Kippie Moeketsi: Difference between revisions

Born into a musical [[Johannesburg]] family, Jeremiah Morolong Moeketsi was the youngest of 11 brothers, and one sister who was a nurse (Mirriam Ntsadi Kathar, ''née'' Moeketsi), all but four of whom played an instrument. Growing up in [[Eastern Native Township|George Goch]] township was unpleasant for him and he was often truant.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.joburg.org.za/sep_2002/kippie.stm |title=Kippies, the club that wasn't always there |date=September 16, 2002 |first=Lucille |last=Davie |deadurlurl-status=yesdead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20051220025800/http://www.joburg.org.za/sep_2002/kippie.stm |archivedate=December 20, 2005 |df= }}</ref> According to the Johannesburg official website, "His mother used to go looking for him, shouting: 'kippie-kippie-kippie', as if he were a chicken" — hence his nickname.<ref name=Kippies />

At 20 he started playing clarinet, but would soon move on to the saxophone. Influenced by his pianist brother [[Jacob Moeketsi]], Kippie's career began playing in [[shebeen]]s with his group, known as the Band in Blue. Over the years he played with several bands, including [[Shantytown Sextet]], the [[Harlem Swingsters]] and famously the ''[[The Jazz Epistles|Jazz Epistles]]'' that brought fame to him, [[Abdullah Ibrahim]] (or Dollar Brand as he was known then), [[Jonas Gwangwa]], and [[Hugh Masekela]]. Moeketsi claimed that he taught Ibrahim everything he knew about music.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://disa.nu.ac.za/articledisplaypage.asp?articletitle=A+tribute+to+Kiepie+Moeketsi+-+%22Bra+Joe+from+Kilimanjaro%22&filename=SeMar85|title=A tribute to Kiepie Moeketsi - 'Bra Joe from Kilimanjaro'|deadurlurl-status=yesdead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604202221/http://disa.nu.ac.za/articledisplaypage.asp?articletitle=A+tribute+to+Kiepie+Moeketsi+-+%22Bra+Joe+from+Kilimanjaro%22&filename=SeMar85|archivedate=2011-06-04|df=}}</ref> Ibrahim has credited Moeketsi with introducing him to the music of his greatest influence., [[Thelonious Monk]].<ref>[[Robin Kelley|Robin D. G. Kelley]], ''Africa Speaks, America Answers: Modern Jazz in Revolutionary Times'', Harvard University Press, 2012, pp. 201–211, note 65, referencing Abdullah Ibrahim, "Monk in Harlem: A Short Brief on Some Aspects of the Music of Thelonious Monk".</ref>

Often introduced as "Bra Joe from [[Kilimanjaro]]" (Abdullah Ibrahim wrote a composition of that title to feature him),<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZoHLnyN4KI "Dollar Brand + 3 - Bra Joe From Kilimanjaro"]. YouTube.</ref> Moeketsi joined the cast of [[Todd Matshikiza]]'s musical ''[[King Kong (SA musical)| King Kong]]'', which would take him to [[London]] in 1961. After the [[Sharpeville massacre]] of 1960, most of his contemporaries went into exile, but he returned to South Africa. In the oppressive circumstances he would not perform for four years.<ref>{{cite web|title=Township Jazz |author=Mike Gavin|year=2001|url=http://www.ronniescotts.co.uk/ronnie_scotts/ronniescotts/129/129_08.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050405061340/http://www.ronniescotts.co.uk/ronnie_scotts/ronniescotts/129/129_08.htm|archivedate=5 April 2005}}</ref>

After many years of alcohol abuse, Moeketsi died penniless and disgruntled in 1983, aged 58.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://joburg.org.za/play_/Pages/Play%20in%20Joburg/Culture%20and%20Heritage/Links/Kippies,-the-club-that-wasn't-there.aspx |title=Kippie,the club that wasn't there |website=City of Johannesburg |access-date=January 30, 2024}}</ref>

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[[Category:PeopleMusicians from Johannesburg]]