Patrick Sefolosha (Malopoets)

One of South Africa’s most forward-thinking ensembles, Malopoets, formed in 1978. The group’s name is a play on “malopo,” a South African spiritual ritual. Their music synthesized tribal influences with jazz and poetry, consciously sidestepping slick and Westernized “Afropop” sounds. 

Founding percussionist/vocalist Patrick Sefolosha met with Deirdre in August of 1985, following the American release of Malopoets’ self-titled debut album. In this conversation, Sefolosha discusses the circumstances around his exile from South Africa, his view on the “beginning of the end” of apartheid, and the paradox of joyful music arising from desperate circumstances.