Caiphus Semenya

South African composer and musician

Caiphus Semenya
Born	(1939-08-19) 19 August 1939 (age 84) Alexandra, Gauteng, Johannesburg, South Africa Caiphus Semenya has 83 albums in total
Genres	South African jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer, arranger
Instrument(s)	Saxophone, percussion, synthesizer, vocals
Years active	1950s–present

Musical artist

Caiphus Semenya (born 19 August 1939)^[1] is a South African composer and musician.^[2]^[3] He was born in Alexandra, Gauteng, Johannesburg, South Africa.^[1]

He left South Africa for Los Angeles, California, United States, in the 1960s, together with his wife, singer Letta Mbulu.^[4] Among the artists with whom he worked are Hugh Masekela, Jonas Gwangwa, Hotep Galeta, Miriam Makeba, Lou Rawls, Nina Simone and Cannonball Adderley. Semenya also arranged the Swahili chant in the intro to Michael Jackson's "Liberian Girl" from the 1987 Bad album.^[5]

Awards

2015: South African Afro Music Awards^[6]
2015: ACT Lifetime Achievement Award for Music^[7]
1986: Academy Award for Best Original Score for the 1985 film The Color Purple;^[8] shared the nomination with nine other composers.

Discography

The Very Best of Caiphus Semenya (Columbia, 1996)
Woman Got a Right to Be (1996)
Streams Today... Rivers Tomorrow (Munjale, 1984)
Listen to the Wind (CBS, 1982)

With Quincy Jones

Roots (A&M, 1977)

References

^ ^a ^b "Biography of Caiphus Semenya". Sahistory.org.za. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
^ "Caiphus Semenya". Discogs.com. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
^ "Caiphus Semenya: Biography by Steven McDonald". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
^ "Semenya, Caiphus (South Africa)". Music.org.za. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
^ "Liberian Girl", Michaeljackson.com
^ Motale, Phalane (13 September 2015). "New awards to honour Afro musos". Iol.co.za/.
^ "Caiphus Semenya: ACT Lifetime Achievement Award for Music". Creativefeel.co.za. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
^ "THE 58TH ACADEMY AWARDS: 1986". Oscars.org. Retrieved 6 May 2016.