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Trending in Caiphus Semenya’s World
Latest Album
The Essentials
Released May 12, 2017
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Quick Facts
Born
1939
1939
From
South Africa
South Africa
Journey
Caiphus Semenya is a celebrated South African composer, musician, and arranger, widely known by his stage name, Caiphus Semenya, and affectionately called "Bra Katse". Born in Alexandra, Johannesburg, in 1939, his musical journey began in the 1950s. After performing with the "Katzenjammer Kids" in his youth, he joined the cast of the musical King Kong in 1959.
Driven by his need to escape the apartheid regime, Semenya and his wife, Letta Mbulu, left South Africa for the US in the 1960s. Settling in Los Angeles, his career flourished as he worked with renowned artists and producers. His collaborators included jazz and pop legends like Quincy Jones, Lou Rawls, and Nina Simone.
Semenya contributed his extensive knowledge of South African musical styles, including Zulu, Xhosa, and Sesotho, to the scores of major Hollywood productions. His collaborations with Quincy Jones on the miniseries Roots and Steven Spielberg's film The Color Purple earned him an Emmy and an Academy Award nomination, respectively.
He also notably arranged the Swahili chant for Michael Jackson's "Liberian Girl" in 1987.
After the end of apartheid, Semenya and Mbulu returned to South Africa in the early 1990s. He continued to compose and produce music, releasing successful albums that fused South African rhythms with American jazz and pop influences. Notable solo works include Listen to the Wind (1982) and Woman Got a Right to Be (1996), the latter of which features the popular wedding standard "Matswale".
Semenya and Mbulu, who have been married for over five decades, are regarded as a power couple in South African music. Beyond their own performances, they mentor new talent through the National Academy of Africa's Performing Arts (NAAPA) in Soweto. Semenya has received numerous accolades throughout his life, including honorary doctorates and a Lifetime Achievement Award, cementing his status as a national icon whose music continues to inspire generations.