Jazz musician, Alvin Dyers, has died at 71

A legendary figure in the Cape Jazz movement, recording artist, educator, and composer, Alvin Dyers, has died on Sunday, at the age of 71.

SUPPLIED - PICTURED: Alvin Dyers

Dyers was born in Harfield Village in 1953. By the age of seven, he was already playing the guitar. He founded the band Sacred Legion – alongside his brother Errol Dyers. Dyers was celebrated for his unique sound that blended Latin, Cape Ghoema, African rhythms, and Jazz; a style immortalised in his 2000 debut album, ‘Wesley Street’. He was also a jazz guitar teacher at the University of Cape Town,

In 2011, the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) honoured Alvin Dyers in the Western Cape Jazz Legends project, which pays homage to the rich jazz heritage of our province, while encouraging a wider audience to appreciate these musicians. He was also honoured at the 2023 DCAS Cultural Awards with a Ministerial Legacy Award in recognition of his contribution to jazz music as an educator and guitarist.

The father of two, died at his Kensington home of natural causes. The previous day he performed at a friend’s funeral.

Jazz musician, Richard Ceasar, described Dyers as a ‘true gentlemen.’

‘’I am in Alaska, and I received this very sad news about my guitar Buddy...Alvin Dyers...We had some great guitar playing moments in the pass...Somehow I always knew you were around making beautiful music in and around Cape Town...You were a true gentleman, and loved by all guitar enthusiasts, with a beautiful serene spirit... I will miss my friend... R.I.P. My Sincere Condolences to Heather and your Boys...’’

Western Cape’s Cultural Affairs and sport MEC, Ricardo Mackenzie said Dyers was more than just a musician; he was a beacon of inspiration for aspiring artists.

‘’His legacy will endure not only in the music he created but in the lives he touched as a teacher and mentor.’’

 

Done By: Mitchum George