Selaelo Selota

BIOGRAPHY OF SELAELO SELOTA MUSICIAN COMPOSER PRODUCER TEACHER…. STAR These Days It Seems Like Everything SELAELO SELOTA Touches Turns To Gold! The Multi-Talented Musician’s Career Keeps Developing At An Outstanding Rate And The Last Two Years Have Seen Him Carve Out A Sparkling Career In The Highly Competitive South African Afro Jazz Scene – But The Scary Thing Is That He Is Only Just Getting Started. In Addition To The Recent Success Of His Landmark 2000 Debut Album PAINTED FACES Achieving Platinum Status For Sales In Excess Of 60 000 Units His Latest Release ENCHANTED GARDENS Has Also Achieved Gold Status. The Former Gold Miner Is Now Mining The Same Precious Metal But Armed With A Guitar Rather Than A Drill. SELAELO SELOTA Was Born And Grew Up In A Rural Village Near Polokwane Formerly Pietersburg In South Africa’s Most Northern Limpopo Province Where He Remembers Being Greatly Inspired By The Traditional Musical Practice That Were Abundant All Around Him. On Completing High School And Not Having Financial Resources To Further His Studies He Found Employment In Mining. Working In The Mines And Living Amongst The Migrant Workers He Was Exposed To The Traditional Songs And Dances From Many Other South African Tribal Groups. After Three Years In 1989 He Left The Mines And Went To Johannesburg – Commonly Known As “Egoli” The City Of Gold – In Search Of A New Direction In His Life. In Johannesburg He Found Work At Market Theatre As An Usher And Later As A Cleaner At Famous Newtown Night Club Kippies Jazz International Where He Seized Every Opportunity To Learn From The Musicians He Heard Performing There Night After Night. During That Year He Bought His First Guitar FUBA Federated Union Of Black Artist Academy. By June 1998 Selaelo Was Playing With His First Band At The Market And Also Gigging With Renowned Ghananian Artist George Lee And His Outfit Anansi. In 1992/93 SELAELO SELOTA Worked On The Shell Road Of Fame Competition While Teaching Jazz Guitar At FUBA Academy And In 1994 Came A Pivotal Moment When He Enrolled At The University Of Cape Town’s Renowned College Of Music To Study A Degree In Jazz Music. As A Student And Bandleader He Performed Meropa Who Played The Grahamstown Festival Fringe In 1995. Selaelo Then Formed His Band Taola In 1996 As A Vehicle Of His Original Compositions Which Were And Still Are An Energetic And Emotional Fusion Of Pedi Music Modern Elements And The Traditional African Musical Experiences Of His Youth. Taola Appeared Numerous Times On Television And At Live Performances And Festivals Across The Cape Region Including The UCT Jazz Festival Held At The Baxter Concert Hall In Cape Town In 1997. The Band Was Then Invited To Perform At The Fin De Siecle Music In Nantes France In October 1997 Receiving Standing Ovation. Selaelo Himself Was Awarded Second Prize In The Prestigious Adcock Ingram Music Competition In1996 And In 1997 He Won First Prize Both In The Jazz Category. By Now He Enjoyed A Growing Reputation And Was Regularly Featured As A Soloist And Composer With The UCT Big Band. 1996 Saw Selaelo Appointed As One Of The Guitar Teachers At The University Which Followed Into 1998 When He Taught Jazz Guitar And Jazz Improvisation. SELALEO SELOTA Graduated From UCT In 1997 With A Jazz Degree Majoring In Jazz Composition And Arrangement. In That Same Year He Worked With Well-Known Musicologist And Researcher David Fanshwane During His “African Sanctus” Tour With The London Bach Choir In 1997. In 1998 Selaelo Featured On The Debut CD Of Fellow Musician Frank Mallows And Brydon Bolton Entitled “Adamstor –The Spirit Of Table Mountain” His First Studio Recording Experience. Selaelo Performed In Early 1999 With The Quartet At The Blue Note’s “Cape Town Salutes The Guitars” Event To Great Acclaim And It Was At This Concert That The Managing Director Of The North Sea Jazz Festival Theo Van Den Hoek Sported Selaelo And Booked Him For That Year’s Festival. In March 1999 Came Another Critical Moment When He Won The Instrumental Category Of The Old Mutual Jazz Into The Future 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 The Johannesburg Bound Young Star To BMG New Giant Step Record Label. Virtually Unknown Outside Of The Cape Music Circles Selaelo Set About Recording His Debut Album PAINTED FACES In Rhino Studio Near Mmabatho Working Closely With Cape Town Gavin Goldberg. Featuring “Ma Modiegi” That Became A Huge Hit And A Slew Of Other Superb Songs The Album Was Released In 2000 And By The Time Selaelo Bounded Onto The Stage At The 2001 South African Music Awards To Collect Two SAMA’s Best Newcomer And