Legendary trumpeter Roy Sokuyeka will perform with his trombonist son Stephen Sokuyeka this Sunday, 26 March 2017 at a rare showing at Kwa Sec, NY 138, no. 52 in Gugulethu from 4pm.
Sponsored by Concert SA, this concert honours the 73-year-old jazz musician for his contribution in honing musical skills of many young musicians on the Cape flats. His involvement in teaching music has resulted in Stephen also finding support from brass luminaries like McCoy Mrubata and Feya Faku.
Known as Bra Roy in the townships of Nyanga and Gugulethu, Roy Sokuyeka was born in Grahamstown where he started listening to jazz blasting out from the neighbour’s speakers. There were also jazz bands back then that performed in community halls. “Though the acoustics were bad, there was a ‘lekker jol’ as we would swing to all sorts of sounds from American to South African marabi,” says Bra Roy. He soon befriended the band members of Diamond Black, a mbaqanga band. He would carry their musical instruments whenever there was a performance.
Bra Roy got to pick up the trumpet by chance
“At a time of come to age, I had just come back from being circumcised. As in African culture there were traditional celebrations for my return. Young and old men as well as children had gathered to drink and eat meat, it is at this ceremony that one of the older musicians stood up and presented me with a trumpet,” explains Bra Roy. At the time he could not even play a note. “I soon started to teach myself, blowing awkwardly and sometimes I will get one of the older musicians to teach me.” But there was little time. The band was always on the road. He was left on his own.
The Quiz-Quiz Jazz Band
Because jazz was his first love, he traveled to Port Elizabeth where he joined the Soul Jazz Man band. It is there that he started jazz standards and improvising on the trumpet. In 1964, he moved to Cape Town to stay with his extended family. A year later, Bra Roy joined The Quiz-Quiz Jazz Band. The band performed in community halls in the Cape flats.
Jazz did not limit his playing skills. He became part of the brass band at the annual The Kaapse Klopse (Cape Coon Carnival) in the 1980s. He later joined the Touch, a jazz band in Gugulethu where he met the likes of Mrubata, Ezra Ngcukana, Willie Nettie, performing regularly in Cape Town’s night clubs.
At this gig Bra Roy and Stephen take centrestage to performing a wide range of South African jazz standards, plus African samba with celebrated marimba player Bongani Sotshononda. Also joining in will be Bra Roy’s old friends – Roger Khoza on piano, Zalisile Mkhonto on drums and bass player Godfrey Dyantjie.
Who: Roy Sokuyeka, Stephen Sokuyeka, Bongani Sotshononda, Roger Khoza, Zalisile Mkhonto, Godfrey Dyantjie – South African jazz
Where: Kwa Sec, NY 138, no. 52 in Gugulethu
When: Sunday 26 March, 4pm
Info: SMS Luvuyo 060 960 8935
WS
