South African jazz singer and guitarist Ray Phiri, who played on Paul Simon ’ s groundbreaking Graceland album, has died after a long battle with lung cancer, his family said Wednesday .
Phiri , 70 , was the lead vocalist of the successful band Stimela , and gained an international audience through his work on 1986 ’ s Graceland .
“ I spoke to him on Monday and he was struggling but unfortunately , there was nothing we could have done, ” a family spokesman told local media .
“ The doctors say they tried all that they could to help him out .”
Tributes poured in for the raspy- voiced singer , including from South African President Jacob Zuma .
“ He was a musical giant. This is indeed a huge loss for South Africa and the music industry as a whole, ” Zuma said in a statement.
Phiri was known for using his music to promote social causes , especially during the apartheid era .
Some of Stimela ’ s hits include “ Whispers in the Deep ” and “ Phinda Mzala” , a fusion of jazz with an African twist .
Stimela and Phiri remained popular among South Africans. with their concerts attracting large crowds .
“ Stimela was the heartbeat of South Africa. Since Stimela, no other band has influenced South African politics as they did , ” the singer Simphiwe Dana posted on Twitter .
The provincial government of Mpumalanga , where Phiri lived , said that Phiri would be given an official funeral.
No comments:
Post a Comment