Kippie Moeketsi Turns 100

A Tribute to Kippie Moeketsi – The Father of South African Jazz

In the smoky basements and vibrant shebeens of Sophiatown, a sound was born that would echo through generations. At the heart of that sound was Kippie Moeketsi — a virtuoso, a rebel, a soul on fire with music.

Born in 1925, Kippie wasn’t just a saxophonist. He was a revolutionary with a reed, a self-taught genius who blended American bebop with the heartbeat of Africa. His horn told stories that words could not — stories of pain, resistance, love, and liberation.

As a founding member of the Jazz Epistles alongside Hugh Masekela, Abdullah Ibrahim, Jonas Gwangwa, and others, Kippie shaped the course of South African jazz. Their sound became a defiant cry against apartheid, a celebration of Black identity, and a reminder that even under oppression, creativity cannot be silenced.

But Kippie’s story is also one of struggle — with poverty, with the system, and with himself. His life was a jazz solo: soaring highs, raw honesty, and moments of heartbreaking beauty. Even in his battles, he remained true to the music.

Kippie’s influence is immortal. His legacy lives in every township groove, in every saxophone wail across the Cape Flats, in every artist who dares to tell their truth through jazz. He opened the door and lit the way.

Today, we remember him not only as a musician, but as a symbol of what it means to create fearlessly, to speak truth through sound, and to carry the weight of a nation’s spirit in a single note.

Rest in rhythm, Kippie.

Your horn still sings.