Bra Claude Gawe of Zwelitsha eQonce (former King William’s Town) a legend who deserves to be placed among seats who selflessly assisted other jazz musicians to be where they are.
And so said friend and colleague Ndumiso Sidzatane.
Nudumiso recognises a number of Claude’s distinguished activities:
Claude’s father is the great Mra Ngcukana who is also the father of the great jazz musicians who are the 5 Ngcukana Brothers of Cape Town. He took his mothers name. Faith Gawe was the famous lead singer for the Harlem Swingsters lead by Eric Nomvete. His parents met on stage.
Claude was a talented jazz musician who composed and played his songs. He was a multi instrumentalist, a pianist but was best known as alto saxophone.
His recordings include an incomplete demo album of his own compositions that he recorded in Johannesburg. He played in gigs with his band, Sons In Action on Sundays at Zwelitsha for the past 2 or 3 years, at a popular braai and swill place Zone 10 and performed at the Steve Biko Centre Aluta Restaurant. Claude was featured on the recent Mvuselelo programme at the Steve Biko centre and the photographic workshop and exhibition with Vuyo Giba 06-07 December 2024.
He featured in the recordings of Isandi Close Harmony Group of Zwelitsha, led by bhuti Loxton Nkwentsha album and bhuti Retsi Pule’s In High Spirits album.
“He has a Diploma in Jazz from the erstwhile University of Natal, now UKZN. He studied with luminaries like Zim Ngqawana and Johnny Mekoa of the famous Jazz Ministers. UKZN centre for jazz was headed by Darius Brubeck, the son of Dave Brubeck of the famed song, Take Five.
Claude has also lived in Cape Town and Johannesburg and played with well-known jazz musicians and his family band Ngcukana Brothers. He visited internationally most notably to Netherlands and Dubai. He was a brilliant music educator. He taught at Sterling High School in East London.
Claude has nurtured from childhood another product of Zwelitsha, Andile Yenana, who is a famous jazz pianist today. He played a role to the development of a jazz guitarist who is based in Johannesburg, from Zwelitsha. What is inspiring is that Andile and Phiwe were also educated in the School of Jazz at the University of Natal.”
Claude joins a rich and proud ancestral line in heaven as Professor Peggy Luswazi has reminded us.
She wrote, “John Mbithi, the Kenyan theologian and philosopher wrote that you cannot say you know an African unless you can place him/her in the chain of ancestors or connect him with others. Indeed Claude Gauwe must be close relative of Mxolisi and Phandula Gawe with whom I went to high school at St Matthew’s College in Keiskamahoek. They were the children of Rev Gawe of the Anglican Church, my own father was an Anglican mfundisi those days. Phandula who became Ambassador in UK was in the same class as PAT Matshikiza and I was in the same class as Mxolisi Gawe at age 15.As Frank Sinatra sang….That’s life!!!! APHUMLE NGOXOLO.”
Retsi Pule has recalled: “
As Henry Scott Holland has written: “Death is nothing at all. It does not count. I have only slipped away into the next room. Nothing has happened. Everything remains exactly as it was. I am I, and you are you, and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged.”
