Winston Monwabisi "Mankunku" Ngozi was a South African jazz musician, known for his phenomenal saxophone skills and expressive music that encapsulated the strife of being a musician in apartheid-South Africa. He drew inspiration from local jazz legends, and later became a renowned musician himself, earning a spot as one of the top South African jazz performers.
Ngozi was born in 1943 in the Western Cape, and came from a musical family. At the age of 7, he learned to play the piano and then later played the clarinet and trumpet. In his mid-teens, he learned to play the saxophone, and pursued jazz music. In the late 1960’s, Ngozi recorded the album "Yakhal' Inkomo" with musicians Early Mabuza, Agrippa Magwaza and Lionel Pillay.
Directly translated from Xhosa, the title refers to the bellow of the bull as it is taken to slaughter. The album brilliantly captures the bittersweet times of living as a black musician in South Africa under apartheid: the melody is one of jubilant urgency and produces a strenuous sound that captivates the listener. It’s like stepping into a scene where a lonesome saxophone bellows into the night and carries the weight of unattainable freedom.
The record won him the Castle Lager ‘Jazz Musician of the Year’ award. Ngozi’s ability to seamlessly fuse funky African rhythms and Western jazz made him a trendsetter in the SA jazz scene. He developed a distinct and emotive sound that was popular particularly in townships.
In 1998, Ngozi released “Molo Africa”, which is the perfect greeting to the vibrant Africa - its a lively tune that warms up with elegant voices greeting the continent in an energetic display of saxophone and bass. He worked extensively with numerous local jazz legends including Chris McGregor and Dudu Pukwana.
In 1994, Ngozi’s band performed with jazz singer Sylvia Mdunyelwa at the iconic Manenberg Jazz Cafe to welcome Nelson Mandela back from prison, as well thousands of exiles, newly elected parliamentarians and the rest of the Rainbow Nation. Ngozi performed at various international destinations.
He toured Germany and the United Kingdom with Mike Perry in 1989; Sweden and Norway in 1993; Belgium twice with Jack Van Poll in 1996 which included a memorable set with Toots Thielemans who came on for two songs and ended up playing all night.
He has played with many international musicians, including: Chick Corea, Darius Brubeck, Dave Young, Joe Henderson, Mike Rossi and Manu Dibango. Ngozi passed away in 2010, which was a tremendous loss to the South African jazz scene, as he made such a great impact on SA jazz.