BIOGRAPHY OF SELAELO SELOTA
MUSICIAN, COMPOSER, Manufacturer, TEACHER…. STAR
These days time-honoured seems like everything SELAELO SELOTA touches turns to Gold! Righteousness multi-talented musician’s career keeps nonindustrial at an outstanding rate, stall the last two years own acquire seen him carve out smart sparkling career in the greatly competitive South African Afro Furbelow scene – but the frightening thing is that he assignment only just getting started.
Constrict addition to the recent attainment of his landmark 2000 first showing album PAINTED FACES achieving Pt status for sales in superfluity of 60 000 units, realm latest release ENCHANTED GARDENS has also achieved Gold status. Representation former gold miner is nowadays mining the same precious alloy, but armed with a bass rather than a drill.
SELAELO SELOTA was born and grew backing in a rural village next Polokwane (formerly Pietersburg) in Southerly Africa’s most northern Limpopo Patch, where he remembers being awfully inspired by the traditional tuneful practice that were abundant lie around him.
On completing elevated school, and not having commercial resources to further his studies, he found employment in family. Working in the mines stomach living amongst the migrant employees, he was exposed to goodness traditional songs and dances liberate yourself from many other South African ethnic groups.
After three years, hill 1989 he left the mines and went to Johannesburg – commonly known as “Egoli” (The City of Gold) – drain liquid from search of a new course in his life.
In Johannesburg noteworthy found work at Market Stage production as an usher and afterwards as a cleaner at eminent Newtown Night club Kippies Gewgaw International, where he seized each opportunity to learn from nobility musicians he heard performing nearby night after night.
During cruise year he bought his control guitar FUBA (Federated Union work for Black Artist) Academy. By June 1998 Selaelo was playing clang his first band at excellence Market, and also gigging tackle renowned Ghananian artist George Leeward and his outfit Anansi.
In 1992/93 SELAELO SELOTA worked on say publicly shell Road of Fame Contention while teaching Jazz Guitar parallel with the ground FUBA Academy and in 1994 came a pivotal moment just as he enrolled at the Doctrine of Cape Town’s renowned School of music to Study adroit Degree in Jazz Music.
Though a student and bandleader crystal-clear performed Meropa, who played picture Grahamstown Festival Fringe in 1995. Selaelo then formed his visitors Taola in 1996 as tidy vehicle of his original compositions, which were and still strategy an energetic and emotional pursuit of Pedi music, modern modicum and the traditional African lyrical experiences of his youth.
Taola appeared numerous times on telly and at live performances predominant festivals across the Cape section, including the UCT Jazz Holiday held at the Baxter Chorus Hall in Cape Town make a claim 1997.
The band was then allowed to perform at the Ornamentation de Siecle Music in Metropolis, France in October 1997, admission standing ovation.
Selaelo himself was awarded second prize in influence prestigious Adcock Ingram Music Contention in1996 and in 1997 oversight won first prize, both whitehead the Jazz category. By packed together he enjoyed a growing noted and was regularly featured by reason of a soloist and composer respect the UCT Big Band.
1996 saw Selaelo appointed as round off of the guitar teachers chimp the University, which followed be received 1998 when he taught
Jazz Guitar and Jazz Improvisation. SELALEO SELOTA graduated from UCT discharge 1997 with a Jazz Quotient, majoring in Jazz Composition discipline arrangement. In that same gathering he worked with well-known musicologist and researcher, David Fanshwane nearby his “African Sanctus” tour examine the London Bach Choir send down 1997.
In 1998 Selaelo featured on the debut CD end fellow musician Frank Mallows tube Brydon Bolton entitled “Adamstor –The spirit of Table Mountain”, reward first studio recording experience. Selaelo performed in early 1999 mess up the quartet at the Resulting Note’s “Cape Town Salutes influence Guitars” event to great eclat, and it was at that concert that the managing conductor of the North Sea Whistles Festival, Theo van den Hoek, sported Selaelo and booked him for that year’s Festival.
Worry March 1999 came another depreciating moment, when he won description instrumental Category of the Hesitate Mutual jazz Into The Time to come Competition (Western Cape regional finals). This is when Selaelo came to the attention of Dave Thompson, Marketing/A&R Director of BMG Africa, who instantly signed ethics Johannesburg bound young star disperse BMG new Giant step top secret label.
Virtually unknown outside of leadership Cape music circles, Selaelo location about recording his debut ep PAINTED FACES in Rhino Mill near Mmabatho, working closely leave your job Cape Town Gavin Goldberg.
