Louis Tebogo Moholo (10 March 1940 – 13 June 2025) was a South African

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

drummer A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drums. Most contemporary western music ensemble, bands that play Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, or Contemporary R&B, R&B music include a drummer for purposes including timekeepi ...

. He was a member of several notable bands, including

The Blue Notes The Blue Notes were a South African jazz sextet, whose definitive line-up featured Chris McGregor on piano, Mongezi Feza on trumpet, Dudu Pukwana on alto saxophone, Nikele Moyake on tenor saxophone, Johnny Dyani on bass, and Louis Moholo-Mo ...

, the

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 ...

and

Assagai Assagai was an Afro-rock band, active in the early 1970s in London, whose relatively short career produced two albums recorded in 1971. It has been described as "the second best-known African group of the late 60s/early 70s in Britain" after Osi ...

Biography

Born in

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

, Moholo formed

with

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 ...

Johnny Dyani Johnny Mbizo Dyani (30 November 1945 – 24 October 1986) was a South African jazz double bassist, vocalist and pianist, who, in addition to being a key member of The Blue Notes, played with such international musicians as Don Cherry, Steve L ...

Nikele Moyake Nikele (Nik) Moyake (c. 1933 – c. 1966) was born on a farm in Addo in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. He was a musician who played mbaqanga and jazz. Music career In the early 1950s Moyake moved to Port Elizabeth where he was a key figu ...

Mongezi Feza Mongezi Feza (11 May 1945 – 14 December 1975) was a South African jazz trumpeter and flautist. Biography Feza was born in Queenstown, Cape Province, Union of South Africa, into a family of musicians, His elder brother, Sandi Feza, who ...

and

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 ...

, and emigrated to

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

with them in 1964, eventually settling in London, where he formed part of a South African exile community that made an important contribution to

British jazz British jazz is a form of music derived from American jazz. It reached Britain through recordings and performers who visited the country while it was a relatively new genre, soon after the end of World War I. Jazz began to be played by British ...

. In 1966, he toured

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

, Argentina, where he performed at the Theatron with Steve Lacy, Johnny Dyani and Enrico Rava and recorded the album ''The Forest and the Zoo'' with the same musicians. He was a member of the

, a big band comprising several South African exiles and leading musicians of the British free jazz scene in the 1970s and was the founder of Viva la Black and

The Dedication Orchestra The Dedication Orchestra is a jazz ensemble formed as a tribute to the exiled South African musicians who formed the core of The Blue Notes and the Brotherhood of Breath, it features Alan Skidmore, Radu Malfatti, Django Bates, Kenny Wheeler, Elto ...

. His first album under his own name, ''Spirits Rejoice'' on

Ogun Records Ogun Records is a jazz record label created in London in 1973 by South African expatriate bassist Harry Miller, his wife Hazel Miller, and sound engineer Keith Beal. They recorded British avant-garde jazz musicians Keith Tippett, Mike Osbo ...

, is considered a classic example of the combination of British and South African players. In the early 1970s, Moholo was also a member of the

afro-rock Afro rock is a Rock music, rock music genre that fuses Western rock instrumentation with traditional African musical elements, which emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Influences Afro rock draws heavily from traditional African music styl ...

band

. He played with many musicians, including Derek Bailey,

Steve Lacy Steve Thomas Lacy-Moya (born May 23, 1998) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer. He gained recognition as the guitarist of the alternative R&B band the Internet, which he joined in 2015. His self-produced debut EP, '' ...

Evan Parker Evan Shaw Parker (born 5 April 1944) is a British tenor and soprano saxophone player who plays free improvisation. Recording and performing prolifically with many collaborators, Parker was a pivotal figure in the development of European free ja ...

Enrico Rava Enrico Rava (born 20 August 1939), is an Italian jazz trumpeter. He started on trombone, then changed to the trumpet after hearing Miles Davis. Career He was born in Trieste, Italy. His first commercial work was as a member of Gato Barbieri's ...

Roswell Rudd Roswell Hopkins Rudd Jr. (November 17, 1935 – December 21, 2017) was an American jazz trombonist and composer. Although skilled in a variety of genres of jazz (including Dixieland, which he performed while in college), and other genres of musi ...

Irène Schweizer Irène Schweizer (2 June 1941 – 16 July 2024) was a Swiss jazz and free improvising pianist. Life and career Schweizer was born in Schaffhausen, Switzerland on 2 June 1941. She performed and recorded numerous solo piano performances as well as ...

