Jazz Rendezvous,
SELAELO SELOTA - Guitarist - Composer - Vocalist and Record Label Owner
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Although Selaelo 'Guitar wizard' Selota grew up in a disadvantaged community, it hasn't held him back as far as exploiting his musical talent. It required a lot of courage to pursue his passion as he did not have any knowledge of how to play a musical instrument. Today things are different and Selota is famously known for his maestro guitar playing skills.
Selaelo was born and grew up in a rural village in the northern region of South Africa in the Pietersburg area where he was greatly inspired by the traditional musical practices that were around him. On completing high school, and not having financial resources to further his studies, he found employment in gold mining. Working in the mines and living amongst the migrant workers, he was exposed to the traditional songs and dances from many other Southern African tribal groups.
After three years, he left the mines and went to Johannesburg in search of a new direction in life. In Johannesburg he worked at the Market Theatre as an usher and later as a cleaner at Kippies Jazz Club. He seized every opportunity to learn from the musicians he heard performing there. During that year 1988; he bought his first guitar and began studying music theory through FUBA (Federated Union of Black Artists) Academy.
By June 1989 he was playing with his first band at the Market Theatre. He subsequently played with renowned Ghanaian artist George Lee and Anansi. In 1992/93 Selaelo worked with Shell Road to Fame while teaching Jazz Guitar at FUBA Academy and in 1994 enrolled at the University of Cape TownÂ’s College of Music to study for a Jazz Degree. As a bandleader he formed "Meropa" and played at the Grahamstown Arts Festival Fringe in 1995.
Selaelo formed his band "Taola" in 1996 as a vehicle for his original compositions, which are an energetic and emotional fusion of Pedi music, modern elements and the traditional African musical experiences of his youth. Taola has appeared on television and in numerous live performances and festivals. Selaelo and Taola were billed in the UCT Jazz Festival held at the Baxter Concert Hall in Cape Town in August 1997 and were invited to perform at the Fin de Siecle Music Festival in Nantes, France in October 1997 – receiving standing ovations.
Selaelo was awarded second prize in the prestigious Adcock Ingram Music Competition in 1996 and in 1997 he won first prize, both in the Jazz category.
He has regularly featured as a soloist and composer with the UCT Big Band. In 1996 Selaelo was appointed as one of the guitar teaching staff at the university which followed through to 1998 when he was teaching Jazz Guitar and Jazz Improvisation.
Selaelo graduated from UCT in 1997 with a Jazz degree, majoring in Jazz Composition and Arrangement. Fresh from varsity, Selaelo released his first project titled, 'Painted Faces'. Talking about his style of music, he said it cannot be classified as jazz because he believes that his style is something that people cannot define. "My music is not jazz, when I named my first album, painted faces, I was referring to all the traditional mixtures, people starting to learn different cultures and languages, people having the freedom to move to different places and the style of music I was bringing into the music industry as a result of all the cross-pollination which was happening after the 1994 democratic elections."
Selaelo worked with well-known musicologist and researcher, David Fanshawe during his "African Sanctus" tour with the London Bach Choir in 1997. In 1998 he featured on the debut CD of fellow musicians Frank Mallows and Brydon Bolton - "Adamastor – The Spirit of Table Mountain".
Selaelo performed in January '99 with his quartet at the Blue Note's "Cape Town Salutes the Guitars" event to great acclaim. It was at this concert that the managing director of the North Sea Jazz Festival, Theo van den Hoek, spotted Selaelo and booked him for the festival.
In February '99 Selaelo appeared on e-tv's Sunday at the Jazz Cafe programme when his familiar "Seshego" and "Painted Faces" were performed.
In March Â’99 he won the Instrumental Category of the Old Mutual Jazz into the Future Talent Search Competition (Western Cape regional finals).
Selaelo believes that there are two types of musicians. One of these is a musician by calling. According to him these are the people who become musicians, even if there were other things they could have become. He reasoned that these are honest musicians who can never be shaken by anything to quit. Then there are those who choose to study music because they want to be associated with the life style attached to the music industry. He said these are the people who, if they managed to get into the music industry, might quit if they saw other opportunities outside of the music world.
For Selaelo, his love of music started way back in Limpopo when he was a young boy. After matriculating and not knowing that music could be a career, all he wanted was to at least sing in any choir around his area. As time progressed, he found himself being introduced to a number of musical instruments which his body naturally responded to. Around this time, Selaelo realised that he had a great passion for music and there was nothing he wanted to do more than compose music.
The guitar wizard reckons that his music is a genre that people do not know and for that reason, he is planning to call a press conference together where he will be announcing a new genre that his music falls under.
If you really want to know your way around musical instruments, Selaelo is adamant that the only way to do so is by studying jazz. "Jazz is a musical style that enables one to master any musical instrument."
But if one is keen to study jazz, according to Selaelo, you need to be prepared to know the history of jazz, study the individuals who brought jazz into the existence, get their records and imitate their music. "You need to try and play their (legends) music because that's the only way you will know how to play jazz."
Is musical theory/education a must to have to be a jazz artist? He said of all the people who inspired him in jazz, most never studied music. "I do not think that for one to master jazz you need to have an educational background. All it requires is a good ear, because music is not all about theory but is an oral out-form."
If you want to be part of Selota Music, which is a composing, producing and recording label, you do not have to bother sending him a demo. "Many people make the mistake of sending me demos; I am not interested in the recorded and doctored music. All I would like to see is someone performing live on stage. That's the only way that I can be able to tell if the person is hungry enough to be signed."
His new album 'The Azanian Songbook' has recently been released on his own label, something of which he is immensely proud, even more so of his 14 year old daughter Tebelelo who sings the lead vocals on the opening track, 'Ordinary Day', the genes are good in this family, this young lady has a big future ahead of her.
Besides Selota Music, the maestro guitar player has also established a private company, 'Live at the Shack' which he said will be focusing on capturing live performances in an audio and visual format.
Other achievements;
Best Contemporary Jazz Album - South African Music Awards - South Africa (2001)
Best Newcomer - South African Music Awards - South Africa (2001) 01/08/07
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