Ernest "Shololo" Mothle (2 December 1942 – 2 May 2011) was a South African jazz musician (performing in double bass, electric bass and vocals) and composer.

Life and work

He attended St. Peter's College in

Rosettenville Rosettenville is a working class suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It lies to the south of the city centre. History Rosettenville was founded in 1886 by the Jewish pioneer, Leo (or Levin) Rosettenstein, whom it is named after. Rosettenstein ...

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...

, listening to music happening all around him in the bustling township. After briefly dreaming of playing the clarinet or saxophoneObituary: Ernest "Shololo" Mothle – Tony's Place
/ref> (taking up the latter in his teens due to fooling around), he discovered his voice in music after turning to double bass. As a result, Mothle began playing with various musicians active in his home area of

Tshwane The City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (; ; ), also known as the City of Tshwane (), is the metropolitan municipality that forms the local government of northern Gauteng in South Africa. The metropolitan area is centred on the city of Pre ...

. At college, he played in the Father Huddlestone Band with

Hugh Masekela Hugh Ramapolo Masekela (4 April 1939 – 23 January 2018) was a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, singer and composer who was described as "the father of South African jazz". Masekela was known for his jazz compositions and f ...

and

Jonas Gwangwa Jonas Mosa Gwangwa (19 October 1937 – 23 January 2021) was a South African jazz musician, songwriter and producer. He was an important figure in South African jazz for over 40 years. Life and career Gwangwa was born in Orlando East, Sowe ...

. In 1959, he found the vocal group Dominoes along with Francis and Cornelius Kekana and Gabriel Tladi. By 1962, Mothle had become an accomplished jazz musician, performing on Alf Herbert's ''African Jazz and Variety Show'' and with musicians and singers such as Barney Rachabane, Johnny Mekoa Tete Mbambisa, Pat Matshikiza, Winston Mankunku Ngozi, Abigail Kubeka,

Thandi Klaasen Thandi Klaasen (born Thandiwe Nelly Mpambani, 27 September 1931 – 15 January 2017) was a jazz musician from Sophiatown, Gauteng. She was the mother of singer Lorraine Klaasen. Biography Thandiwe Nelly Mpambani grew up in Sophiatown, the daughte ...

and

Busi Mhlongo Busi Mhlongo (28 October 1947 – 15 June 2010), born Victoria Busisiwe Mhlongo, was a singer, dancer and composer originally from Inanda in Natal, South Africa. Biography Mhlongo drew on various South African musical styles such as Mbaqanga, ...

. In 1969, he was involved in the recording of the LP ''Armitage Road'' at Heshoo Beshoo Group with Henry Sithole. Afterwards, Mothle went to the United Kingdom, joining other fellow exiled South African musicians. Whilst there, he performed in many bands ranging from Julian Bahula's

Jabula Jabula ( isiZulu: "rejoice") was a musical ensemble of South African musicians exiled in England during the Apartheid era, led by Julian Bahula. Background The four musicians who became Jabula met in London, where they were living after leavin ...

to Jim Dvorak's Joy and from the late 1970s, ones belonging to

Dudu Pukwana Mthutuzeli Dudu Pukwana (18 July 1938 – 30 June 1990) was a South African saxophonist and composer. Early years in South Africa Dudu Pukwana was born in Walmer, Port Elizabeth, Walmer Township, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. He grew up studyin ...

. He also recorded with

Mike Oldfield Michael Gordon Oldfield (born 15 May 1953) is an English retired musician, songwriter and producer best known for his debut studio album ''Tubular Bells'' (1973), which became an unexpected critical and commercial success. Though primarily a gu ...

(playing percussion on the album ''

Ommadawn ''Ommadawn'' is the third studio album by English musician, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Mike Oldfield, released on 7 November 1975 on Virgin Records. ''Ommadawn'' peaked at No. 4 on the UK Albums Chart, No. 74 in Canada, and No. 146 on ...

'') and from 1981, was a member of

Chris McGregor Christopher McGregor (24 December 1936 – 26 May 1990) was a South African jazz pianist, bandleader and composer born in Somerset West, South Africa. Early influences McGregor grew up in the then Transkei (now part of the Eastern Cape Prov ...

Brotherhood of Breath The Brotherhood of Breath was an English-South African big band established in the late-1960s by South African pianist and composer Chris McGregor, an extension of McGregor's previous band, The Blue Notes. History The Brotherhood of Breath in ...

