Bhekumuzi Hyacinth Mseleku, professionally known as Bheki Mseleku, was a renowned South African jazz musician born on March 3, 1955, in Durban. A self-taught multi-instrumentalist, Mseleku was talented in playing piano, saxophone, guitar, and was also an acclaimed composer and arranger.
Mseleku's career began in Johannesburg in 1975 with the R&B band Spirits Rejoice as an electric organ player. He gained early recognition from Dick Khoza, a pivotal Malawian bandleader. Throughout the 1970s, Mseleku honed his craft with bands such as The Drive and Spirits Rejoice and collaborated with Philip Tabane’s group Malombo.
In 1977, a notable performance at the Newport Jazz Festival with Malombo led to encounters with iconic jazz figures McCoy Tyner and Alice Coltrane. From here, Mseleku spent time in Botswana, then moved to London, and even attempted sinking into Stockholm’s jazz scene before returning to London in the 1980s.
Mseleku's big break came at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London in 1987. His performances were distinguished by a unique technique of playing piano while having a tenor saxophone in his lap.
His debut album "Celebration," released in 1991 on World Circuit Records, featured prominent British jazz artists and earned a Mercury Music Prize nomination. This paved the way for a contract with Verve Records and subsequent albums including:
Mseleku's work was an amalgamation of Zulu and European musical influences, suffused with introspective spirituality. His music was characterized by a cyclic compositional style utilizing complex harmonic sequences.
Collaborations with jazz legends such as Joe Henderson, Pharoah Sanders, Abbey Lincoln, and Elvin Jones, highlighted his career. In 1996, he won a KORA All Africa Music Award for "Best Instrumentalist (Southern Africa)."
Though internationally acclaimed, Mseleku faced significant personal struggles, dealing with diabetes and bipolar disorder. A burglary in 1994 resulted in the loss of John Coltrane's mouthpiece given to him by Alice Coltrane, which deeply affected him.
Later in life, despite returning to South Africa, Mseleku struggled to find similar success at home. He returned to London where he spent the last two years of his life, leading a new band before passing away on September 9, 2008.
Posthumous recognition has spurred renewed interest in his music among both musicians and scholars. Mseleku influenced younger South African jazz musicians such as Bokani Dyer and Thandi Ntuli. His legacy as a "Citizen of the World" encompasses themes of home, spirituality, and human connection through his unique jazz expressions.
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