Late photographer and jazz promoter Rashid Lombard remembered as an icon
CAPE TOWN - Cultural activist and jazz promoter Rashid Lombard has been described as an icon who not only documented South Africa's struggle history but cemented himself as a big player in the country's rich heritage.
Lombard died in Cape Town on Wednesday, surrounded by his loved ones at the age of 74.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has offered his condolences to the Lombard family and his extensive network of friends nationally and internationally.
He will be buried on Thursday morning, according to Muslim rites.
Originally from the Eastern Cape, Lombard was born in North End, Gqeberha on 10 April 1951.
At age 11, his family moved to Cape Town, where he would later become respected in media and music circles.
Trained as an architectural draftsman and later as an industrial photographer, Lombard began his career with a major construction company.
But his political consciousness was later amplified through the influence of the black consciousness movement and he left the corporate world.
He went on to work as a freelance photographer and television sound recordist during the height of the anti-apartheid struggle.
He worked for a few international media outlets, including Agence France-Presse (AFP), the BBC, and NBC.
Over the course of his career, he documented pivotal moments in South Africa's journey to freedom, including the rise of the democratic movement in the 1980s, the release of Nelson Mandela in 1990, and the country's first democratic elections in 1994.
But the music was calling and in 1997, Lombard founded espAfrika, the company which steered him to become an influential jazz promoter and founder of the then Cape Town edition of the North Sea Jazz Festival.
He was at the helm of the company until his retirement in 2014.
His work received widespread acclaim, and he was honoured with numerous awards for both his contributions to news photography and his impact on music and tourism.
In 2014, he was awarded the prestigious National Order of Ikhamanga in Silver "for his excellent contribution to arts and culture and his dedication to promoting jazz music that has put South Africa on the map for many jazz enthusiasts around the world".
He is survived by his lifelong partner Colleen Lombard, his sister Fazoe Sydow and his children Chevan, Shadley, Yana, Zach, and Daniel, and six grandchildren.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
an hour ago
- IOL News
Gamers get hold of Nintendo's hotly awaited Switch 2
Nintendo's latest console, the Switch 2, continues its tradition of appealing to mainstream audiences rather than competing on raw power. Image: Nintendo Gamers finally got their hands on Nintendo's new Switch 2 on Thursday, the console that could score record early sales for the Japanese "Super Mario" creator. The device, which features a bigger screen and more processing power, is an upgrade to the Switch that became a global phenomenon with hit games such as "Animal Crossing". The original Switch has sold 152 million units since its 2017 release, making it the third-best-selling console ever. Consoles were still on the shelves at a central Paris electronics store by early afternoon Thursday, defying concerns of stock running out. "I'm not surprised, people planned ahead with pre-orders," said Benoit Martins, 29, a construction project manager. He said he had been waiting "for months" to pick up his own new console -- but did not turn out at midnight to secure it at the moment of release, as several dozen French fans had. In Tokyo, there had been no Switch 2's available without preorders when stores opened Thursday morning. Lei Wang, 24, a recent graduate from China, said he had been "shocked" to win a preorder lottery as he queued to collect his device. "It's basically just me who got picked... so I don't really want to say anything" to less lucky friends, he said with a laugh. Shinichi Sekiguchi, 31, said he was so excited he forgot to bring his phone, while 33-year-old Kuro said she had taken a day off work to use her new console. "The improved graphics and the ability to play with a larger group -- I think that's a big deal," she said. Serkan Toto from Tokyo consultancy Kantan Games said he "would not be surprised to see Switch 2 breaking sales records in the next weeks and months". Nintendo's online store had 2.2 million pre-order applications for the Switch 2 in Japan -- an "insane number the industry has never seen before", Toto told AFP. Worth the price? The Switch 2 has eight times the memory of the first Switch and its controllers, which attach with magnets, can also be used like a desktop computer mouse. New functions allowing users to chat as they play online and temporarily share games with friends could also be a big draw for young audiences used to watching game streamers. However, Nintendo has its work cut out to match the overall success of the original. Challenges include uncertainty over US trade tariffs and whether it can convince enough people to pay the high price for its new device. The Switch 2 costs $449.99 in the United States, more than the original's launch price of $299.99. Both are hybrid consoles that can connect to a TV or be played on the go. New Switch 2 games such as "Donkey Kong Bananza" and "Mario Kart World" -- which allows players to go exploring off-grid -- are also more expensive than existing titles. "After playing it, I think it's worth the price," Steven Paterno, a 24-year-old aspiring filmmaker, told AFP at a Nintendo launch event in New York City. He had been waiting outside the Rockefeller Center's Nintendo store for a month and a half, part of a group of around 20 die-hard fans desperate to be first in line. "I loved the original Switch, but I had to admit the Switch 2 really tops it," Paterno said. Cancelled pre-orders Retailers in the United States, Europe and other major markets are gearing up for a rush of excited fans, with some stores opening at midnight to welcome them. "I'm very excited to pick it up at midnight," 22-year-old graduate Angel Caceres said at the New York launch event. "I'm going to be very tired after that." Supply pressures have forced some retailers to cancel orders, with Britain's Game saying it is "working hard to reinstate as many affected pre-orders as possible". Nintendo forecasts it will ship 15 million Switch 2 consoles in the current financial year, roughly equal to the original console in the same period after its release. The Switch 2 "is priced relatively high" compared with its predecessor, the company's president Shuntaro Furukawa said at a financial results briefing in May.
