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Ray Chikapa Phiri

Date: Jul 12, 2017

"I always remain in people's minds, hearts and sould. I will continue to give without being asked to give"

Ray Chikapa Phiri was born on 23 March 1947 in Mbombela (Nelspruit), Mpumalanga. He started playing the guitar at a young age. Growing up the young Phiri was surrounded by musical instruments such as the piano and drums. He was inspired by his late father Kanyama Phiri to take up music. Phiri had his lucky break when he danced for the Dark City Sisters. From the gig he saved up enough money to travel to Johannesburg.

He is the founder member of the Cannibals, a 1970s soul music group. The group was later disbanded and Phiri went on to start Stimela which means train in sesotho. The group went on to successfully produce gold and platinum-winning albums like Fire, Passion and Ecstasy (1991), Look, Listen and Decide(1992), as well as the controversial People Don’t Talk So Let’s Talk. 

Phiri joined Paul Simon on his Graceland  Project and he went on to be his main guitarist over a number of years. He toured with Simon on four of the following tours: 'Event of a lifetime', 'Born at the right time', Graceland (1987) and Graceland (1989). He has featured in two of his albums Graceland and Rhythm of the Saints. The Graceland tours were Simon's way of getting audiences across the United States to understand what apartheid was about thus mobilising support for the South Africa's struggle for liberation.

Phiri wasl actively involved in the arts, and arts development especially around his home province Mpumalanga. He is the founder of the Ray Phiri Artists Institute which is based at Thembeka High School in Ka Nyamaze in Mbombela. He is also the chairperson of the Mpumalanga Arts Council.

Ray Phiri was a South African guitarist and vocalist. His style of music could best be described as mbaqanga and afro-jazz fusion. 

In April 2011, President Jacob Zuma conferred Phiri the Order of the Ikhamanga in Silver for 'excellent achievement in the field of music and his contribution to the struggle against apartheid'.

Phiri, together with Vusi Mahlasela, received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 18th South African Music Awards on 30 April 2012. "Through Ray and Vusi's music, they have made an invaluable contribution to the culture of South Africa, and have exported that same culture to the rest of the world". MTN SAMA CEO Randall Abrahams

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