Johannes "Spokes" Mashiyane (born Vlakfontein (Mamelodi), Pretoria 20 January 1933; died at Baragwanath Hospital of

cirrhosis Cirrhosis, also known as liver cirrhosis or hepatic cirrhosis, chronic liver failure or chronic hepatic failure and end-stage liver disease, is a chronic condition of the liver in which the normal functioning tissue, or parenchyma, is replaced ...

of liver 9 February 1972) was regarded as one of the greatest

pennywhistle The tin whistle, also known as the penny whistle, is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is a type of fipple flute, a class of instrument which also includes the recorder and Native American flute. A tin whistle player is called a whistl ...

artists who graced the South African

kwela Kwela is a genre of street music originating from southern Africa. It is distinguished by its prominent use of the pennywhistle, jazz-inspired elements, and a distinctive skiffle-like rhythm. It evolved from the marabi sound. Kwela brought South ...

music scene from the 1950s to (approximately) the 1970s. Arriving on the pennywhistle band scene as a juvenile domestic servant from the northern Sotho communities in the

Transvaal Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name ''Transvaal''. * South African Republic (1856–1902; ...

alongside contemporaries of Alexandra boys such as Lemmy Mabaso, Barney Rachabane, Elias and Jack Lerole. He stated that the pennywhistle's simplicity allowed for greater freedom to bend and blend notes. The success of his recordings provided significant revenue for his recording company, Gallo Record Company, to which he had switched in 1958. His success gained international notice by the 1960s - he played with

Bud Shank Clifford Everett "Bud" Shank Jr. (May 27, 1926 – April 2, 2009) was an American alto saxophonist and flautist. He rose to prominence in the early 1950s playing lead alto and flute in Stan Kenton's Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra and thro ...

among others during their visit to South Africa - and in July 1965 he was invited to the

Newport Folk Festival The Newport Folk Festival is an annual American folk-oriented music festival in Newport, Rhode Island, which began in 1959 as a counterpart to the Newport Jazz Festival. The festival was founded by music promoter and Jazz Festival founder Geor ...

. This festival gained notoriety for the

Electric Dylan controversy By 1965, Bob Dylan was the leading songwriter of the American folk music revival.Paul Simon suggested that Dylan's early compositions virtually took over the folk genre (). That year, he began recording and performing with electric instruments, ...

, but Spokes performance at the festival did receive notice and praise from Robert Shelton. Spokes's work also had an influence on the

Music of Zimbabwe Zimbabwean music is heavily reliant on the use of instruments such as the mbira, Ngoma drums and Hosho (instrument), hosho. Their music symbolizes much more than a simple rhythm, as the folk and pop style styled music was used as a symbol of ho ...

.Urban Grooves: The performance of politics in Zimbabwe's hip hop music by Wonderful G. Bere, Page 98
/ref> He claimed that the inspiration for his songs were from his dreams. He played with other kwela greats of his time and his music is enjoyed by many to this day. He married his wife Mary in 1964, and they had two sons, Frederick and Eugene. In 1989, South African band Mango Groove released
Special Star
' as a tribute to Mashiyane.

Discography

;Contributing artist *'' The Rough Guide to the Music of South Africa'' (1998,

World Music Network World Music Network is a UK-based record label specializing in world music. The World Music Network website features news, reviews, live music listings, and guide sections on world music. It also features an online "Battle of the Bands" competi ...

)

References

External links

National Geographic
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mashiyane, Spokes 1933 births 1972 deaths South African musicians Tin whistle players Deaths from cirrhosis 20th-century flautists

Discography

See also

References

External links