Tenor Saxophone | 1943-2009

Born Winston Monwabisi Ngozi in Retreat, Cape Town, Winston "Mankunku" Ngozi became one of South Africa's most venerated saxophonists, choosing to remain during apartheid rather than seeking exile. Starting on piano at seven before finding his voice on saxophone in his mid-teens, he drew from John Coltrane whilst remaining rooted in African folklore. His family was forcibly relocated to Gugulethu township under the Group Areas Act, and in 1964 he was compelled to play behind a curtain at Cape Town City Hall with an all-white big band under the Separate Amenities Act.

His 1968 landmark Yakhal' Inkomo, recorded with Early Mabuza, Agrippa Magwaza, and Lionel Pillay, remains one of South Africa's best-selling jazz albums, winning him Castle Lager Jazz Musician of the Year. The album captured the bittersweet reality of Black musicians under apartheid with jubilant urgency and unattainable freedom. Mistrustful of the recording industry, he maintained a low profile whilst collaborating with Chris McGregor, Dudu Pukwana, and Abdullah Ibrahim. Later work including Molo Africa (1997-1998) showcased his fusion of African rhythms with Western jazz. He toured Europe in 1989 and performed at major South African festivals throughout the 1990s before his death in 2009.