NOT many areas have contributed to South Africa's vibrant cultural history as heavily as Sophiatown. A hub for politics and a range of creative arts during the definitive 1940s and 1950s, Sophiatown gave rise to many of the black figures who are today recognised as some of South Africa's greatest icons.
One of its most widely celebrated children, 86-year-old jazz singer Thandi Klaasen, died on January 15 after battling pancreatic cancer. Her singular impact as an artist and social activist has played out in the many tributes which have poured in from former colleagues and fans alike.
Her influence is further evident from the impressive list of honorary accolades she received during her career, including the Order of the Baobab, an award annually presented by the president of South Africa, which she received for her “excellent achievement in and contribution to the art of music” in 2006.
In spite of the acid attack which left her face permanently scarred early in her career, she displayed exemplary courage and fortitude to perform at sold-out shows at home and abroad.
South African jazz legend Abigail Kubeka, who worked with Klaasen on the famed musical King Kong in the early 1960s and with whom she formed a strong friendship, spoke to us about her relationship with Klaasen.
“We met a long time ago,” she said solemnly after admitting that her heart was still heavy. “I was young, just coming out of school, and I got introduced to this brave woman for King Kong. She was a fearless person who spoke her mind. She was also a very good entertainer who made sure her audience was happy and fulfilled in any way she could.
"During our time in London for the King Kong show in the '60s, I was very close to her. I knew the whole family because with us, the generation of the '50s, we were not just colleagues or peers, we were family. Each one of us knew each and everyone’s family… For her to be burnt like that and still have the courage to stand on stage in front of millions and sing, I admired her for that. Some of us just get a pimple or a blue eye and you go, ‘I’m not going to work’. She'd even joke about it and say, ‘They can burn my face, but they can never burn my voice'.”
Klaasen’s impact decades ago spilled into succeeding generations, and in the process, inspired some of the new breed of jazz artists. Lindiwe Maxolo is one such artist, who recalls interviewing Klaasen, one of her musical idols, as part of her jazz course thesis.
“What inspired me about her is that even when she went through that dark time when she got burnt on her face, she never stopped.
"That really made me follow her. She inspired me to continue on my journey no matter how hard it got or what happened. Our interview was six or seven hours long, and I would laugh throughout. She has so many stories.”
Maxolo recalls doing a tribute for Klaasen at the Standard Bank Joy Of Jazz Festival about two years ago. “I was called to sing her song Sophiatown, and she was there. I still have that picture where she’s holding me in disbelief, saying, ‘You’re so young, and you’re singing my song so beautifully'.”
Award-winning jazz artist Nduduzo Makhathini said: “She was bombed at a very young age, and I always found it inspirational how she made her way back into music and became this jazz legend that we know today. She's one of the most important voices in jazz today, and not just in South Africa, for me I see her up there with Billie Holiday and those other legends."
Kubeka recalled how Klaasen always maintained her sense of humour. “If you did something wrong or something she didn't like while she was on stage, she’d just say ‘ F*k jy, man!’ right on stage, and people would laugh because she was really funny.
"If somebody else said that, you would be upset, but with Thandi, people would just laugh. Sometimes she'd be on stage and ask, ‘Why are you not clapping hands? Don't you know that I bought this dress especially for you?'" She laughed heartily as she said this. “It was about time the Creator said, ‘Thandi, my baby, come and rest'.”