Winston Mankunku, aka Bra Winston, a legend in his own time born in Retreat, was the foremost exemplar of the tenor saxophone in South Africa, and one of the most respected composers of jazz music around the world. Bra Winston, from the age of seven started experimenting with the piano, clarinet and trumpet until he reached his mid teens, when he then decided that the saxophone was the sound he wanted. Starting with the alto and then later the tenor sax, he received initiation as a professional musician with fellow band members, John Coltrane, local saxophonist “Cups & Saucers”, pianist Merton Barrow, as well as bassist Midge Pike, becoming his major influences. Over the years, “Mankunku” has worked with virtually all major South African jazz artists, from Chris McGregor and Dudu Pukwana, to Barney Rachabane and Victor Ntoni. He has also been involved in several projects with the legendary Port Elizabeth group The Soul Jazz Men.

Bra Winston Mankunku

In 1968, he walked away with the Castle Lager Jazz Musician of the Year Award in South Africa, with the release of his debut album, Yakhal’ Inkomo (literally translated from Xhosa, meaning “the bellowing bull”). Despite the fact that the album was released three times and still selling today, he barely received any financial reward. Having grown cynical with the local music industry, he continued to take the music to the people through his live performances, described by his brother as a “feisty somebody and a perfectionist when it came to music and how it should be played”.

Over the years he has played with most top South African top musicians, including Barney Rachabane, Chris McGregor, Victor Ntoni, Sammy Hartman, Chris Schilder, Monty Webber, Abdullah Ibrahim, Pat Matshikiza, Sandile Shange, Darius Brubeck, Roger Khoza, Robbie Jansen, the Soul Jazzmen, and Bheki Mseleku. He has also performed with many international greats, such as Chick Corea, Mcoy Tyner, Prof Joe Henderson, Prof Mike Rossi, Jack Van Poll, Dave Young, Manu Dibango, and Toots Thielemans to name a few.

In 1969, Mankunku was the featured saxophonist in the Chris Schilder Quintet, and in 1975 he formed the band The Cliffs, which resulted in the only two recordings he was involved in for the next ten years, except for an appearance on the Sammy Hartman “District Six” LP in 1976.

Since the early 1980’s he worked with pianist Mike Perry, and in 1986 they released the acclaimed album, “Jika” on their joint record label Nkomo. The album featured a number of exiled South African musicians and has since been released in Australia, US and in Germany, under the title “Crossroads”. In 1989 Bra Winston and Perry toured Europe briefly with performances in Germany and the UK, alongside exiles Dudu Pukwana, Gilbert Matthews and Ernest Mothle, conveying protest messages to the apartheid government, through songs like “Wajikeleza” and “Asiyapho”. In 1996, Mankunku and Perry recorded their follow-up album, “Dudula” and in 1997 Mankunku recorded “Molo Africa”.
During the last few years, Mankunku became major attractions at events such as the “Grahamstown National Arts Festival”, “Sax Appeal…the journey continues”, Johannesburg Arts Alive Festival, the Johannesburg Guiness Jazz Festival as well as the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, a few times.

Close friend and Cape Town International Jazz Festival organiser Rashid Lombard remembered a “shy, humble man, who through his music left a serious legacy behind”, and also stated that “His compositions are already standards, they’re anthems for South African jazz music”. Artistic authenticity and the relationship with his home audience was his top priority, and over the years became the hallmark of spiritual integrity in South African music and a key connection between the Afro and American jazz forms.

In 2006 he released his latest album, “Abantwana Be Africa” and was a featured artist in two concerts, billed as “Symphony Meets Jazz”, in Durban and Johannesburg in October 2007.

Winston Monwabisi Mankunku Ngozi passed away on Monday …… The acclaimed tenor and soprano saxophonist was 66 years old.

A Benefit concert was held at Swingers Jazz Pub in Cape Town on Sunday 4 October 2009 and featured artists such as Robbie Jansen, Errol Dyers, Alvin Dyers, Jeff Weiner, Duke Ngcukana, Ezra Ngcukana, Buddy Wells, Sylvia Mdunyelwa, Soi Soi Gqeza, Hilton Schilder, Mac McKenzie, Spencer Mbadu, George Werner, the Little Giants and others.

Check out the exclusive tribute Concert held at Swingers Jazz Club

mankunku DVD_web