|
A number of prominent African artists and musicians passed away this year. Today we’re offering a selection of the obituaries we published.
South African actor, Winston Ntshona, died at the age of 76. Paying tribute to him, Sarah Roberts writes that in an age that venerates celebrities, Ntshona remains a role model of modesty. In her obituary to another prominent South African, Neelika Jayawardane describes photographer David Goldblatt’s mastery while Paul Weinberg explains why he was primarily a documentarian.
Another huge loss was the passing of trumpeter Hugh Masekela. As Ron Levi and Louise Bethlehem write in their tribute, Masekela knew some formative political moments during his own long exile. Another, but less known exile, was composer Stanley Glasser. Stephanus Muller explains why his musical legacy still awaits critical engagement.
Another musical great to die in his 80s was genre defying guitarist Philip Tabane. Gwen Ansell pays tribute to a musician who simply couldn’t be confined in jazz. For his part, Keith Gottschalk praises Keorapetse Kgositsile, South Africa’s late poet laureate.
And finally, Henning Melber provides an overview of obituaries, warning that it’s important to write about the legacies of famous people in a way that avoids superficial praise singing.
|
