Tenor saxophonist Edmund Ntemi Piliso better known as “Bra Ntemi” died recently, bringing to an end a life that spanned 75 years and contributed much to the South African jazz scene.

A committed musician, he was inspired when he heard Johnny Hodges playing with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. When he was a youngster he used to peep through the back flaps of beer tents to watch the marabi players in their early days and became a great admirer of the itinerant whistle bands on the streets of Alexandra.