The Victoria Harbour Sundowner Sessions #15

Selaelo Selota was born and grew up in a rural village in the northern region of South Africa near Pietersburg 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 new directions 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.

We’re not going to post too much information about this week’s featured artist because we have an extra video to show where you can hear Selota speak to Jason Von Berg.  You can read more about Selaelo Selota from our source, Music.org.za

Here is Selota speaking for himself on the Von VodCast:

Ma Modiegi (Selaelo Selota)

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Howzit-HongKong.com will feature a YouTube clip of one South African music legend every Friday as part of what we like to call The Victoria Harbour Sundowner Sessions. I am fortunate to be living right next to one of the most stunning working harbours in the world… Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour. I often find myself staring across the Harbour at night, with the lights dimmed and one of my favourite musicians from home over the speakers. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do…

Goodnight South Africa,

Mike Jansen

The Victoria Harbour Sundowners Sessions #5:

I remember (Judith Sephuma)

Growing up in Polokwane (formerly Pietersburg) in South Africa’s Limpopo Province, Judith knew that she wanted to be a singer from an early age.

After matriculating at Khagiso High School, she attended Johannesburg’s legendary FUBA Academy music school in 1993, where she received her Grade 5 Music Diploma. One of her fellow students was an ambitious young guitarist who she knew from Polokwane, one Selaelo Selota, a man who would play a major role in her career.

Other achievements included reaching the finals of the Shell Road to Fame contest in 1994, and the finals in SABC’s Jam Alley Search For Talent that year.

In 1994 she made a significant move to Cape Town to study music at the University of Cape Town, graduating in 1997 with a Performer’s Diploma in Jazz. Judith then gained her Honours Degree in Jazz Performance, majoring in Jazz Singing, under the supervision of Prof. Mike Campbell, in 1999. While studying Jazz singing, she was also classically trained by Virginia Davids for five years.

(Info from Music.org.za Continue reading here)

As I am typing this, Typhoon signal No.1 is in force here in Hong Kong, so I’m giving you a double-play of Judith Sephuma.  Mme Motswadi is such a soothing tune and really appeals to me because it’s sung in Judith’s (I think) native Sesotho language.

Enjoy.

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Howzit-HongKong.com will feature a YouTube clip of one South African music legend every Friday as part of what we like to call The Victoria Harbour Sundowner Sessions. I am fortunate to be living right next to one of the most stunning working harbours in the world… Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour. I often find myself staring across the Harbour at night, with the lights dimmed and one of my favourite musicians from home over the speakers. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do…