Cecil Taylor Cecil Percival Taylor (March 25, 1929April 5, 2018) was an American pianist and poet. Taylor was classically trained and was one of the pioneers of free jazz. His music is characterized by an energetic, physical approach, resulting in comple ...

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 ...

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 ...

Peter Brötzmann Peter Brötzmann (6 March 1941 – 22 June 2023) was a German jazz saxophonist and clarinetist regarded as a central and pioneering figure in European free jazz. Throughout his career, he released over fifty albums as a bandleader. Amongst his m ...

Mike Osborne Michael Evans Osborne (28 September 1941 – 19 September 2007) was an English jazz alto saxophonist, pianist, and clarinetist who was a member of the band Brotherhood of Breath in the 1960s and 1970s. Biography Mike Osborne was born in H ...

Keith Tippett Keith Graham Tippetts (25 August 1947 – 14 June 2020), known professionally as Keith Tippett, was a British jazz pianist and composer. According to AllMusic, Tippett's career "...spanned jazz-rock, progressive rock, improvised and contemporar ...

Elton Dean Elton Dean (28 October 1945 – 8 February 2006) was an English jazz musician who performed on alto saxophone, saxello (a variant of the soprano saxophone) and occasionally keyboards. Part of the Canterbury scene, he featured in Soft Mach ...

and Harry Miller. Moholo returned to South Africa in September 2005, performing with

George E. Lewis George Emanuel Lewis (born July 14, 1952) is an American composer, performer, and scholar of experimental music. He has been a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians ( AACM) since 1971, when he joined the organization ...

at the UNYAZI Festival of Electronic Music in

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 ...

. He later went under the name Louis Moholo-Moholo because the name was more ethnically authentic. South African promoter Slow Life in March 2017 at the Olympia Bakery in

Kalk Bay Kalk Bay (Afrikaans: ''Kalkbaai'') is a fishing village and suburb of Cape Town. It lies on the west coast of False Bay. Much of the town is built on the slopes of mountains which border the sea, with peaks of Table Mountain Sandstone forming va ...

, Cape Town, produced a show where Moholo performed along with Mark Fransman, Reza Khota, Keenan Ahrends and Brydon Bolton. Moholo died at the age of 85 on 13 June 2025.Farewell to Louis Moholo-Moholo: Jazz revolutionary and anti-apartheid voice dies at 85
/ref> Louis Moholo Quintet

Discography

As leader

* Louis Moholo; ''Spirits Rejoice!''; Ogun: OG520 (1978) * Louis Moholo with Larry Stabbins, Keith Tippett; ''Tern'' (Live); FMP-SAJ-43/44 (1983) * ''Louis Moholo's Viva La Black''; Ogun: OG533 (1988) * Louis Moholo's Viva La Black; ''Exile''; Ogun: OGCD003 (1991) * Louis Moholo's Viva La Black; ''Freedom Tour - Live in South Africa 1993''; Ogun: OGCD006 (1994) * Louis Moholo Moholo meets Mervyn Africa, Pule Pheto, Keith Tippett; ''Mpumi''; Ogun: OGCD014 (2002) * Louis Moholo-Moholo with Stan Tracey; '' Khumbula (Remember)''; Ogun: OGCD016 (2005) * Louis Moholo-Moholo Septet; ''Bra Louis - Bra Tebs'' + Louis Moholo-Moholo Octet; ''Spirits Rejoice!''; Ogun: OGCD017/018 (2006) * Louis Moholo-Moholo's Viva La Black; ''Live at Ruvo''; Ogun: OGCD 020 (2004) * Louis Moholo-Moholo Duets with Marilyn Crispell; '' Sibanye (We Are One)'' (Live); Intakt Records: Intact CD 145 (2008) * Louis Moholo-Moholo Unit; ''An Open Letter to My Wife Mpumi''; Ogun: OGCD031 (2009) * Louis Moholo-Moholo, Dudu Pukwana, Johnny Dyani with Rev. Frank Wright; '' Spiritual Knowledge and Grace'' (Live); Ogun: OGCD035 (2011) * Louis Moholo-Moholo Unit; '' For the Blue Notes'' (Live); Ogun: OGCD042 (2014) * Louis Moholo-Moholo Quartet; '' 4 Blokes''; Ogun: OGCD043 (2014) * Louis Moholo-Moholo with Frode Gjerstad; ''Sult'' (Live); FMR: FMRCD069 (2014) * Louis Moholo-Moholo with Frode Gjerstad, Nick Stephens, Fred Lonberg-Holm; ''Distant Groove''; FRM Records: FMRCD385-0115 (2015) * Louis Moholo-Moholo's Five Blokes; '' Uplift the People'' (Live); Ogun: OGCD047 (2018) * Louis Moholo-Moholo's Five Blokes; ''Live @ the Vortex Jazz Club''; Vortex (2020)

