The life of slain music icon Taliep Petersen is documented in Dr Paula Fourie’s biography “Mr Entertainer: The Story of Taliep Petersen”.
Taliep’s daughter Jawaahier Petersen, who also plays Kashiefa in the popular kykNET soapie “Suidooster”, spoke to IOL Entertainment about the book.
Jawaahier said: “The greatest fear for us has always been that his death, the nature of his death and the events that happened post his death will overshadow the incredible legacy that he has and the contribution that he made to the art and musical landscape of this continent.
“And that people will forget the strides he took and the footsteps that he created so that other artists of colour are able to step into.
“So with a tangible symbol like this of a legacy that gives generations to come the opportunity to know him and his contribution, leaves me speechless.”
She added: “The dream is that this will become part of the educational syllabus of this country so that in the same way people speak about other big names of musical contributors in the country… Taliep Petersen’s name will always be remembered for years to come.
“Dr Fourie did an amazing job on this book. She spent 10 years on this book and this was really special.
“It was heart-warming to see people standing around the ‘new book section’ at the bookstore, reading the book and looking at the book.
“Seeing people who are not my colour so interested in this book made me see how his contribution to this country knows no colour.”
Taliep, 56, was shot dead in his Athlone home on December 16, 2006, in a robbery that turned out to be a hit orchestrated by his wife, Najwa Petersen, 59.
Najwa was sentenced to 28 years after being convicted of being the mastermind behind her husband’s murder.
She is currently incarcerated at Pollsmoor Correctional Facility and becomes eligible for parole consideration in November 2022.
The book touches on various aspects of Taliep’s life, the good, the bad and all the finer details that weave together his legacy, which lives on.
Fourie told IOL Entertainment: “This book started out as a PhD dissertation at Stellenbosch University. I was interested in the Malay choirs at that point and was going to do my dissertation about them.
“But at a competition in the Good Hope Centre, someone pointed out a chair in the auditorium and said, ‘That’s where Taliep Petersen used to sit’, that empty chair made a big impression on me.
“A few days later I awoke from a dream with his name on my tongue and decided instead to try to write his biography as my dissertation.
“That was over 10 years ago. After getting my degree, I realised that there was so much more of the story to tell and decided to turn it into a book.”
She continued: “It has taken me a decade to complete. Along the way, I interviewed over 30 individuals. I also worked extensively with the papers Taliep left behind in his studio after his death and which his father, brother, sisters and children so generously granted me access to. I am incredibly grateful to have been able to publish this book .
“It feels both humbling and unreal that what I have carried around for so long now has a life outside of me. I have learnt a lot along the way. Taliep blazed his own path – it was often a lonely one.
“But he also existed in a dense web of people, a resilient and diverse community of theatre-makers who all have vivid memories of him and of the years spent working side by side with him. It has been my privilege to get to know them and their stories.”