Song For Biko – Johnny Dyani Quartet

Description

180g vinyl repress of Johnny Dyani’s 1979 LP ‘Song for Biko’, recorded in the summer of 1978 with the powerful front line-up of Don Cherry and Dudu Pukwana, the album was dedicated to the martyred South African activist against apartheid Steve Biko (1946-1977).

Johnny Mbizo Dyani (bassist/composer) was born in East London, South Africa in 1945 and became one of South Africa’s most internationally acknowledged musicians. Since his arrival in England in 1965 as a member of South African jazz group called The Blue Notes, Dyani had chosen Scandinavia as his home base and had built an active career until a rare disease shortened his life all too soon. He died in Berlin, Germany in 1986.

“Dyani wrote all of the material for this record and it proves to be a vital factor in the success of the date. Both Cherry and Pukwana react favourably, while bringing their own personalities strongly to bear…this fine record can be recommended without reservation.” – Barry McRae, Jazz Journal International, July 1979

“There are possibly a handful of albums every year which are worth living with. This is one of them.” – Brian Case, Melody Maker, June 1979.