Collaborations

* Irène Schweizer, Rüdiger Carl, Louis Moholo; ''Messer''; FMP: FMP 0290 (1976) * Irène Schweizer, Rüdiger Carl, Louis Moholo; ''Tuned Boots''; FMP: FMP 0550 (1978) * Peter Brötzmann, Harry Miller, Louis Moholo; ''

The Nearer the Bone, the Sweeter the Meat ''The Nearer the Bone, the Sweeter the Meat'' is an album by saxophonist Peter Brötzmann, double bassist Harry Miller, and drummer Louis Moholo. It was recorded on August 27, 1979, at FMP Studio in Berlin, and was released on vinyl later that yea ...

''; FMP: FMP 0690 (1979) * Keith Tippett & Louis Moholo; ''No Gossip''; FMP: SAJ-28 (1980) * Peter Brötzmann, Harry Miller, Louis Moholo; ''

Opened, But Hardly Touched ''Opened, But Hardly Touched'' is a live album by saxophonist Peter Brötzmann, double bassist Harry Miller, and drummer Louis Moholo. It was recorded on November 5 and 6, 1980, at the Flöz in Berlin, and was released on vinyl as a two-album set ...

''; FMP: FMP0840/50 (1981) * '' Irène Schweizer & Louis Moholo'' (Live); Intakt: 006/1987 (1988) * Cecil Taylor & Louis Moholo-Moholo; '' Remembrance''; FMP: FMP CD 004 (1989) * Vincent Chancey, Φλώρος Φλωρίδης (Floros Floridis), Peter Kowald, Louis Moholo; ''Human Aspect''; OM: B/002 (1990) * Derek Bailey, Thebe Lipere & Louis Moholo; ''Village Life'' (Live); Incus: CD09 (1992) * John Law & Louis Moholo; ''The Boat is Sinking, Aparteid is Sinking''; Impetus: IMP CD 19322 * Louis Moholo / Evan Parker / Pule Pheto / Gibo Pheto / Barry Guy Quintet; ''

Bush Fire A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a bushfire ( in Australia), desert ...

''; Ogun: OGCD009 (1996) * Evan Parker, Steve Beresford, John Edwards, Louis Moholo; ''

Foxes Fox ''Foxes Fox'' is an album by saxophonist Evan Parker, pianist Steve Beresford, bassist John Edwards, and drummer Louis Moholo. It was recorded on July 21, 1999, at Gateway Studios in London, and was released later that year by Emanem Records. On th ...

''; Emanem 4035 (1999) * Hasse Poulsen, Peter Friis Lielsen, Louis Moholo; ''Copenhagen''; AV-ART: AACD 1010 (2000) * Roger Smith & Louis Moholo-Moholo; ''The Butterfly and the Bee''; Emanem 4114 (2005) * Foxes Fox (Evan Parker, Steve Beresford, John Edwards, Louis Moholo); ''

Naan Tso ''Naan Tso'' is an album by the free improvisation ensemble known as Foxes Fox, featuring saxophonist Evan Parker, pianist Steve Beresford, double bassist John Edwards, and drummer Louis Moholo-Moholo. It was recorded on October 27, 2004, at Gatew ...

''; Psi: psi 05.07 (2005) * Frode Gjerstad, Nick Stephens & Louis Moholo-Moholo; ''Quiddity'' (2007); Loose Torque: LT 019 (2009) * Wadada Leo Smith & Louis Moholo-Moholo; ''

Ancestors An ancestor, also known as a forefather, fore-elder, or a forebear, is a parent or ( recursively) the parent of an antecedent (i.e., a grandparent, great-grandparent, great-great-grandparent and so forth). ''Ancestor'' is "any person from w ...

