McCoy Mrubata

McCOY MRUBATA LIVE in the TROPHY ROOM at The Athletic Club & Social

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY

Saxophonist, flute player, band leader and composer

Born in 1959 in Cape Town’s historic Langa township, South Africa. Reedman McCoy

Mrubata grew up with the sounds of African music: the soulful hymns of the Zion Church,

the chants and rhythms of traditional healers and the brassy jive of the Merry Macs band who

rehearsed opposite his home. When schooling became impossible in the fiery aftermath of the

1976 uprising, the young McCoy then playing flute studied informally under Langa and

Gugulethu township greats like Madoda Gxabeka, Winston Ngozi , the Ngcukanas, Ezra and

Duke, Blackie Tempi and Robert Sithole.

By the early 1980s he was playing in cover bands like Fever, Touch , Airborne and Vukani,

from there he moved to crossover outfit Louis and the Jive. In 1987 McCoy was spotted by

bandleader Sipho Hotstix Mabuse who helped him make Joburg his home. In 1988 he joined

PJ Powers band and also that year McCoy was sported by veteran producer Koloi Lebona

who offered him a recording deal with a British based record company Zomba Records the

same record company had produced music for, amongst others: Jonathan Butler and Billy

Ocean. McCoy’s debut album, Firebird was released the following year.