. Other giants of the jazz world Mothle performed with included

Courtney Pine Courtney Pine, (born 18 March 1964) is a British jazz musician, who was the principal founder in the 1980s of the black British band the Jazz Warriors. Although known primarily for his saxophone playing, Pine is a multi-instrumentalist, also ...

Sonny Stitt Sonny Stitt (born Edward Hammond Boatner Jr.; February 2, 1924 – July 22, 1982) was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/hard bop idiom. Known for his warm tone, he was one of the best-documented saxophonists of his era, recording over ...

and

Archie Shepp Archie Shepp (born May 24, 1937) is an American jazz saxophonist, educator and playwright who since the 1960s has played a central part in the development of avant-garde jazz. Biography Early life Shepp was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but ...

. Apartheid was a very serious matter to Mothle. As a result, he performed with the Jazz Gene Apartheid Project in Germany led by

Makaya Ntshoko Makaya Ntshoko (29 September 1939 – 27 August 2024) was a South African drummer. Biography Makaya Ntshoko was born in Cape Town, South Africa, on 29 October 1939. He grew up in Langa, South Africa, Langa. He played with Dollar Brand's trio i ...

and

John Tchicai John Martin Tchicai ( ; 28 April 1936 – 8 October 2012) was a Danish free jazz saxophonist and composer. Biography Tchicai was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, to a Danish mother and a Congolese father. The family moved to Aarhus, where he s ...

. Another memorable event Mothle performed at was

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( , ; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa f ...

's 70th Birthday Concert at

Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...

along with his friends Masekala and Gwanga. In the world of film and TV, Mothle performed as part of the orchestra in horror comedy ''

Haunted Honeymoon ''Haunted Honeymoon'' is a 1986 American comedy horror film starring Gene Wilder, Gilda Radner, Dom DeLuise and Jonathan Pryce. Wilder also served as writer and director. The title ''Haunted Honeymoon'' was previously used for the 1940 U.S. ...

'' and as part of the jazz quartet (alongside his friend Pine) in the first episode of ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

s 25th anniversary special ''

Silver Nemesis ''Silver Nemesis'' is the third serial of the 25th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC1 in three weekly parts from 23 November (the 25th anniversary) to 7 ...

''. Along with Gwanga, he performed on the soundtrack to

Richard Attenborough Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough (; 29 August 192324 August 2014) was an English actor, film director, and Film producer, producer. Attenborough was the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Acade ...

's 1987 film ''

Cry Freedom ''Cry Freedom'' is a 1987 epic biographical drama film directed and produced by Richard Attenborough, set in late-1970s apartheid-era South Africa. The screenplay was written by John Briley based on a pair of books by journalist Donald Woods. ...

''. Returning to South Africa in the 1990s, Mothle continued to perform with visiting musicians including

Bob Mintzer Robert Alan Mintzer (born January 27, 1953) is an American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, and big band leader. Early life Mintzer was born and raised in a Jewish family in New Rochelle, New York, on January 27, 1953. He attended the Inte ...

James Newton James W. Newton (born May 1, 1953) is an American jazz and classical flutist. Biography He was born in Los Angeles, California, United States. From his earliest years, James Newton grew up immersed in the sounds of African-American music, inclu ...

and

René McLean René McLean (born December 16, 1946) is a hard bop saxophonist and flutist from New York City. He started playing guitar before receiving an alto saxophone and instruction from his father, alto saxophonist Jackie McLean. Biography McLean playe ...

. He also worked as a bass instructor at Mmabana Cultural Centre and taught music at the

Tshwane University of Technology Tshwane University of Technology (TUT; ) is a higher education institution in South Africa that came into being through a merger of three technikons — Technikon Northern Gauteng, Technikon North-West and Technikon Pretoria. As the number of ...

, as well as continuing to perform at gigs and concerts. He died of diabetes-related complications at his home in

Mamelodi Mamelodi is a township northeast of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa. A part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, it was set up by the then apartheid government in 1953. Etymology

Later years

The

album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

that Mothle as part of Joy recorded in 1976 with James Dvorak, Frank Roberts, and Keith Bailey was finally re-released in 2023.

Discography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mothle, Ernest 1942 births 2011 deaths Musicians from Pretoria South African expatriates in the United Kingdom Male drummers Brotherhood of Breath members Deaths from diabetes in South Africa South African jazz musicians South African male jazz musicians 20th-century South African saxophonists Joy (jazz band) members