Don Laka (ZA)
From Gauteng
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About
Also known as: Donald Mahwetša Laka
Don Laka is the man behind kwaai jazz, his own take on South African jazz that folds kwaito, kwela and marabi into something warmer and more soulful. He came up with it because jazz had all but vanished from South African radio in the late 80s and early 90s, and he wanted a sound young listeners could actually recognise as theirs. His CV is long. He played in the afro fusion group Sakhile, led his own band Ymage, and co launched the label that grew into Kalawa Jazmee, one of the first successful black owned record companies in the country. He has written, produced or arranged for the likes of Brenda Fassie, Sibongile Khumalo, Yvonne Chaka Chaka and Rebecca Malope. In 2013 he picked up a Grammy nomination for producing Hugh Masekela's Jabulani. His own catalogue runs from the early 80s through to a stack of albums in the 2010s, including Afro Chopin and Reflections.
