South African Jazz Stories - EP 1: Expressions - Jazz Photographer Siphiwe Mhlambi

Описание: Jazz Photographer Visual Storyteller South African Jazz

Siphiwe Mhlambi is one of the foremost African photographers of our generation. He has honed his craft over decades of observing and reading.

Largely self taught, Mhlambi grew up in many ways as an orphan in Soweto and only received a formal school education from the age of 13 after being taken in by good Samaritan who gave him his first camera. This was the outlet this young creative needed to escape the ghosts of his childhood.

Siphiwe has had an illustrious career in news media, following photojournalists during the upheaval and turmoil of Soweto in the 80’s which led him to freelance for such publications as The Sowetan, Sunday Times and The Star before joining the creative team at Naspers Magazines where he excelled in medium format and studio photography for True Love, Drum, Huisgenoot, and Sarie under the mentorship of Nato Barnard.

Siphiwe’s love for jazz started with the lush imagery on record covers, sleeves and jazz he was exposed to in the backyards of Soweto. Godfrey Moloi, “The Godfather of Soweto” took a liking to Siphiwe and soon he was photographing Moloi singing and playing his Sax in the clubs he owned across Johannesburg and Bloemfontein. This experience ignited a flame and soon he was photographing the likes of Steve Kekana, Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse, Harare and PJ Powers at Jabulani Amphitheatre and the rest as they say is history.

Jazz musicians interviewed have the highest regard for Siphiwe, both as friend and professional, as an artist with a generosity of spirit and ubuntu. Some would lament about him in their time of need as well as his giving spirit when sharing his Art/images.

Siphiwe Mhlambi has a creative eye for composition very few are blessed with. His jazz photography is haunting in form and he captures the music in his portraits, vividly painting with light epitomizing the decisive moment made famous by Magnum founding member Henri Cartier-Bresson.

The South African Jazz community honoured Siphiwe at the 2019 Joy of Jazz Festival in recognition of his long-standing support through his lens, which captured our Jazz Icons.

Please visit his photographic exhibition entitled "Expressions – Jazz Photographer" at the FOTOZA Gallery, Level 1, Rosebank Mall, Johannesburg which is on till the end of September 2020.

Instagram:   / siphiwemhlambi  
Twitter:   / sphiwemhlambi  

Grateful thanks to Leila Kidson and Vivek Rendall of OCTOPI
https://octopi.co.za/

SAJE has received supporting grants for the "South African Jazz Stories" project from:
SAMRO Foundation https://www.samrofoundation.org.za/
BASA - Business and Arts South Africa https://basa.co.za/

Please visit the South African Association for Jazz Education (SAJE) website for more information: http://www.saje.org.za/

We welcome your comments below.