16 July 2010

We have learned with great sadness of the passing of one of the most beloved musicians of the Western Cape, Mr Robbie Jansen.

Robbie Jansen was truly a committed artist, an activist, who engaged with his surroundings and worked hard to produce a sound that could adequately capture the spirit of history and also resonate with the present.

Through his music we can trace a historical journey of struggle spanning the centuries.

He embraced the musical sounds that we inherited from slavery, the rhythms of the Khoi and the San. He embraced jazz as well as the sounds of an emerging and independent Africa.

He believed that his art should resonate with the sounds of the world around him and help to influence and shape the world even as the world influenced him.

Robbie Jansen gave a new voice to the Cape sound and remained faithful to this heritage until the last days of his life. In this way he projected an identity that could be recognizable in the national cultural landscape as a distinctive sound and contribute to the richness of South African music.

His music also defined him as a Man of the People, a musician and an artist, who took seriously the mission to build a People’s Culture.

He has bequeathed us a formidable legacy and we ought to remain true to this legacy and build on the cultural wealth that he and those of his generation have created. His music will inspire many generations to come.

Yesterday I visited Freedom Park in Pretoria. In one of the sacred places at Freedom Park (//hapo), there is a statement printed in huge letters which is attributed to the Khoi people.

It says that a dream is not a dream until it is shared by the entire community.

A dream can only become true if it is dreamt at the same time by many people, by an entire community.

Let us also embrace Robbie Jansen’s dream so that an entire community and the whole nation can hear and feel the distinctive sounds that make us truly South African.

Let us embrace this mission with the same passion that Robbie Jansen had all through his life.

He faced his illness with great courage and was determined to play his music despite his pain and suffering.

We salute him as he joins the great musical heroes who have left our midst.

Our heartfelt condolences to his wife and children and to all his family and friends.

LULU XINGWANA MP.,
MINISTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE

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