Let us now take a musical breath of fresh air and study the vocal compositions of the
Eastern Cape. In this short anthology we have a several compositions to study.
We are seeking to hear and intuit the golden threads that make his music so totally unique.
Pre-Task: In the compositions of Johnny Dyani, Tete Mbambisa we have two different
melodies?
Do we not better score these at solfeggio?
What questions do we propose to help the student learn these melodies?
How are these melodies an introduction to Xhosa Africa Cape Jazz.
And a technical question for the advanced student – we notice the chord progression how
does this help us to learn the melody? Is it opening the pathway to improvisation
BONUS QUESTION : DEVELOPING A POSITIVE ATTITUDE
His music is a personal love which no vocal coach ever taught. From lower primary, Retsi
developed an interest choral music, graduating this love by testing his agility with the tonic
solfa, overlapping into chromatic scales.
His key is a positive mind frame. And that starts with intuition. For Retsi intuition is
intertwined with conscience. Whilst conscience is a guide for behaviour, intuition is the map
to sustaining creativity in the evolving business implications of the music industry.
Retsi starts the morning and his daily regimen with his own morning prayer, gratefully and
faithfully welcoming the new dawn of day. And before he retires to his bedroom in the
evening, he must say an evening prayer, and in his case the 'Lord’s Prayer.’
His first port of call is good health. Naturally that should encompass healthy living habits
such as a big NO to all alcoholic beverages whose end - results cause an involuntarily break
down of ones' behavioural inhibitions inducing misjudgement in the brain patterns.
He engages in consistent moderate physical exercises, engaging in daily breathing exercises.
He has a healthy diet and shying away from tempting nice processed foodstuff such as
amongst others as oily fried foods, over - laden sugary treats/desserts, highly salted cold
meats with artificial preservatives including cheese, salad dressings, margarines, refined
foods as in mealie - meal, white bread and pasta. He has a healthy eight hourly sleep pattern
a day, which if necessary is inclusive of a healthy afternoon nap.
What is your Daily Exercise?
For Retsi any performance on rehearsal starts at home with his standardised vocal warm -
up exercises always considering voice – control, vocal rest, clear pronunciation &
enunciation, vocal projection, inter - linked phrasing , vocal intervals and articulation.
1.) Into your daily exercise incorporate ' lip - trills by holding your lips together then
openly and steadily exhaling my inhaled breath with a rapid buzzing fluttering
sound.
This helps to loosen the muscles around the mouth and jaw.
2.) Now, hum (or tone) in different pitches and scales, also incorporating yawns -
inhaling air deeply and then steadily exhaling gently and allowing the lower jaw
to relax.
3.) Now, go through the diaphragm and belly breathing exercises. Pay attention to
the 'Vocal Range' resonance as well as the tone. Be careful throughout this
routine not to strain the voice.
Do you know the power of acting in singing?
Most singers loose sight of the following: Performances of a song should incorporate a good
measure of so - called 'acting' as in a sense of a movie.
“This 'demands' showmanship of 'realism' from that particular actor in a 'convincing'
manner'!” Says Retsi.
1.) Let Us embark on a particular song.
2.) Study the lyrical part as to whether the storyline/ narrative entails sadness or
happiness
3.) Incorporate acting into the performance
Tip: As the performer approaches the doorway to the stage, audiences should immediately
be able to pick- up the storyline. The story of the song should be read from my eyes and
facial expression, the body - language and mannerisms of the performer, even before
hearing the lyrics.
Post Task: The compositions of Retsi Pule
Retsi says, “I feel that I must re-emphasise to the present generation and those to come
that as music encompasses all genres. My advise is for one is to allow oneself to grow and
expand musically, and not to restrict oneself only to one's favourite genre, but to unbridle
oneself. Explore other genres which also include various other exciting rhythms. Encompass
the rich tapestry of the African Continent, the Pacific Islands such as Barbados, Tonga,
Hawaii, Polynesian as Samoa and French Polynesia Islands, as well as amongst others then
'Eastern Sounds' of the Middle East Countries and also incorporate the musically - rich
Indian Continent.”
On the album Look into the Future we hear the tune Logic. This is particularly fitting to the
life and times of Retsi Michael Pule. The strong belief in adhering to good family
morals practicing and passing them on to the children guides his daily practices.
One of his key compositions is Masakhane. The word, the song means let's build each other.
It is our driving tune. It also means coming together to address some of our social ills. Let's
help each and one another in Life, as a couple, family, people / nation also
through inspiration.
We have studied the tune Biko to really seek out the 4 part harmonies that identify the
Xhosa music.
