Sean Bergin
Sean Bergin ( born June 29, 1948 in Durban, South Africa, † September 1, 2012 in Amsterdam) was a South African jazz musician who lived in the Netherlands.
Life and work
Bergin's musical career as a saxophonist and flutist began as a teenager at the Blue Note Club in Durban, where black and white musicians ( illegal under the provisions of the racist apartheid ) appeared together. His game was decisively influenced by musicians like Pat Matshikiza and Dick Khosa. In Cape Town he later appeared with Winston Mankunku Ngozi. On the other hand, he played around 1970 psychedelic underground rock in the group Abstract Truth, with whom he recorded two plates.
1973 Bergin emigrated to London, where he worked with Dudu Pukwana and Chris McGregor. After a stay in the U.S. he settled in 1976 in Amsterdam, where he worked on the one hand with the musical clown Jango Edwards, but soon also scored for the inner circle of the Bimhuis scene. His band project MOB with Tobias Delius, Mary Oliver, Wolter Wierbos, Alex Maguire, Franky Douglas, Ernst Glerum and Han Bennink he started in 1986. This group, he expanded in 2005 to singer Phil Minton, Maggie Nicols Mola Sylla and. With the musicians of his project Nansika he is dedicated to the South African jazz.
In addition, however, he was also in ensembles such as the Trio San Francisco ( with Delius and the Italian woodwind Daniele D' agarose ), Viva La Black Louis Moholo, the Anda band, the Quartet of Mal Waldron with Jean -Jacques Avenel and John Betsch, the band of JC Tans, and in formations to Tristan Honsinger, the ICP Orchestra and the Lebombo Kwelagruppe active. As a studio musician he has worked with, among others, Miriam Makeba and Monica Akihary. In 1994 he was a member of the Dedication Orchestra. The singer Una Bergin is his daughter.
He died in 2012 after a long illness.
Award
2001 Bergin received the most prestigious jazz award of the Netherlands, the VPRO / Boy Edgar Prize.
Discography (selection)
- Kids Mysteries ( Nimbus Records )
- Copy Cat (BV Haast )
- MOB Mobiel (Data Records)
- Nansika (Data Records)
- Song Mob: Fat Fish (Data Records)