Sathima Bea Benjamin

Sathima Bea Benjamin ( born October 17, 1936 in Johannesburg, † August 20, 2013 in Cape Town) was a South African jazz singer, composer and lyricist.

Life

She grew up in Cape Town Benjamin sang first in the church, to local singing competitions, dancing and nightclubs before the Coloured Jazz and Variety show went on tour in South Africa 1957. From saxophonist Kippie Moeketsi it was introduced in 1959 at the Jazz scene of Cape Town, where she met her future pianist Dollar Brand. First shots from the same year with his trio were not disclosed. Because of the worsening political situation, she went with her partner of fire, whose bassist Johnny Gertze and his drummer Makaya Ntshoko into exile in Europe. In Zurich, she managed to make Duke Ellington 's attention. On his initiative, in 1963 recordings came about in Paris, to which he himself, Billy Strayhorn and the trio of Brand participated; however, they were not published at that time - were allegedly lost the tapes - and did not appear until 1996.

Ellington invited Benjamin the USA in 1965 in order to perform with her ​​at the Newport Jazz Festival. However, a firm commitment in his band they refused then, because that would have a separation of fire, whom she had married in February 1965 means. She lived the next few years with fire in New York, where she, as it was not known recordings, only occasionally had opportunities to perform. Instead, they took care of the career of her husband had converted to Islam and moved to their son, Tsakwe great. Fire called himself Abdullah Ibrahim.

In 1976, she was able to present their first release with the record African Songbird, together with Ibrahim in South Africa. In South Africa, she also brought her daughter Tsidi to the world that is active under the name Jean Grae as a rapper today. 1979, back in New York, she founded the record label Ekapa, in the recorded music of Ibrahim, as well as nine LPs and CDs were released of her who put their vocal abilities and their expressive power to the test. Your Dedications LP was nominated for a Grammy in 1982. They openly supported the South African liberation movement. Benjamin worked with acclaimed jazz musicians from the U.S., such as Carlos Ward, Kenny Barron, Larry Willis, Buster Williams, Billy Higgins and Ben Riley. Their album Cape Town Love, which she had recorded in her hometown in 1999, was built with South African musicians.

Honors

In October 2004, she was awarded the South African President Thabo Mbeki, the Silver Ikhamanga Medal, in recognition of their contributions to jazz, but also to the struggle against apartheid.

Writings

• Carol Ann Muller & Sathima Bea Benjamin Musical Echoes. South African Women Thinking in Jazz Duke University Press: Durham ( North Carolina), ISBN 978-0-8223-4914-3