Jonas Mosa Gwangwa, whose life embodied South African people's struggle for a national culture, was a celebrated musician, trombonist, songwriter and producer who was also a culture and anti-apartheid activist. Schoolboy Gwangwa, borrowed his lifetime trademark: a jaunty black beret and started out as a trombonist with The Jazz Epistles in the South African music scene where he gained initial fame and later abroad after the short-lived group disbanded. Equally active in politics, he helped organ... moreJonas Mosa Gwangwa, whose life embodied South African people's struggle for a national culture, was a celebrated musician, trombonist, songwriter and producer who was also a culture and anti-apartheid activist. Schoolboy Gwangwa, borrowed his lifetime trademark: a jaunty black beret and started out as a trombonist with The Jazz Epistles in the South African music scene where he gained initial fame and later abroad after the short-lived group disbanded. Equally active in politics, he helped organise South African students in America, and served as first eye on the text drafted by old schoolfriend, poet Keorapetse Kgositsile, of Miriam Makeba’s 1963 anti-apartheid address to the UN. Despite his international success, the apartheid government did not regard him favorably, and he was forced to leave South Africa in the 1970s to early 1980s in Gaborone, Botswana, where he formed the band Shakawe with other prominent artists. Gwangwa believed that political theatre deserved exactly the same high aesthetic standards as any other stage performance when he formed the Amandla Cultural Ensembe in Angola and MEDU in Botswana. The anti-apartheid activist narrowly escaped death in 1985 when security forces blew up his home. Later, he scored an Oscar and Grammy nomination for the film Cry Freedom (1987), co-composed with George Fenton. Gwanga returned to South Africa in 1991 and received many accolades and awards for his artistic and Pan-Afrivan work. He wrote theme songs and soundtracks for shows including Generations, the country's Olympic bid in 1997 and the film Othello as a composer and also sang at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute in Wembley Stadium in 1988. In spite of the restrictions, he established and played with virtually every important band of the era, and such icons as Kippie Moeketsi, Abdullah Ibrahim, Johnny Gertze and Makhaya Ntshoko. Jonas Gwangwa has also been a compatriot of famous musicians, including Ahmad Jamal, Herb Alpert, Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba and Caiphus Semenya. Gwangwa died of heart complications on 23 January 2021, at the age of 83.
