Nikele (Nik) Moyake (c. 1933 – c. 1966) was born on a farm in Addo in the

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...

of South Africa. He was a musician who played

mbaqanga Mbaqanga () is a style of South African music with rural Zulu music, Zulu roots that continues to influence musicians worldwide today. The style originated in the early 1960s. History Historically, laws such as the Natives' Land Act, Land Act ...

and jazz.

Music career

In the early 1950s Moyake moved to

Port Elizabeth Gqeberha (), formerly Port Elizabeth and colloquially often referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Sou ...

where he was a key figure in the jazz scene. He met

Dudu Pukwana Mthutuzeli Dudu Pukwana (18 July 1938 – 30 June 1990) was a South African saxophonist, composer and pianist (although not known for his piano playing). Early years in South Africa Dudu Pukwana was born in Walmer Township, Port Elizabeth, S ...

in Walmer Estate, Port Elizabeth, and he taught both Pukwana and Duke Makatsi how to pay saxophone. Pukwana and Moyake became band mates in

The Blue Notes The Blue Notes were a South African jazz sextet, whose definitive line-up featured Chris McGregor on piano, Mongezi Feza on trumpet, Dudu Pukwana on alto saxophone, Nikele Moyake on tenor saxophone, Johnny Dyani on bass, and Louis Moholo-Moho ...

with

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Johnny Dyani Johnny Mbizo Dyani (30 November 1945 – 24 October 1986) was a South African jazz double bassist, vocalist and pianist, who, in addition to being a key member of The Blue Notes, played with such international musicians as Don Cherry (jazz), Do ...

, and

Louis Moholo Louis Tebogo Moholo (born 10 March 1940), is a South African jazz drummer. He has been a member of several notable bands, including The Blue Notes, the Brotherhood of Breath and Assagai. Biography Born in Cape Town, Moholo formed The Blue ...

. Before The Blue Notes, Moyake was a session musician who was a vocalist in Tete Mbambisa's band the Four Yanks. Chris McGregor and Nikele Moyake met at the Castle Lager Jazz Festival hosted at Moroka Jabavu Stadium in 1962. Moyake was playing with Mbambisa's band and McGregor was playing at the festival with a septet. Although they both played in different formations, Moyake, McGregor and other members of The Blue Notes met at the festival. After The Blue Notes went on a successful national tour, the band left South Africa in 1963 heading to Antibes to start a their lives in exile. The Blue Notes left South Africa because they were in contravention of several

apartheid laws The system of racial segregation and oppression in South Africa known as ''apartheid'' was implemented and enforced by many acts and other laws. This legislation served to institutionalize racial discrimination and the dominance by white people o ...

; particularly that no more than three black musicians were allowed to play together (on the pretext of preventing anti-apartheid conspiracies) and that multiracial bands could not play together (Chris McGregor was white). The band left Antibes and moved to Zurich at the urging of

Dollar Brand Abdullah Ibrahim (born Adolph Johannes Brand on 9 October 1934 and formerly known as Dollar Brand) is a South African pianist and composer. His music reflects many of the musical influences of his childhood in the multicultural port areas of Cap ...

the artist currently known as

Abdullah Ibrahim Abdullah Ibrahim (born Adolph Johannes Brand on 9 October 1934 and formerly known as Dollar Brand) is a South African pianist and composer. His music reflects many of the musical influences of his childhood in the multicultural port areas of Cap ...

. When the band played the Antibes Jazz Festival in 1964, Moyake was 31 Born in the early 1930s, Moyake was the oldest member of the band and its most accomplished soloist in its early days. When the group emigrated to Europe en masse in 1964, he became isolated from the rest of the band through a combination of illness and homesickness. Also, as the oldest member, he struggled to adapt to the changes in music brought about by the maturing of his younger bandmates. When the band moved to London, he returned to South Africa in 1965 due to ill health. He played for a few more years before dying from a brain tumour. Ronnie Beer took his place in The Blue Notes.

Tributes

In 1968, the Soul Giants recorded a tribute album dedicated to Nick Moyake called ''I Remember Nick''. Barney Rachabane and Dennis Mpale decided to create the album in his honour. In 2012, The Blue Notes Tribute Okestra, a tribute band formed to pay homage to the original members, recorded live at The Bird's Eye Jazz Club, Basel, Switzerland in June 2012.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moyake, Nikele 1933 births 1966 deaths The Blue Notes members Jazz saxophonists South African jazz musicians 20th-century saxophonists