Raymond Chikapa Enock Phiri (23 March 1947 – 12 July 2017) 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 ...

, fusion and mbaqanga musician born in

Mpumalanga Mpumalanga () is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. The name means "East", or literally "The Place Where the Sun Rises" in the Nguni languages. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, bordering Eswatini and Mozambique. It shares bor ...

to Thabethe Phiri, a Malawian immigrant worker, and South African guitarist nicknamed "Just Now" Phiri. He was a founding member of the Cannibals in the 1970s. When the Cannibals disbanded Ray founded Stimela, with whom he conceived gold and platinum-selling albums like ''Fire, Passion and '' (1984), ''Look, Listen and Decide'' (1986). He collaborated with

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Sim ...

and

Ladysmith Black Mambazo Ladysmith Black Mambazo are a South African male choral group singing in the local vocal styles of ''isicathamiya'' and ''mbube (genre), mbube''. They became known internationally after singing with American Paul Simon on his 1986 album ''Grace ...

on Simon's '' Graceland'' (1986) album.

Career

Ray Phiri was born near

Nelspruit Mbombela, formerly Nelspruit, is a city in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province. Located on the Crocodile River, the city lies about by road west of the Mozambique border, east of Johannesburg and north of ...

in the then Eastern Transvaal, now

Mpumalanga Province Mpumalanga () is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. The name means "East", or literally "The Place Where the Sun Rises" in the Nguni languages. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, bordering Eswatini and Mozambique. It shares bor ...

, in South Africa. In 1985,

asked Ray along with

and other South African musicians to join his ''

Graceland Graceland is a mansion on a estate in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, once owned by American singer Elvis Presley. Presley is buried there, as are his parents Vernon and Gladys, paternal grandmother Minnie Mae, grandson Benjamin, and daugh ...

'' (1986) project, which was successful and also helped the South African musicians to make names for themselves abroad. Phiri was to collaborate with Simon again on Simon's '' Rhythm of the Saints'' (1990), which saw him perform in over 30 nations during 1990 and 1991, including in '' Paul Simon's Concert in the Park'' (1991) and at New York's

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...

, as well as appearing on ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...

'' and other top television shows in the United States. The tour concluded in early 1992 with concerts staged in South Africa at venues in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban. In a 2011 interview with ''

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...

'' Phiri said that there was "bad blood" between him and Simon. Phiri maintained that Simon never gave him credit for the songs he had written for ''Graceland'', and that Ladysmith Black Mambazo "hardly got any royalties". But he added: "maybe I wouldn't have been able to handle all that wealth. I sleep at night, I have my sanity and I enjoy living. The big rock 'n' roll machine did not munch me." In 2012, Simon organised a European Graceland 25th Anniversary Tour in which Phiri also contributed his voice, guitar and leadership.

Personal life and death

Phiri was involved in a series of car accidents which affected his personal life and musical career. In 1987 he was badly injured in a crash that claimed the lives of his band manager and six others. In 2003, his wife was killed in a car accident, but Ray escaped serious injury. Phiri was diagnosed with

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...

and died at the age of 70 on 12 July 2017 at a Nelspruit hospital. A memorial service for Phiri was held at the

Mbombela Stadium The Mbombela Stadium is a association football, football and Rugby union all-seater stadium in Mbombela in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. It was one of 10 venues for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and one of 5 newly constructed stadiums for th ...

in Nelspruit on 20 July, and the funeral service took place at the same venue two days later.

Achievements

Phiri has received many awards in recognition for his contribution in the music industry, one of these is the Order of Ikhamanga in Silver awarded to him by the South African president. This was to honor his sterling contribution to the South African music industry and the successful use of arts as an instrument of social transformation. In 2024 the University of South Africa posthumously conferred Phiri with a doctor of philosophy in music.

Discography

With Mpharanyana and the Cannibals

* 1976: ''Zion Soul'' * 1977: ''Disco Bump'' * 1978: ''Nka Nako Ho Motseba'' * 1979: ''Ulunywa Izinja''

With The Cannibals

* 1979: ''Get Funky'' * 1980: ''Total Rejection'' * 1981: ''I'm Tired of the Past'' * 1981: ''Put Your Dancing Shoes On''

With Stimela

* 1982: ''Mama Wami'' * 1982: ''Stimela'' * 1984: ''Fire, Passion and Ecstasy'' * 1985: ''Shadows, Fear and Pain'' * 1986: ''Look, Listen and Decide'' * 1986: ''Rewind'' (released due to popular demand after ''Look, Listen and Decide'') * 1987: ''Unfinished Story'' * 1988: ''Live!'' * 1989: ''Trouble in the Land of Plenty'' * 1990: ''The Second Half'' (Live) * 1991: ''Siyaya'' * 1994: ''Don't Ask Why'' * 2003: ''Steam Tracks'' ("Best of" compilation) * 2010: ''A Lifetime...'' * 2010: ''Live in Concert 25 Years''

Solo

* 1992: ''People Don't Talk, So Let's Talk'' * 1999: ''How'' * 2000: ''Chikapa's 11 Years''

References

* *

External links

Profile on music.org.zaProfile on allmusic.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phiri, Ray 1947 births 2017 deaths People from Mbombela South African jazz guitarists Recipients of the Order of Ikhamanga Lead guitarists South African people of Malawian descent Deaths from lung cancer in South Africa 20th-century South African male singers South African jazz singers South African male jazz musicians 21st-century South African male singers English-language singers from South Africa