'Home at last'
Internationally renowned pianist Bheki Mseleku has gone Home at Last—the title of his last solo album. He died on September 8 at the age of 53 at his home in the United Kingdom after a long battle with diabetes.
Born in Lamontville in KwaZulu-Natal, Mseleku moved to Johannesburg in 1975, where he joined R&B group Spirits Rejoice as an electronic organ player.
Mseleku was the complete musician—equally adept at the piano, the guitar and the saxophone, he was also a composer and singer.
Jazz was a genre that allowed Mseleku to be his own man and to build international cultural links. His musical partnerships included Afro-American jazz musicians such as Joe Henderson, Pharaoh Sanders and Elvin Jones.
Mseleku’s debut album, Celebration, was released in 1991 and incorporated the euphoria that accompanied the release of Nelson Mandela. The album was nominated for the British Mercury Music Prize for Album Of The Year.
He produced five more albums, culminating in his 2003 offering, Home at Last, which was described by Arts and Culture Minister Pallo Jordan as Mseleku’s reconnection with his South African roots.
Mseleku is survived by his wife, Nomvula Ndlazilwane, seven children and a multitude of fans. He will be buried in South Africa.
Bheki Mseleku, born March 1955, died September 8 2008
