the next generation of South African jazzmen.
Usually when you are on the stage performing 'blasting your horns from one side to another for such crowd. What does bounces into your head?
M-When I perform I’m on another space I cannot really explain, but It’s beautiful and I’m free.

Before you go to the stage, how many doubles of whisk or other thing do you take, I mean if you do so?
I take water.

What luggage are you going to take for the festival?
M-My horns, Laptop, cell phone, camera recorder and clothes.

McCoy simply being a family man. What most do you fear in these world?
M -I fear leaving my family on their own.
What was the most important book do you have read?
M-Biographies are my favorites, like Hugh Masekela, Miles Davis and John Coltrane.
What are you going to wear on 3 and 4 (stage)
M-I don’t know, it is a secret. But nothing special, I’m just going to be neat, clean and presentable.
You have been performing in Mozambique before. Will you be part of the coming Moz Jazz Festival?
M-The last time I performed In Mozambique, was in 1989 with Brenda Fassie
I would love to be part of Mozambican Jazz Festival

Next and new projects?
M- Celebrate my 50th birth day with my band, friends and family In June.

McCoy's current projects include Kulturation and Vivid Africa. Kulturation is 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 collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Greg Georgiadis, using instruments like Oudh and bouzouki alongside saxophones to explore the musical spices of the East African coast.

McCoy now lives in Johannesburg with his family. He is married to Zodwa and they have four kids, two boys and two girls.


In the other side of the border a leave a Jazz star, but my journey goes on. Sure that today could not find the other at Mandela’s land. Better cross the fence back to the city of the ‘acacias’ for another next journey to the encounter of Paulina Chazians’ swallows.