While few younger jazz enthusiasts will know Pinise Saul, older fans will be mourning the loss of one of East London’s greatest jazz queens with her death in London on Thursday.
Tsolo-born Pinise, once crowned by The Guardian as “Queen of African Jazz” was celebrated for her unique style.
According to friend and sometime collaborator Lulama Gawulana, Saul sang African-style and, while well versed in all the jazz standards, “would also perform in Xhosa, Zulu and Sotho”.
According to the article: “Collectors of local jazz tunes will probably recall the Soul Giants’ 1968 tribute album, I Remember Nick – dedicated to Nikele “Nik” Moyake, one of the best sax players of his generation, who went into exile with the Blue Notes in 1964 but was too homesick to survive and eventually returned a disturbed and dying man.
The same album salutes Saul through a Dennis Mpale composition titled Pinise’s Dance.
This boisterous but soulful tune was also covered by Mackay Davashe and his Jazz Dazzlers.
His version appears in Archive Africa (2002), a compilation album on the golden era of South African jazz in the 1950s and 60s.
It’s a rare tribute for a female artist at a time when there was very little respect for and recognition of women in showbiz.”
While based in London with regular appearances at the legendary Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, Saul made yearly trips back to East London, where her family still lives, staying in touch with her old jazz contacts as well as making new ones.
In 1990, one of these was Gawulana, with whom she eventually teamed up on many occasions both in her home city and across the country.
Saul’s last concert in East London was to have been in February this year however after being in the city during December and participating in a musical workshop with Luduzo Makatini, a lecturer at Fort Hare University, ill-health forced her to abandon her plans for concerts in Johannesburg and East London.
She returned to London.
Born in 1941, Saul’s entry into the world of music began when she started singing in the “church school choir which was quickly followed by her joining the Assembly of God church choir under Reverend Bengu”, said her brother, Mongezi.
In Lars Rasmussen’s book on Johnny Dyani Mbizo - A Book About Jonny Dyani, Saul reminisces about starting her singing career with another jazz great – pianist Tete Mbambisa.
She tells of their first group being The Four Yanks and her first song Paper Moon.
By performing at school and townships concerts the group began to get a name for themselves and, according to the Mathe article produced their first single in 1962 Umsenge (The Milk Tree).
In 1964 Saul left East London to work in Johannesburg and became involved in several jazz groups during this period.
By 1975 she had joined the cast of the famed South African musical Ipi Tombi and, when the musical’s tour of London’s West End came to a close, she chose to remain in exile in that country.
According to a notice posted in the London Jazz News website on Thursday this week, Pinise also lived for a time in Boston in the United States appearing with the likes of Bob Marley and Patti LaBelle before settling in the United Kingdom and building herself a sold fan base.
The website lists Saul’s band credits as “long, impressive and testament to her unique, charismatic and life-giving on-stage presence: Dudu Pukwana’s Zila, Trevor Watts’ Moire Music, Julian Bahula’s
Jabula, Brotherhood of Breath, David Murray’s M’Bizo project, World Saxophone Quartet, Township Express, African Jazz Allstarts as well as the Township Comets.
When asked why she had not returned to live in South Africa along with many other former exiles, Gawulana says Saul had explained to him that as a former fundraiser for the ANC, “she said she felt that not enough had changed to warrant a return”.
Saul leaves behind two children, Mongezi and BoyBoy, and 12 grandchildren.
According to nephew Toto Saul old friend Dudu Pukwana’s wife Barbara is working with family who have travelled to London to send Saul’s body home for a burial in East London.
“The family will be meeting with the Department of Sports, Art and Culture as well as the provincial ANC to ask them to assist us in bringing her home,” said Toto.
A memorial will be held for Pinise Saul on Wednesday, November 2, at the Mdantsane Indoor Sports Centre from 3pm until 6.30pm.
All hail the ‘Queen of African Jazz’
Tsolo-born Pinise, once crowned by The Guardian as “Queen of African Jazz” was celebrated for her unique style.
According to friend and sometime collaborator Lulama Gawulana, Saul sang African-style and, while well versed in all the jazz standards, “would also perform in Xhosa, Zulu and Sotho”.
According to the article: “Collectors of local jazz tunes will probably recall the Soul Giants’ 1968 tribute album, I Remember Nick – dedicated to Nikele “Nik” Moyake, one of the best sax players of his generation, who went into exile with the Blue Notes in 1964 but was too homesick to survive and eventually returned a disturbed and dying man.
The same album salutes Saul through a Dennis Mpale composition titled Pinise’s Dance.
This boisterous but soulful tune was also covered by Mackay Davashe and his Jazz Dazzlers.
His version appears in Archive Africa (2002), a compilation album on the golden era of South African jazz in the 1950s and 60s.
It’s a rare tribute for a female artist at a time when there was very little respect for and recognition of women in showbiz.”
While based in London with regular appearances at the legendary Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, Saul made yearly trips back to East London, where her family still lives, staying in touch with her old jazz contacts as well as making new ones.
In 1990, one of these was Gawulana, with whom she eventually teamed up on many occasions both in her home city and across the country.
Saul’s last concert in East London was to have been in February this year however after being in the city during December and participating in a musical workshop with Luduzo Makatini, a lecturer at Fort Hare University, ill-health forced her to abandon her plans for concerts in Johannesburg and East London.
She returned to London.
Born in 1941, Saul’s entry into the world of music began when she started singing in the “church school choir which was quickly followed by her joining the Assembly of God church choir under Reverend Bengu”, said her brother, Mongezi.
In Lars Rasmussen’s book on Johnny Dyani Mbizo - A Book About Jonny Dyani, Saul reminisces about starting her singing career with another jazz great – pianist Tete Mbambisa.
She tells of their first group being The Four Yanks and her first song Paper Moon.
By performing at school and townships concerts the group began to get a name for themselves and, according to the Mathe article produced their first single in 1962 Umsenge (The Milk Tree).
In 1964 Saul left East London to work in Johannesburg and became involved in several jazz groups during this period.
By 1975 she had joined the cast of the famed South African musical Ipi Tombi and, when the musical’s tour of London’s West End came to a close, she chose to remain in exile in that country.
According to a notice posted in the London Jazz News website on Thursday this week, Pinise also lived for a time in Boston in the United States appearing with the likes of Bob Marley and Patti LaBelle before settling in the United Kingdom and building herself a sold fan base.
The website lists Saul’s band credits as “long, impressive and testament to her unique, charismatic and life-giving on-stage presence: Dudu Pukwana’s Zila, Trevor Watts’ Moire Music, Julian Bahula’s
Jabula, Brotherhood of Breath, David Murray’s M’Bizo project, World Saxophone Quartet, Township Express, African Jazz Allstarts as well as the Township Comets.
When asked why she had not returned to live in South Africa along with many other former exiles, Gawulana says Saul had explained to him that as a former fundraiser for the ANC, “she said she felt that not enough had changed to warrant a return”.
Saul leaves behind two children, Mongezi and BoyBoy, and 12 grandchildren.
According to nephew Toto Saul old friend Dudu Pukwana’s wife Barbara is working with family who have travelled to London to send Saul’s body home for a burial in East London.
“The family will be meeting with the Department of Sports, Art and Culture as well as the provincial ANC to ask them to assist us in bringing her home,” said Toto.
A memorial will be held for Pinise Saul on Wednesday, November 2, at the Mdantsane Indoor Sports Centre from 3pm until 6.30pm.
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