persons of note

john coltrane

• born in sep 23, 1926, died in jul 19, 1967
• one of the most significant saxophonists in music history
• was a pioneer for the use of modes in jazz
• enlisted in the navy
• canonized as saint john william coltrane by the african orthodox church
• had a strong relationship with his mother, who was deeply spiritual and religious 
• his purpose as an artist was to be a force for good - he wanted to bring people happiness through his music

John Coltrane’s manuscript for “A Love Supreme”
Credit: National Museum of American History

"coltrane for me is a culminating figure in a rich tradition of blues and jazz, of blue that injects a blue note into western history, into western musical harmony a note of dissonance, disturbance, defiance, wrestling with darkness but always sustaining a sense of endurance and stamina rooted in a deep love of self and a love of others." 

"the story of people who are up against institutional terrors (...) and still forge a sense of self with integrity and dignity. that's what i hear in john coltrane's music."

"he vocalises an european instrument, the saxophone. it's expressing both a spirituality rooted in black struggle but reaches out for the struggle of others."



miriam makeba

• south african singer, actor and civil rights activist
• afropop, jazz, world music
• began singing professionally in the 50s with the Cuban Brothers, the Manhattan Brothers and the Skylarks
• received a grammy award for her album "an evening with belafonte/makeba"
• she testified against the south african government 
• married Stokely Carmichael, the leader of the Black Panther Movement in 1968
• her music became a lot more critical, reflecting the political climate of her time (especially after the Sharpeville massacre where two of her family members were killed)
• she became involved with various black-centred political movements such as Black Consciousness, Black Power, Civil rights and anti-apartheid 
• she wore her natural hair and no makeup on stage, using the idea of radical self love as a black woman as a political statement, rejecting eurocentric ideals of beauty 

"people say I sing politics, but what I sing is not politics, it is the truth"

"in our struggle, songs are not simply entertainment for us. they are the way we communicate."