Jiving Jazz Musician
Barney Rachabane is a jazz musician that has been at the forefront of the South African Jazz scene since the 1960’s. He is a well-known saxophonist that has played with various jazz performers both local and internationally, including Abdullah Ibrahim and Bruce Cassidy.
Rachabane was born in Alexandra township, Johannesburg in 1946. His musical achievements span over sixty years, starting with Kwela music before moving on to Jazz. In the 1960’s, Rachabane performed in various bands with drummer Early Mabuza.
During the 1970’s, he formed his own group The Roots, as well as collaborating with other artists. In the 1980’s, Rachabane was involved in projects with jazz legend Hugh Masekela, making recordings in Botswana and working together to produce Masekela’s Techno-bush albums. He then partnered with Caiphus Semenya on his musical called Buwa.
Rachabane was also part of the 20 year long Graceland Tour with international singer Paul Simon, which ended in 2012. Rachabane is a master at creating distinct sounds with his alto sax. He plays crisp sounds and playful arrangements, which fuse well with piano and drums, to create elegant Jazz. He has several albums accredited to him, including ‘Blow Barney Blow’ (1985), ‘Barney's Way’ (1989) and ‘Afro Cool Concept in New Orleans’ (1990).