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Caiphus Semenya

Caiphus Semenya (born 19 August 1939) is a South African composer and musician. As a young musician he sang in the cast of the jazz musical King Kong. After moving to the United States in the 1960s

Caiphus Semenya (born 19 August 1939) is a South African composer and musician. As a young musician he sang in the cast of the jazz musical King Kong. After moving to the United States in the 1960s he had a successful career as a composer and arranger, including work on the scores for Roots (1977) and The Color Purple (1985). Biography Caiphus Katse Semenya was born in Johannesburg’s Alexandra Township on 19 August 1939 in a musically inclined family. Semenya formed a recording label, “Munjale”. He returned to South Africa in 1991. * 2015: ACT Lifetime Achievement Award for Music * 1986: Academy Award for Best Original Score for the 1985 film The Color Purple; shared the nomination with nine other composers. Discography * The Very Best of Caiphus Semenya (Columbia, 1996) * Woman Got a Right to Be (1996) * Streams Today… Rivers Tomorrow (Munjale, 1984) * Listen to the Wind (CBS, 1982) With Quincy Jones * Roots (A&M, 1977) References External links *Unisa honours the love story of Letta Mbulu and Caiphus Semenya *

Era
Post-War
Lived
1939–present
From
South Africa
Born in
Johannesburg
Known as
musician, composer, saxophonist, film score composer
Instruments
saxophone
Genres
jazz