Robbie Jansen
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Robbie Jansen (born Robert Edward Jansen) is a South African musician and a folk hero in the Western Cape. He was born in Cape Town in 1949.
Jansen began his musical journey in pop bands such as The Rockets, performing music made popular by the South African radio stations such as Springbok Radio. His first instruments were concertina and mouth organ. The repertoire was British pop of the Hippie era. But after a trip to London, which was part of a prize in a band competition, he soon discovered Black music from the USA and in particular the groups with brass sections and he decided he wanted to be a brass instrument player. Brass instrument bands were not new to Robbie as his father was associated with the Salvation Army bands, but he chose the rock and jazz genre for himself. He played in the brass section of Cape Town's cult jazz/rock group Pacific Express from where he went solo as an alto-sax player and singer.
South African duo Johnny Clegg and Sipho Mchunu brought Jansen on board to play flute and saxophone on Juluka's debut album, Universal Men. Jansen joined the growing band for their next two albums, but departed between African Litany and Scatterlings to resume his solo career. He was replaced by Scorpion Madondo.
His history in music reflects the history of the Coloured People under apartheid. Jansen is self taught. His work with Dollar Brand and Basil Coetzee in the 1970s introduced him to jazz audiences in many countries. He is now a leading figure in Cape Jazz.
Jansen became very ill in July 2005 and the Premier of the Western Cape announced that his medical bills would be met by the state. This was immensely popular with Capetonians and when Jansen returned to performing he was always met with affection, love and respect. Unlike many of his fellow jazz musicians from the apartheid years he welcomed all into his musical experience. Still a regular performer in venues across Cape Town, his band, the Sons of the Table Mountain, is usually with him.
In 2006 his album, Nomad Jazz was nominated for a SAMA Award, as best Jazz album of the year. He has two other solo albums, Vastrap Island and The Cape Doctor. The albums were produced by Patrick Lee-Thorp for the Mountain Records label.
A blow to his career came in March 2007 when his doctors said that he could no longer travel long distances by air due to his respiratory condition. This forced the cancellation of his 2007 European tour.
