He advocated mindful authenticity and improvisational artistry in African, global and cosmic terms.
He coined the encapsulating term “Zimology” for his ideas and teachings on the interface between music, spirituality and cosmology.
His solo albums, bursting with adventurous creativity, received many awards and were all released on the Sheer Sound label, home to many of South Africa’s leading jazz artists.
There were four studio albums (Zimology, Ingoma, Zimphonic Suites and Vadzimu) as well as a “Best of” album and—the most recent release—a live album recorded in the United States.
Apart from various types of saxophone (soprano, alto, tenor and baritone) and the piano, he played concert flute, piccolo, double-head flute, harmonica, melodica and percussion. He also sung, in a slightly gruff but melodious voice and mostly in isiXhosa.
