Ernest Mothle & Friends live at Fort West MOB

Live at Fort West in West Pretoria. For more collaboration details please refer to http://www.melt2000.com/dvd-music-videos/acoustic-africa-kunene-georgiades-mo...
The great bass master emerged on the musical scene in the 1960's as a member of the African Jazz and Variety band. The reserved bass player has since then, performed with many of South Africa's jazz greats. He remembers playing with renowned choral composer Professor Mzilikazi. According to Mothle, this is "when the professor used to sing jazz". Mothle attributes people like Mzilikazi and Solly Ramakupe, one of the first black movie stars, for his musical development. After his first band, the bassist moved to Hesebeshu group made up of Cyril Magubane, Henry and Stanley Sithole and Nelson Magwaza. He also helped with compositions in some of the musicals of the 1960's. He had a stint with Gibson Kente's first professional musical, Manana - The Jazz Prophet. He was also in Kente's famous Lifa and Sikhalo plays. Mothle played bass in the first ever recording of Mankunku Ngozi's Yakhal'inkomo. This was part of SABC's recorded jazz programme. Leaving South Africa in 1972, Mothle moved to England where he connected up with jazz exiles based there. He started performing and recording with Julian Bahula's Jabula group, Dudu Pukwana, Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath and Johnny Mbizo Dyani. Mothle was touring with Dyani, when the latter met his death in October 1986. As bassists in the band, the two musicians developed a style of bowing that makes the bass sound as vocalists. When playing, Mothle walks his audience through the bass, demonstrating what is possible with the cumbersome-looking instrument. According to him, it is this?technique of making the bass sing that has led to his marginalisation. He feels that he is "little bit ahead" and that there is a refusal in many bands for the bass to come to the fore. Mothle is featured on no less than two dozen albums as a supporting musician. He features in recordings by international artists such as Robert Wyatt, George Lee and Mike Oldfield. In the 1980's, Mothle recorded with an English band with left political leaning known as Working Week. He plays bass in "Venceremos (We will win)", Working Nights and Payday - three CD's released by the group. He also plays on Cry Freedom's soundtrack penned by Jonas Gwangwa. For Mothle, one of the greatest things that he has learnt in his many years of performing is "knowing how to play with other people - tuning and becoming one." Dinga Sikwebu

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Ernest Mothle
• Carlo Mombelli
• Greg Georgiades
• Ashish Joshi

[takisobiejac]

R.I.P.

[freekdevos]

First!

Great stuff!