The Best Contemporary Jazz Album There Was No Doubting That This Incredibly Gifted Musician Mare Than Deserved The Accolades. The Brace Of SAMA’s Signalled His Arrival In A Big Way And Since The Release Of His Debut Album Selaelo Had Rapidly Earned The Recognition Of His Peers Music Critics And Perhaps Most Importantly Thousands Of Music Fans Around The Country For His Beautiful Composition And His Incendiary Live Performance- Igniting The Stage And The Hearts Of Every Single Fan Around The Country With Every Performance. Selaelo’s International Reputation Is Also Growing In Leaps And Bounds. He Has Already Shared The Stage With Several International Stars Including Jonathan Butler Bob James Kirk Whalum And More Recently With Richard Bona. He Has Also Worked With Ronny Jordan Amongst Others. Selaleo Selota Performed In New Orleans In November 2001 As Part Of A Cultural Exchange Programme Made Possible Through The New Orleans South African Connection NOSACONN . Selaelo Visited The Huge Womex World Music Trade Fair In Germany In October 2002 A Trip That With No Doubt Opened Further Doors For His Burgeoning Careers. Selaleo Selota’s Second Album Offering ENCHANTED GARDENS Which Went Platinum Selling More Than 60 000 Copies Is An 11-Track Album That Continues The Intelligent Afro Jazz Thread That The Songwriter Wove So Beautifully On PAINTED FACES Only This Time Stepping Harder On The Creative Pedal To Turn The New Record Into One Of The Must-Have Afro Jazz Purchases Of 2002 And Well Beyond Into A Timeless Collectors Item. Produced By Selaelo Himself Revealing The Artist To Be Just As Skilled In This Field…more On That Later ENCHANTED GARDENS Boast The Musical Talents Of His Highly Accomplished Live Band Travels A Musical Path That Includes Traditional Sounds Smooth Jazz Stunning Instrumentals Inspired Vocals And Much Much More. ENCHANTED GARDENS Is A Varied Textured And Diverse Album With Standouts Including The Live Favourite ‘Thrr…Phaa!’ Recorded Live At Caesars Palace In Gauteng And Also Turned Into A Stunning Music Video ‘ Baya Ndipatha-Patha’ Featuring The Sassy Vocals Of Xolisa Dlamini And ‘Le Ile Kae’ The Latter Surely One Of The Most Exquisite South African Compositions Of Recent Years. In The Artist Own Words “ENCHANTED GARDENS Is Very Much About Asserting My Voice. I Wanted This Album To Be One Where I Re-Assert The Voice That I Have Already Set Up With “PAINTED FACES”. In Preparing For The Album I Had Many Chats With Retailers And Hawkers On The Street And Every Time I Visited Them They’d Say ‘You’re Never Gonna To Produce A Classic Like This’ Holding Onto A Copy Of ‘Faces’. So That Was A Challenge For Me. I Had To Go Back And Listen To ‘Faces’ Time And Time Again And I Thought That It Was Beautiful Indeed But I Needed To Come Up With Something That Would Say I Maintained And Took The Standard Further By Solidifying My Statement As A Musician And My Own Voice And Style. When I Listen To Both Albums I Can Hear That This Is The Same Person Who Recorded Them Both. If I Am Going To Come With Another Album And People Say ‘who Is This’ It Means That I Do Not Have A Voice”. As With All The Creative Work Undertaken By Selota ENCHANTED GARDENS Has At Its Core A Definite Theme And Vision. “ It’s About The Enchanted Gardens Of Your Soul Where Beauty Can Be Found- It’s That Moment Of Life When You Enchanted By Things. Take The Song ‘Naomi First Dance’. After My Daughter Was Born And I Saw Moving For The First Time I Thought About A Human Being’s First Dance And Realised That This Was Just What She Was Doing. And I Realise Where My Innate Ability To Dance- Which Is Something I’ve Only Discovered Recently- Comes From” SELAELO SELOTA Is Quick To Pinpoint That His Many Live Shows – Now Renowned For Their Combination Of Beauty And Visceral Energy – Are Providing An Excellent Vehicle To Enable Him To Find That Style And Voice. “More And More As I Perform Live The Artist Within Has Been Coming Forward And Making His Own Statement. I’ve Always Found Myself Restricted In My Mind But When I Am On Stage And Let Go There Is Someone Who Comes Forward And That Person Has Been Inspiring Me. He’s A Very Energetic Dancer And He’s Very Passionate When He Has To Sing And Could Even Put Lyrics To All Instrumental Songs. Words Play An Important Role In This Jazz Artist’s Life. Several Songs On ENCHANTED GARDENS Are Enhanced With The Intelligent Use Of Lyrics And Albums Sleeve Contains Notes – Penned By Selaelo Himself- On Each Of The Album’s Tracks Bringing To Life The Moment In Time The Stories The People That Inspired This Exceptional Recording. With ‘ENCHANTED GARDENS’ Selaelo’s Reputation As Amongst The Foremost Afro – Jazz Artist Working Today Is Considerably Enhanced And A Slew Of Counting Life Shows To Promote The Album Is Likely To Earn This Gifted Young Man Further Acclaim. The Hugely Talented Musician Has Done A Lot More Than Create Successful Albums For Himself Alone. Since The Phenomenal Success Of JUDITH SEPHUMA’S Debut Album A CRY A SMILE A DANCE Triple Platinum Sales Status Of More Than 160 000 Units Which Was Arranged And Produced By The Maestro Himself Selaelo Has Taken Producing One Step Further By Repeating The Magic On Troubadour UMANJI’S Latest Album WANTOLOBELA And More Recently With That Of Fellow Jazz Guitarist SASHA SONNBICHLER Whose Debut Album Was Released Through BMG Africa’s Giant Steps Label In November 2002. SELAELO SELOTA Is Both An Academic And A Passionate Professional Performer. He Is Making A Fresh And Substantial Contribution To The Development Of South African Music And Enjoys Sharing His Work And Inspiration With The Wildest Possible Audience. It Should Come As A No Surprise Now That In Conjunction With Keynote Artist Development Selaelo Has Embarked The Selaelo Selota Artist Development Programme Made Possible By Various Funders. SELAELO SELOTA Travelled To Canada On The 08th July 2003 To Make His Debut Performance At The Prestigious Nuits D’Afrique Festival Where He Shared The Stage With Artist Like Lokua Kanza Diblo Dibala Oliver Mutukudzi And Many More. He Was Awarded The Song Writer Of The Year In 2003 By The South African Recording Rights Association Limited SARRAL And For The First Time In History University Of Cape Town Conferred An Alumni Award On Selaelo Selota In The Recognition For His Contribution To South African Music. Selaelo Selota Has Just Completed A Tour Of North America And He Was Billed To Perform At The New Orleans Jazz And Heritage Festival In April 2004 Which Was Followed By A Club Tour Of Ashford And Simpson’s Club Sugar Bar And Satalla In New York. He Was Also Invited Back To Montreal Canada Where He Gave A Sterling Performance At Kola Note. Late In May He Performed At The UCLA Jazz Festival In California Which Was Followed By A Short Tour Of Zimbabwe And Zanzibar Tanzania. He Performed At The Zanzibar International Film Festival ZIFF 2004. In October 2004 The Government Of Limpopo Province In Recognition Of Leaders In Various Fields Conferred A Morula Award On Selaelo For His Avid Role In Development In His Hometown As Well As His Achievements In The Music Arena. SELAELO SELOTA Is Also The Artist And Repertoire Director And Shareholder In C-Lota Records. He Has Just Completed Production On His 3rd Album Entitled “STORIES LIVED & TOLD” Which Promises To Inspire Excite And Explore Hidden Emotions Of All Those Forgotten Moments In Life Which Need To Be Highlighted Once Again. The Album Has So Far Sold More Than 12 000 Units. 2006 November SELAELO SELOTA Released His New And Fourth Album THE AZANIAN SONGBOOK Under His New Recording Company LIVE AT THE SHACK ENTERTAINMENT Which Will Be Focusing On Capturing Live Performances In An Audio And Visual Format.. This Product Is A Well Thought Out Beautifully And Mature Album That Captures The Style He Started Off Six Years Ago. Selota Has Grown Impressively As A Composer Over The Years. His Songs Cover A Wide Range From Sentimental Ballads And Hymns To Classic Dance Tunes. The Songs Ranges From His Sing Along Tune Ordinary Day Which Features His Daughter Tebelelo To Nkatanga Which Is A Tsonga Song Featuring Paledi Malatjie. SELAELO SELOTA Recently Went To Perform In Mozambique On The 14th January 2007 Where He Gave A Massive Performance That Left The Crowd Shouting For More. During The Rainy Days And Sunny Times Alike Selota Has Always Pushed The Boundaries And Has Gained The Respect Of South African Jazz Lovers Countrywide. The New Album Is Sure To Extend Selota’s Following To A New Generations Of Fans. Live At The Shack Entertainment Is Now In A Joint Venture With BMG Records. This Venture Has Released Its First Artist Malatji With An Album Called The First Prince Produced By SELAELO SELOTA. For Publicity Material Interviews And Further Updates Regarding SELAELO SELOTA Contact TANDISWA SELOTA At LIVE AT THE SHACK ENTERTAINMENT On Tel 27 0 11 802 2334 Cell 27 0 74 104 1129 Fax 27 0 11 802 2334 E-Mail Tandiswa@liveattheshack.Co.Za OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS Morula Awards
Eric Moloto Foundation Awarded Him A Certificate For Being An Inspiration He Is The FIRST RECEPIENT OF THE ALUMNI AWARD For His Contribution To SOUTH AFRICA MUSIC Awarded By The University Of Cape Town UCT read less