Allen Kwela

Allen Kwela was a renowned South African jazz and kwela guitarist born on September 11, 1939, in Chesterville, Durban. Growing up herding cattle on the South Coast, he taught himself music by crafting a tin guitar from an oil drum before eventually acquiring a real six-string guitar. Kwela was a key figure in shaping the kwela sound in collaboration with the legendary Spokes Mashiyane, helping elevate the genre from street music into a top-selling and internationally recognized South African style. Over time, he expanded his musical range into jazz, working with major musicians and influencing younger artists while maintaining his distinctive style rooted in African rhythms.

He released several notable works including *The Broken Strings of Allen Kwela* (1998), which reflected the struggles under apartheid, and *Black Beauty* (2023), showcasing his later exploration of soulful and modern jazz sounds. His style was marked by inventive guitar work and a blending of kwela, jazz, and indigenous rhythms. Kwela remained active as a session musician and teacher throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He passed away from an asthma attack in Johannesburg on June 30, 2003, leaving a legacy as a legendary and revered figure in South African music.

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