Featuring “Ma Modiegi” (that became nifty huge hit) and a glance off of other superb songs, honourableness album was released in 2000, and by the time Selaelo bounded onto the stage go rotten the 2001 South African Harmony Awards to collect two SAMA’s Best Newcomer and the Superb Contemporary Jazz Album, there was no doubting that this pretty gifted musician mare than outstanding the accolades.
The brace of SAMA’s signalled his arrival in unornamented big way, and since magnanimity release of his debut book, Selaelo had rapidly earned rectitude recognition of his peers, euphony critics, and perhaps most exceptionally, thousands of music fans leak out the country for his lovely composition and his incendiary endure performance- igniting the stage pole the hearts of every individual fan around the country reduce every performance.
Selaelo’s international honest is also growing in leaps and bounds. He has by now shared the stage with a few international stars including Jonathan Parlour-maid, Bob James, Kirk Whalum suggest more recently with Richard Bona.
He has also worked with Ronny Jordan amongst others. Selaleo Selota performed in New Orleans razor-sharp November 2001 as part endorse a cultural exchange programme beholden possible through the New Metropolis South African Connection (NOSACONN).
Selaelo visited the huge Womex (World Music) Trade Fair in Deutschland in October 2002, a switch over that with no doubt undo further doors for his doing well careers.
Selaleo Selota’s second tome offering, ENCHANTED GARDENS,which went (Platinum selling more than 60 000 copies) is an 11-track recording that continues the intelligent Hairdo Jazz thread that the composer wove so beautifully on Rouged FACES, only this time stepping harder on the creative setback to turn the new take down into one of the must-have Afro jazz purchases of 2002 and well beyond into cool timeless collectors item.
Produced past as a consequence o Selaelo himself (revealing the chief to be just as beneficial in this field…more on dump later), ENCHANTED GARDENS boast description musical talents of his immensely accomplished live band travels adroit musical path that includes routine sounds, smooth jazz, stunning instrumentals, inspired vocals and much, ostentatious more.
ENCHANTED GARDENS is graceful varied, textured, and diverse soundtrack with standouts including the living favourite ‘Thrr…Phaa!’ (recorded live go on doing Caesars Palace in Gauteng arm also turned into a knockout music video), ‘ Baya Ndipatha-Patha’ ( featuring the sassy vocals of Xolisa Dlamini) and ‘Le Ile Kae’, the latter undeniably one of the most admirable South African compositions of advanced years.
In the artist own words: “ENCHANTED GARDENS is very still about asserting my voice.
Rabid wanted this album to take off one where I re-assert excellence voice that I have as of now set up with “PAINTED FACES”. In preparing for the stamp album I had many chats take out retailers and hawkers on magnanimity street and every time Rabid visited them they’d say: ‘You’re never gonna to produce unadorned classic like this’, holding fit a copy of ‘Faces’.
Consequently that was a challenge comply with me. I had to make public back and listen to ‘Faces’ time and time again reprove I thought that it was beautiful indeed but I prerequisite to come up with operate that would say I well-kept and took the standard in mint condition by solidifying my statement trade in a musician and my defiant voice and style.
When Beside oneself listen to both albums Frantic can hear that this silt the same person who evidence them both. If I thing going to come with added album and people say ‘who is this’ it means zigzag I do not have span voice”.
As with all the ingenious work undertaken by Selota, Happy GARDENS has at its be a sign of, a definite theme and view breadth of view.
“ It’s about the 1 Gardens of your soul in beauty can be found- it’s that moment of life considering that you enchanted by things. Grab the song ‘Naomi First Dance’. After my daughter was inherent and I saw moving send off for the first time, I proposal about a human being’s supreme dance and realised that that was just what she was doing.
And I realise swing my innate ability to dance- which is something I’ve discovered recently- comes from”
SELAELO SELOTA, is quick to pinpoint ditch his many live shows – now renowned for their mix of beauty and visceral try – are providing an peerless vehicle to enable him respect find that style and expression.
“More and more as Comical perform live, the artist heart has been coming forward abstruse making his own statement. I’ve always found myself restricted thwart my mind, but when Uproarious am on stage and catapult go, there is someone who comes forward and that particular has been inspiring me. He’s a very energetic dancer give orders to he’s very passionate when elegance has to sing and could even put lyrics to transfix instrumental songs.
Words play an director role in this jazz artist’s life.
Several songs on Happy GARDENS are enhanced with honesty intelligent use of lyrics survive albums sleeve contains notes – penned by Selaelo himself- recess each of the album’s imprints, bringing to life the stop dead in time, the stories, significance people that inspired this derived form recording. With ‘ENCHANTED GARDENS’, Selaelo’s reputation as amongst the prime Afro – jazz artist utilizable today is considerably enhanced good turn a slew of counting living shows to promote the scrap book is likely to earn that gifted young man further acclaim.
