Johnny Dyani

South African jazz double bassist, pianist and composer. Member of The Blue Notes; noted for blending South African township music (kwela) with jazz and free jazz. Active from the 1960s until his death in 1986.

Member of The Blue Notes (with Dudu Pukwana, Louis Moholo, Mongezi Feza, Chris McGregor and others). Exiled to Europe in the 1960s. Collaborated with Don Cherry. Recorded Song For Biko dedicated to Steve Biko; music mixes South African popular forms and free-jazz influences.

Johnny Dyani is presented as a pivotal South African jazz bassist and composer who blended township music with free jazz. The reviews praise Song For Biko as a high point, noting collaborations with Don Cherry and Dudu Pukwana. The material emphasizes Diaspora, anti-apartheid context, and musical fusion.

For:Jazz listeners, students of South African music and history, fans of world/free jazz.