ArtistInfo

Jonas Gwangwa

tb, voc, *1941 ZA, Soweto
Musician / Composer of World, Folk and Jazz

Jonas Mosa Gwangwa (born 1941 in Orlando East, Soweto) has been an important figure in South African jazz for over 40 years. He first gained significance playing trombone with The Jazz Epistles. After the group broke up he continued to be important to the South African music scene and then later abroad.From 1980 to 1990 he was the leader of Amandla, the cultural ensemble of the African National Congress.He is the subject of a thesis entitled Music as a Cultural Weapon in the Life of Jonas Gwangwa (University of the Witwatersrand, 2004), written by Colette Szymczak.

Instruments

• Trombone
• Vocals

Genres

• World
• Folk
• Jazz
• R&B/Soul
• Soundtrack

Plays With