INFORMATION
Stephen Cuthbert Molefe (1917-1987)
Since most African languages are tonal, a melodic shape emerges directly from speaking the text. Stephen Molefe was among the first South African musicians that Fr. Dargie worked with in these workshops.
Molefe was born of Sotho descent in the Transkei area of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. A choirmaster at the Catholic Church, he was not only a skilled musician but also fluent in a variety of South African languages including Sotho, Xhosa, Zulu, Tswana, Afrikaans and English.
Fr. Dargie met Molefe in 1977 at a composition workshop and transcribed a number of his works into staff notation. They include a wide variety of musical styles, “Masithi-Amen” being among the simplest.