''; TUM: TUM CD 029 (2012) * Alexander Hawkins & Louis Moholo-Moholo; '' Keep Your Heart Straight''; Ogun: OGCD 039 (2012) * Livio Minafra & Louis Moholo-Moholo; ''Born Free'' (Live); (2015) * Canto Generàl featuring Louis Moholo-Moholo; ''Rebel Flames''; Ogun: OGCD 044 (2015)

with Chris McGregor

* Chris McGregor Group; '' Very Urgent''; Polydor (1968) * Chris McGregor Septet; ''

Up to Earth ''Up to Earth'' is an album by the Chris McGregor Septet, led by pianist McGregor, and featuring saxophonists Evan Parker, Dudu Pukwana, and John Surman, trumpeter Mongezi Feza, bassists Barre Phillips and Danny Thompson, and drummer Louis Moholo. ...

'' (1969); Fledg'ling: FLED 3069 (2008) * Chris McGregor Trio; '' Our Prayer'' (1969); Fledg'ling: FLED 3070 (2008)

with The Brotherhood of Breath

* ''

Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath ''Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath'' is the debut album by South African pianist and composer Chris McGregor's big band of the same name. Produced by Joe Boyd, it was recorded in 1970, and was issued on LP by the short-lived Neon imprint of ...

''; RCA/Neon (1971) * ''Brotherhood''; RCA (1972) * '' Bremen to Bridgwater'' (1971/1975); Cuneiform Rune, (2004) * ''

Live at Willisau ''Live at Willisau'' is a live album by South African pianist and composer Chris McGregor's big band Brotherhood of Breath. It was recorded on January 27, 1973, in Willisau, Switzerland, and was released on LP by Ogun Records in 1974. In 1994, the ...

''; Ogun: OG 100 (1974) * ''

Procession A procession is an organized body of people walking in a formal or ceremonial manner. History Processions have in all peoples and at all times been a natural form of public celebration, as forming an orderly and impressive ceremony. Religious ...

''; Ogun: OG 524 (1978) * ''Yes Please''; In and Out: IaO 1001 (1981) * ''Country Cooking''; Virgin/Venture (1988) * ''En Concert a Banlieues Bleues'' with Archie Shepp; 52e Rue Est: RE CD 017 (1989) * ''

Travelling Somewhere ''Travelling Somewhere'' is a live album by South African pianist and composer Chris McGregor's big band Brotherhood of Breath. It was recorded on January 19, 1973, at Lila Eule, a jazz club in Bremen, Germany, and was released by Cuneiform Records ...

'' (1973); Cuneiform Rune (2001) * '' Eclipse at Dawn'' (1971); Cuneiform Rune (2008)

with Dudu Pukwana

* '' Dudu Phukwana and the "Spears"''; Quality (1969) * Dudu Pukwana & Spear; '' In the Townships''; Caroline Records (1974) * Dudu Pukwana & Spear; ''Flute Music''; Caroline Records (1975) * ''Black Horse'' (1975); Black Lion Vault Remastered (2012) * '' Diamond Express''; Arista Freedom: AF 1041 (1977)

with the Blue Notes

* '' Blue Notes for Mongezi''; Ogun: OGD 001/002 (1976) * '' Blue Notes in Concert Volume 1''; Ogun: OG 220 (1978) * '' Blue Notes for Johnny''; Ogun: OG 532 (1987) * '' Legacy: Live in South Afrika 1964'' (1964); Ogun: OGCD 007 (1995) * ''

Township Bop ''Township Bop'' is an album by The Blue Notes. Documenting the group's first studio session, it was recorded during early 1964 for the South African Broadcasting Corporation in Cape Town, South Africa, shortly before the musicians fled the country ...

'' (1964); Proper Records: PRP CD 013 (2002) * ''

The Ogun Collection ''The Ogun Collection'' is a five-CD box set compilation album by The Blue Notes, featuring saxophonists Nick Moyake and Dudu Pukwana, trumpeter Mongezi Feza, pianist Chris McGregor, double bassist Johnny Dyani, and drummer Louis Moholo. It brings ...

''; Ogun: OGCD 024-028 (2008) compilation * '' Before the Wind Changes''; Ogun: OGCD 037 (2012)

with Assagai

* ''Assagai''; Vertigo (1971) * ''

Zimbabwe file:Zimbabwe, relief map.jpg, upright=1.22, Zimbabwe, relief map Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Bots ...