Retsi says, “Whatever song which touches your soul, don't discourage, listen to it. And you
can come up to make a beautiful jazz song if you feel like you choose the rhythm of that
part, or maybe you can treat it as a ballad if you like. All the rhythms are based on your
choice. Yes. Jazz music will take you far. Yes, and the nice thing about it is that the jazz in
South Africa is inspired by our own trend of jazz, which is our African inspiration of chess,
our jazz. You can mistake it for any other thing. It has got that root, that African sound, that
flavour. Yes.”
Let us look at High Spirits and find the space for improvisation.
As a Xhosa jazz man, Retsi is a living bridge between the African American Blues and the
Xhosa description of jazz, uMngqungqo which has a certain rhythm that enlivens the spirit.
“Your spirit transcends. You get so taken up. That's what I get when I sing jazz, because jazz
is interlinked to African music and blues. “It's a chain,” says Retsi.
Foreword & Transcriber’s Notes
By Chester Summerton
Growing up in Mdantsane, East London, jazz was not my first language. My musical roots
were steeped in the harmonies of choral music, led by my grandfather, a local choral
conductor whose passion for communal singing imprinted on me the power of collective
expression. It wasn’t until 2016, when my cousin returned from Norway’s PULSE program
via the Field Band Foundation — an organization I’d been part of years prior — that I fell
into the “jazz rabbit hole.” Through artists like Nduduzo Makhathini and Winston Mankunku
Ngozi, I discovered a sonic universe where spirituality and improvisation converged, echoing
the communal harmonies of my childhood .
Transcribing Retsi Pule’s work, particularly "Biko" (arranged from Basi Mahlasela’s original)
and "Logic", became a pilgrimage into this duality. Here was a musician who wove the
polyphonic traditions of township choirs — the very sounds that filled my family’s living
room — into the modal landscapes of jazz. The result? A sound that feels both ancestral and
avant-garde, where structured choral voicings dissolve into improvisational "uMngqungqo" ,
a Xhosa term for that trance-like state of musical flow .
Retsi Pule: The Living Archive
Retsi Pule is more than a jazz vocalist; he is a living bridge between eras. Born in 1940 in
King William’s Town, his early exposure to American crooners like Nat King Cole and Ella
Fitzgerald fused with the rhythms of Dolly Rathebe and the Manhattan Brothers, crafting a
style that is both globally informed and deeply Eastern Cape . By the 1960s, he was in
Johannesburg, collaborating with legends like Barney Rachabane and Dennis Mpale, and by
1978, his debut album "Sdudla" became a township jazz anthem — a testament to his ability
to channel the energy of the streets into song .
Yet, Retsi’s genius lies in his refusal to be boxed. "Logic" , for instance, marries a hypnotic
groove with modal improvisation, evoking Coltrane’s spiritual quests and Bheki Mseleku’s
cyclical phrasing. This “intrinsic trance” mirrors the communal rituals of Xhosa initiation
ceremonies, where music transcends entertainment to become a vessel for memory and
healing .
In transcribing Retsi’s arrangements, I was struck by how seamlessly he integrates choral
techniques into jazz. The layered harmonies of "Biko" — a tribute to Steve Biko, whose
Ginsburg home neighbored Retsi’s family — echo the call-and-response patterns of church
choirs, yet they float over a rhythm section that pulses with township funk. This duality
reflects a broader truth: in South African townships, choral music is not merely a gateway to
jazz; it is its lifeblood. Schools in the Eastern Cape still treat choir as sacred ground, a
tradition Retsi upholds through mentoring young singers today .
His 2017 Lifetime Contribution to Culture award recognizes this legacy, yet his work remains
undercelebrated. Even as he mentors in Mdantsane, his collaborations — like the upcoming
Steve Biko Centre celebration — ensure that Eastern Cape jazz remains a “growing legacy
brand,” as photographer Vuyo Giba notes .
Transcriber’s Reflection
To transcribe Retsi’s music is to trace the contours of a sonic map. The “nostalgic beauty” of
his work lies in its refusal to conform. A phrase might begin with the swanky blues of
Sinatra, twist into a Xhosa folk melody, and resolve in a McCoy Tyner-esque chord cluster.
For a young arranger like myself, this fluidity is both a challenge and an invitation — a
reminder that jazz, at its core, is a dialogue between tradition and rebellion.
As I prepare these transcriptions for publication, I’m reminded of Retsi’s own words: “No
one is who they used to be an hour ago” . His music, like the Eastern Cape itself, is a living,
evolving force. May these sheets not merely preserve notes but ignite new interpretations,
ensuring that the “voice” of Retsi Pule — and the choirs that raised him — continues to
resonate.
Chester Summerton
Mdantsane, East London
May 2025
1.) Nahmanje Siyajabula?
2.) uMsenge
3.) Logic
4.) Masakhane
5.) Biko
6.) High Spirits