Famous Musicians On Stamps

Famous Musicians On Stamps

Ten Music Legends for Your Stamp Album

In July 2014, South African Post Office issued a set devoted to popular music icons, consisting of 10 self-adhesive stamps and two commemorative envelopes, featuring artwork by artist Vumile Mavumengwana.

The ten musicians honoured on the stamps were chosen for their originality, as well as for the impact they had on the lives of South Africans. All of them are deceased because, according to SAPO’s policy, no living persons can be portrayed on a stamp unless it is the president of a country.

In chronological order of their birth, the ten music legends that are now immortalised on South African stamps are:

Solomon Linda (1909 – 1962). Linda composed the song Mbube, which later became popular as The Lion Sleeps Tonight from The Lion King and recorded it in 1939. It became the first African record to sell over 100,000 copies. Linda died in poverty in 1962. In 2006, in an out-of-court settlement, Linda was recognised as a co-author of Mbube / The Lion Sleeps Tonight and his descendants were granted royalties from world-wide use of the song.

Kippie Moeketsi (1925 – 1983). Jazz musician and saxophonist Kippie Moeketsi played with many South African greats: Abdullah Ibrahim, Jonas Gwangwa, Hugh Masekela and Mirriam Makeba. Unlike many other musicians, who went into exile after the Sharpeville massacre of 1960, Kippie re