AUGUST 2021: Dick Khoza's family migrated to South Africa from Malawi and he spent his youth in Durban. He joined the army in the 1940s before throwing caution to the wind in pursuit of music, decamping for Port Elizabeth where he was able to study, network and build a foundation for his career. As a working musician, Khoza's peregrinations took him to Cape Town and eventually Johannesburg, where he was employed at the Pelican Club in Soweto. As the nightclub's stage manager, he was responsible for overseeing cabaret shows and jam sessions and played an instrumental role in cultivating the era's soul, funk and jazz scene. After participating as a session musician for the As-Shams recording of Tete Mbambisa's Big Sound album and in the wake of a life-changing trip to Malawi following his father's death, Khoza convinced Rashid Vally to get behind his new Afrocentric sound and assembled his Pelican musical compatriots at Gallo Studios in September 1976 to put it down. With Dick Khoza wrapped in a tribal blanket on the album's cover, Chapita was a bold proclamation of modern African musical creativity and the sleeve's brief liner notes detailed the incredible journey he took to make what is his only recorded output.
Dick Khoza - African Drums
Bethuel Maphmulo - Bass Guitar
Themba Mehlomakulu - Trumpet
Mac Mathunjwa - Electric Piano
Themba Makoena - Lead Guitar
Aubrey Simani - Tenor Sax
Ezra Ngcukana - Tenor & Soprano Sax
Willie Nettie - Trombone
Negro Mathunjwa - Drums
Aubrey Mahlangu - Tenor Sax
Joe Zikhali - Rhythm Guitar
Edgar Dikgole - Vocal
Recording Engineer: Peter Ceronio
Recorded at Gallo Studios
Produced by Rashid Vally
Cat. No. GL 1873
℗ 1976 As-Shams/The Sun
