Mackay davashe biography
Makwenkwe "Mackay" Davashe (–) was a South African musician.!
A skilful arranger and prolific composer of his generation, Davashe was an important voice in the evolution of township swing and jazz.
Mackay Davashe
South African musician (1920–1972)
Makwenkwe "Mackay" Davashe (1920–1972) was a South African musician. He achieved success as a saxophonist and composer with the Manhattan Brothers and later the Jazz Epistles.[1][2]
Biography
Davashe was born in 1920 in the South African city of East London.[3] He played the pennywhistle in his youth before switching to the saxophone.
He toured with several older musicians, including the Jazz Maniacs, a top South African orchestra, in the mid-1940s. In 1952 several bands in the Johannesburg region sought to cover "Majuba", a song he wrote.
Explore Mackay Davashe's discography including top tracks, albums, and reviews.That year, Drum magazine wrote that Davashe's "renditions of African themes are the best we have had so far".[1][4] In 1950 he was leading a group called the Shantytown Sextet, in which Kippie Moeketsi played.
Davashe's style at the time was described as similar to that of tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins. By the mid-1950s Davashe h