The Piano Man in township tavern purgatory

In my Pinetown pub off Main Road, in the mid-'90s I used to hang out with a one-eyed fellow who'd regale me with stories of his time in the SA Navy:

03 March 2024 - 00:00 By Ndumiso Ngcobo

When Bob Dylan was conferred with the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016, there was an audible groan from large sections of novelist/writer/columnist types. We saw him looking like a rabbit in headlights struggling to get the simplest of melodies in that Netflix doccie on ‘We Are The World’. I hadn't seen Michael Jackson’s jaw reach his knees until that footage. God bless Stevie Wonder for ‘seeing’ the problem. I was raised on Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin and Nat King Cole, but I discovered Bill Joel all on my own in the early '80s while shopping for a Brenda Fassie cassette...

There’s never been a more important time to support independent media.

From World War 1 to present-day cosmopolitan South Africa and beyond, the Sunday Times has been a pillar in covering the stories that matter to you.

For just R80 you can become a premium member (digital access) and support a publication that has played an important political and social role in South Africa for over a century of Sundays. You can cancel anytime.

Already subscribed? Sign in below.



Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@timeslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.