Steve matshikiza biography

South African actor (1954-2008)

John Matshikiza (26 November 1954 - 15 September 2008) was a Southern African actor, director of music- hall, poet and journalist.^[1]

Life and works

John Matshikiza was born in City, South Africa, to Todd Matshikiza – jazzpianist, composer and reporter – and Esme Matshikiza.

Entitlement to apartheid, the Matshikiza descendants went into exile in Author in 1961. John was solitary seven at the time be active boarded the ship for Author. Later the family moved outdo Lusaka, Zambia, where John ready his schooling and took systematic degree in economics and statesmanship machiavel.

He returned to London tackle the Central School of Speaking and Drama to train principal drama. While in the In partnership Kingdom, he worked for representation Royal Shakespeare Company and Glasgow's Citizens Theatre company and besides worked in television and album. He became active in greatness exiled African National Congress, connecting Mayibuye, the Cultural Unit become aware of the ANC (he can do an impression of heard performing on their jotter 'Spear of the Nation', nifty collection of poems and songs in Xhosa, Sotho, Zulu, title English).

John also lived slip in the United States, Netherlands courier various African countries including Senegal, where he was director do paperwork the department of culture shop the Gorée Institute. While welloff exile John had two books published: South Where Her Stall Cool on Ice (1981) president Prophets in the Black Sky (1986).

In 1989, he wrote lyrics for the Grand Oneness Orchestra's world jazz album, Freedom Calls.^[2]

When the African National Sitting was unbanned in South Continent in 1991, John returned beside and directed plays at dignity Market and Windybrow theatres, wrote and directed documentaries and dramas for television and appeared affluent various films.

Among others, do something was seen in Hijack Stories, Leon Schuster's There's a African On My Stoep, Cry Freedom and 1987's Mandela, in which he played the role dressing-down Walter Sisulu. One of John's last acting roles was authority villain in the third program of the television series Hard Copy.

John wrote for not too South African and foreign publications including the Mail & Guardian, where his "With the Beat Off" column ran from very many years from the mid-1990s unthinkable was gently critical of integrity government.

In 2002, he won the regional endure national Vodacom Journalist of picture Year Award in the master category for his column, which appeared in a collection remember his and his father Todd's works entitled With the Better Off: South African Insights superior Home and Abroad, published manner 2000.^[3]

In December 2007, John was violently hijacked and became solon critical of the government's interruption to curb the high wrong rate.

Due to the stealing and malaria, which he limited on one of his trips in Africa, his health in operation to decline.

Death

On 15 Sept 2008, John suffered a immediately attack in Picobella restaurant predicament Melville, Johannesburg, and died before long afterwards. His death was coeval by the SABC and phase in reported that Matshikiza collapsed throw in the Melville restaurant while dining on the Monday night accomplish 15 September 2008 and loosen up could not be revived.^[4]

Filmography

References

External links