Kippie ‘Morolong’ Moeketsi (1925-1983) was a South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

n saxophonist and jazz musician. Born into a musical Johannesburg

Johannesburg

Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...

 family, Moeketsi was the youngest of eleven brothers, and one sister who was a nurse (Mirriam Ntsadi Kathar Nee, Moeketsi) of whom all but 4 played an instrument. Growing up in George Goch township was unpleasant for him and he was often truant.

At 20 he started playing Clarinet, but would soon move on to the Saxophone. Influenced by his pianist brother Jacob Moeketsi, Kippie's career began in shebeen

Shebeen

A shebeen was originally an illicit bar or club where excisable alcoholic beverages were sold without a licence.The term has spread far from its origins in Ireland, to Scotland, Canada, the United States, England,...

s with Band in Blue. Over the years he played with several bands including Shantytown Sextet, the Harlem Swingsters and famously the Jazz Epistles

The Jazz Epistles

The Jazz Epistles were South Africa's first important bebop band. Inspired by Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, its members included Dollar Brand on piano, Kippie Moeketsi on alto saxophone, Jonas Gwangwa on trombone, Hugh Masekela on trumpet, Johnny Gertze on bass, and Early Mabuza or Makaya Ntshoko...

that brought fame to him, Abdullah Ibrahim

Abdullah Ibrahim

Abdullah Ibrahim , born Adolph Johannes Brand, 9 October 1934 in Cape Town, South Africa, and formerly known as Dollar Brand, is a South African pianist and composer...

 (or Dollar Brand as he was known then), Jonas Gwangwa

Jonas Gwangwa

Jonas Mosa Gwangwa has been an important figure in South African jazz for over 40 years. He first gained significance playing trombone with The Jazz Epistles...

, and Hugh Masekela

Hugh Masekela

Hugh Ramopolo Masekela is a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, and singer.-Early life:Masekela was born in Kwa-Guqa Township, Witbank, South Africa. He began singing and playing piano as a child...

. Moeketsi claimed that he taught Ibrahim everything he knew about music.

Often introduced as Bra Joe from Kilimanjaro, Kippie joined the cast of King Kong which would take him to London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

. After the Sharpeville massacre

Sharpeville massacre

The Sharpeville Massacre occurred on 21 March 1960, at the police station in the South African township of Sharpeville in the Transvaal . After a day of demonstrations, at which a crowd of black protesters far outnumbered the police, the South African police opened fire on the crowd, killing 69...

 of 1960, most of his contemporaries went into exile, but he returned to South Africa. In the oppressive circumstances he would not perform for four years.

After many years of alcohol abuse he died penniless and disgruntled in 1983. The Newtown jazz club Kippies, located at the Market Theatre is named after him.