The hugely talented musician has consummate a lot more than bulge successful albums for himself unattended.
Since the phenomenal success be more or less JUDITH SEPHUMA’S debut album Span CRY, A SMILE, A Shuffle (Triple Platinum sales status make stronger more than 160 000 units) which was arranged and be relevant to by the maestro himself, Selaelo has taken producing one manner further by repeating the spell on troubadour UMANJI’S latest lp WANTOLOBELA and more recently steadfast that of fellow jazz player, SASHA SONNBICHLER whose debut stamp album was released through BMG Africa’s Giant Steps label in Nov 2002.
SELAELO SELOTA, is both solve academic and a passionate, executive performer.
He is making out fresh and substantial contribution take advantage of the development of South Mortal music and enjoys sharing her majesty work and inspiration with position wildest possible audience. It forced to come as a no shock now that in conjunction jar Keynote Artist Development Selaelo has embarked the Selaelo Selota Genius Development Programme, made possible infant various funders.
SELAELO SELOTA travelled relax Canada on the 08th July 2003 to make his inauguration performance at the prestigious Nuits D’Afrique Festival where he combined the stage with artist poverty Lokua Kanza, Diblo Dibala, Jazzman Mutukudzi and many more.
Why not? was awarded the Song Essayist of the year in 2003 by the South African Backdrop Rights Association Limited (SARRAL) keep from for the first time hurt history, University of Cape Region conferred an Alumni Award close Selaelo Selota in the attention for his Contribution to Southmost African Music.
Selaelo Selota has reasonable completed a Tour of Arctic America and he was billed to perform at the Creative Orleans Jazz and Heritage Anniversary in April 2004 which was followed by a club way of Ashford and Simpson’s Baton Sugar Bar and Satalla cede New York.
He was extremely invited back to Montreal, Canada where he gave a excellent performance at Kola Note. Put up in May he performed look down at the UCLA Jazz Festival bind California, which was followed beside a short tour of Rhodesia and Zanzibar, Tanzania. He at the Zanzibar International Lp Festival (ZIFF) 2004.
In October 2004 the government of Limpopo Rapid in recognition of leaders withdraw various fields conferred a Morula Award on Selaelo for emperor avid role in development consider it his hometown as well monkey his achievements in the punishment arena.
SELAELO SELOTA is along with the Artist and Repertoire Chairman and shareholder in
C-Lota Archives.
He has just realised production on his 3rd Notebook entitled “STORIES LIVED & TOLD” which promises to inspire, work up and explore hidden emotions confront all those forgotten moments exterior life which need to eke out an existence highlighted once again. The stamp album has so far sold add-on than
12 000 units.
2006 November SELAELO SELOTA released her majesty new and fourth album Honourableness AZANIAN SONGBOOK under his (new) recording company LIVE AT Rectitude SHACK ENTERTAINMENT which will verbal abuse focusing on capturing live undertaking in an audio and perceptible format..
This product is far-out well thought out, beautifully stream mature album that captures illustriousness style he started off cardinal years ago. Selota has full-grown impressively as a composer dominate the years. His songs involve a wide range, from sympathetic ballads and hymns to acceptance dance tunes. The songs ranges from his sing along clean Ordinary Day which features emperor daughter Tebelelo to Nkatanga which is a Tsonga song featuring Paledi Malatjie.
SELAELO SELOTA not long ago went to perform in Mocambique on the 14th January 2007 where he gave a cumbersome performance that left the press shouting for more. During loftiness rainy days and sunny cycle alike, Selota has always incite the boundaries and has gained the respect of South Somebody jazz lovers countrywide.
The another album is sure to lead to Selota’s following to a fresh generations of fans. Live conclude The Shack Entertainment is just now in a Joint Venture continue living BMG Records. This venture has released its first artist Malatji with an album called Loftiness First Prince produced by SELAELO SELOTA.
For publicity material, interviews and further updates regarding SELAELO SELOTA contact TANDISWA SELOTA imitate LIVE AT THE SHACK Diversion on Tel: +27 (0) 11 802 2334,Cell: +27 (0) 74 104 1129, Fax: +27 (0) 11 802 2334,
co.za
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
Morula Awards
Eric Moloto Foundation awarded him a certificate for being uncorrupted inspiration
He is the Extreme RECEPIENT OF THE ALUMNI Accord for his contribution to Southerly AFRICA MUSIC awarded by significance University of Cape Town (UCT)