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 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.
MY HISTORY
1989
In 1989 he formed Brotherhood, which also included guitarist
Jimmy Dludlu pianist Nhlanhla Magagula and Lucas Khumalo and later Moses
Molelekwa. In 1990 the band won the Gilbey’s Music for Africa competition.
1992
In 1992 he began touring with Hugh Masekela’s Lerapo,
alongside guitarist Lawrence Matshiza and pianist, the late Moses Molelekwa
among others. He also created his own bands, Cape to Cairo and McCoy and
Friends. In the mid 1990s, he made the first of a series of albums as leader
for the independent Sheer Sound label: Tears of Joy. The personnel of Friends,
including pianist Paul Hanmer, bassist Andre Abrahamse and trombonist Jabu
Magubane among others have formed a consistent team of collaborators for McCoy.
2000’s
Since those days, more albums have followed: Phosa Ngasemva,
Hoelykit, Face the Music which won the 2003 South African Music Award in the
Traditional Jazz category and Icamagu Livumile which won the same award in
2005, as well as the compilation CD – Best of the Early Years. Brasskap
Sessions Volume 1 won the 2008 award.
In addition, McCoy has collaborated with a dazzling array of
South African jazz players, and with overseas artists such as Airto Moreira and
Flora Purim. He has been involved in drama, creating scores for South African
productions about journalist Bloke Modisane and saxophone legend Kippie
Moeketsi, and in 2001 starring in a Norwegian production based on the life of
John Coltrane. He has also created what he calls the Young Friends: a
collaboration with the next generation of South African jazzmen.
McCoy’s other projects Include Kulturation a duo-led album
with pianist Wessel van Rensburg exploring new interpretations of tunes from
the African and Afrikaans communities. This project blends together familiar
tunes from the Xhosa and Zulu cultures with Afrikaans folk music tunes fusing
these into contemporary versions of local South Africa music. Vivid Africa, is
another collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Greg Georgiadis, using instruments
like oudh and bouzouki alongside saxophones to explore the musical spices of
the East African coast. McCoy was also a member of a super band Sheer All Stars
which consisted of some of the best musicians In SA Jazz : the late Sipho
Gumede,Errol Dyers, Paul Hanmer,Frank Pako, Wessel van Rensburg and Louis
Mhlanga. They recorded three albums; Indibano, Live at the Blues Room and Dance
With Me. McCoy and his long time friend Paul Hanmer recently released a CD that
was recorded live In 2009 at Alte Kirche Boswil, Switzerland during the Kulak
Jazz festival. In January 2011 he collaborated with Norwegian musicians In
project called Indibano and they performed at the Nordic Black Theatre In Oslo.
McCoy also conducted the South African Youth Jazz Band this year In June/July
at the Grahamstown festival and they also performed In August at the Joy Of
Jazz In Newtown JHB South Africa. McCoy has just finished a new album working
on which is released digitally on the 6th of June 2014. McCoy also produces,
teaches and spends a lot of time, as he puts it, simply being a family man. “My
ambition is to keep our kind of music alive here at home. Everything I do is
about linking the now to the community I came.