''; Phillips (1971)

with Peter Brotzmann Group

* ''

Alarm ALARM (Air Launched Anti-Radiation Missile) is a British anti-radiation missile designed primarily to destroy enemy radars for the purpose of Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD). It was used by the Royal Air Force, RAF and is still used by ...

''; FMP: FMP 1030 (1983)

with Curtis Clark Quintet

* ''Letter to South Africa''; Nimbus West Records: NS501C (1986) * ''Live At The Bimhuis''; Nimbus West Records: NS505C (1988)

with The Dedication Orchestra

* ''Spirits Rejoice''; Ogun: OGCD 101 (1992) * ''Ixesha (Time)''; Ogun: OGCD 102/103 (1994)

with Harry Miller

* ''Family Affair''; Ogun: OG 310 (1977) * '' Which Way Now'' (1975); Cuneiform Records: Rune 233 (2006) * '' Full Steam Ahead'' (1975–77); Reel Recordings: RR012 (2009) * '' Different Times, Different Places'' (1973–1976); Ogun Records: OGCD 041 (2013) * '' Different Times, Different Places Volume 2'' (1977–1982); Ogun Records: OGCD 045 (2016)

with Circulasione Totale Orchestra

* ''Open Port'' (1998); Circulasione Totale: CT 09 (2008) * ''Bandwidth''; Rune Grammofon: RCD2089 (2009) * ''PhilaOslo''; Circulasione Totale: CT 12 (2011) * ''Tampere-08''; Circulasione Totale: CT 053 (2020)

As sideman

* Roswell Rudd; ''

''; America Records: 6114 (1971) * Haaz & Company; ''Unlawful Noise''; KGB Records: KGB 7076 (1976) * Keith Tippett's Ark; ''Frames (Music for an Imaginary Film)''; Ogun: OGD 003/004 (1978) * Triple Trip Touch with Frank Lowe & Louis Moholo; ''TTT Live! Konzert Basel / What About JAZZ Today!''; Independent (1984) * Dennis Gonzalez Dallas-London Sextet; ''Catechism''; Daagnim Records 1 (1988) * Cat O'Nine Tails; ''Hoki-Poki''; Wire Cassettes: wire 001 (1990) * Sean Bergin & Radio Freedom All Stars; ''Jazz for Freedom''; VARAgram: VCD 006-02 (1990) * Dennis Gonzalez Band of Sorcerers; ''Hymn for the Perfect Heart of a Pearl''; Konnex Records: KCD 5026 (1991) * Tristan Honsinger Quintet/ Sextet/ and with Mola Sylla; ''Travelogues - Music for Sasha Waltz & Guests''; Independent (1995) * Tristan Honsinger 5tet; '' Map of Moods''; FMP: FMP CD 76 (1996) * New York Art Quartet; '' Old Stuff''; Cuneiform Rune 300 (2010) *

Keith Tippett Tapestry Orchestra Keith Graham Tippetts (25 August 1947 – 14 June 2020), known professionally as Keith Tippett, was a British jazz pianist and composer. According to AllMusic, Tippett's career "...spanned jazz-rock, progressive rock, improvised and contemporar ...

; ''Live at Le Mans''; redeye008 (2007) * Elton Dean's Ninesense; ''Ninesense Suite''; Jazzwerkstatt: jw107 (2011) * Jon Corbett's Dangerous Musics; ''Kongens Gade''; Leo Records: LR 617 (2011) * Mike Osborne & Friends; ''Live at the Peanuts Club'' (1975); Jazz in Britain: JIB-07-S-DL (2020)

References

Other sources

*Philippe Carles, André Clergeat, and Jean-Louis Comolli, ''Dictionnaire du Jazz'', Paris, 1994.

External links

*
When free jazz means freedom
by Gary May, originally published in French in 2005 in the magazine ''ImproJazz''. This site also includes a 2010 interview with Moholo-Moholo by Olivier Ledure, also originally published in ''ImproJazz''.

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Moholo, Louis 1940 births 2025 deaths South African jazz drummers Male drummers The Blue Notes members 20th-century South African musicians 21st-century South African musicians Brotherhood of Breath members The Dedication Orchestra members Assagai members FMP/Free Music Production artists Incus Records artists Intakt Records artists Ogun Records Artists Psi Records artists 20th-century South African male musicians 21st-century South African male musicians 20th-century drummers 21st-century drummers Musicians from Cape Town South African male jazz musicians