IOL News
3 hours ago
- IOL News
David Beckham to be awarded knighthood by King Charles
Arise, Sir David Beckham Britain's King Charles III (L) speaks with businessman and retired football player David Beckham as they visit the preview day at the RHS Chelsea Flower show, in London, on May 19, 2025. Photo: Toby Melville/AFP Image: Toby Melville/AFP David Beckham will be awarded a knighthood by King Charles III next week in recognition of his football career and his charity work, reports said Friday. The former England football captain is set to be named in the King's Birthday Honours List, according to the BBC and other sources. Other sporting figures who have been awarded the title include Beckham's former manager at Manchester United, Alex Ferguson, and British tennis great Andy Murray. The Sun newspaper said he would take the title of "sir" and his wife Victoria, a former member of the Spice Girls pop group, will be known as Lady Beckham. Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Beckham played 115 times for England as well as for a list of high-profile clubs including United and Real Madrid. He is currently the president and co-owner of US team Inter Miami and co-owner of Salford City, who play in the fourth tier of English football. The 50-year-old, who has long been in the running for a knighthood, was appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2003 — a lower award in Britain's honours system. Victoria later received the same award for services to the fashion industry. David Beckham was last month named in Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential leaders in philanthropy. He is an official ambassador for The King's Foundation, supporting its education programmes and "efforts to ensure young people have a greater understanding of nature" and has been a UNICEF goodwill ambassador since 2005. Beckham is understood to have been on the verge of receiving a knighthood after helping London win its bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games. But UK authorities placed a red flag on his nomination due to his involvement in an alleged tax avoidance scheme, according to previous reports. He was subsequently cleared. In 2017, British newspapers printed details of leaked emails in which Beckham criticised the honours system and the honours committee, according to the BBC. A spokesman for Beckham said at the time that the emails were "hacked", "doctored" and "private". AFP
IOL News
4 hours ago
- IOL News
Celebrating Rashid Lombard: A Legacy of Humility and Courage
Legendary photographer and cultural activist Rashid Lombard, who passed away on Wednesday at the age of 74, surrounded by posters of iconic musicians. Rashid was a formidable news photographer and captured some excellent pictures of protests and police action during the 1980s, but his real love was taking pictures of people, especially musicians, says the writer. Image: Brenton Geach/Independent Newspapers (Archives) Ryland Fisher When I was introduced more than 40 years ago to Rashid Lombard, who passed away on Wednesday, I thought his name was 'Pusher'. Later on, I heard people calling him 'Moena'. I never understood why he had those two names. Such was the humility and popularity of the man that many people at the time did not even know that his name was Rashid Lombard. Not many knew that his second name was Ahmed. Also, not many people knew that he was born in Port Elizabeth before moving to Cape Town as a young man, such has been the impact that he has made on his adoptive city over the past 40 years or more. Even fewer people knew that Rashid was not always a lover of jazz music. In fact, in his earlier years, in the 1960s, he loved musicians such as Carlos Santana, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, a story related by one of his best friends, the late James Matthews, when he wrote the foreword to Rashid's book, Jazz Rocks. 'I got him to listen to Nina Simone, whose words affected him deeply, placing him in another dimension. I thought to myself, this Rashid is a cool cat. And he still is.' Matthews wrote these words in 2013 and it was true to the end. I first met Rashid in the early 1980s on the protest-filled streets of Cape Town covering student protest actions against apartheid education, detentions and calling for the release of political leaders. I worked part-time at first and later full-time for the Grassroots community newspaper after being employed by a newspaper belonging to the Argus Company, while Rashid worked for an overseas photographic company. Rashid became one of many photographers who provided Grassroots with photographs that their bosses would not use, but they felt should be published. The fact that Grassroots had a 'no-byline' policy helped these photographers hide their association with a paper that would often be banned by the apartheid regime. Rashid was peripherally active in the Media Workers Association of South Africa (MWASA), but appeared to have found a new lease of life when a group of progressive journalists formed an organisation called the Association of Democratic Journalists (ADJ) with all of us proudly declaring ourselves 'media terrorists'. Rashid was a formidable news photographer and captured some excellent pictures of protests and police action during the 1980s, but his real love was taking pictures of people, especially musicians. He photographed musicians throughout the world, some of which pictures were reproduced in his book, Jazz Rocks, which was published in 2013. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Liya Williams, granddaughter of cultural activist photographer Rashid Lombard, rests her head on his coffin before his burial according to Muslim rites on Thursday June 5, 2025 in Cape Town. Image: Ian Landsberg / Independent Media After we became a democracy, Rashid decided to follow his first love, jazz music and worked as the first station manager at Fine Music Radio before joining P4 Radio (now Heart FM) as programme manager. He also took the audacious step in the late 1990s to bring the North Sea Jazz Festival to Cape Town and, within a few years, transformed it into the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, which is now one of the leading jazz festivals in the world. In 2008, as the CEO of Sekunjalo Media, I led the negotiations to buy a 51 per cent stake in ESP Afrika, the company organising the jazz festival which was formed by Rashid and his partner, Billy Domingo, who also acted as production director of the jazz festival and ESP. After Sekunjalo successfully bought into ESP, I became the chair of the company for about a year before I left to pursue other interests. It was easily my favourite job, and I learned so much about music and event planning from Rashid, Billy and Eva Domingo, Billy's wife. I also learned much about music from Rashid's daughter, Yana, who booked all the talent for the festival at the time. We worked together well and very hard to turn around a company that was doing well publicly, but privately it was struggling to make a profit, which is one of the most important things for any business. One memory that stands out for me from that time was travelling with Rashid and Billy to Mozambique to investigate the establishment of a jazz festival in Maputo. The idea was to have a series of jazz festivals throughout the sub-continent at around the same time, which would lead to economies of scale when booking foreign artists. For three days, we were hosted in Maputo by leading jazz guitarist, Jimmy Dludlu, who proudly showed off his hometown and country. Over the years, Rashid and I would often meet, either at functions or sometimes just to catch up. I remember how proud he was a few years ago when he announced his partnership with the University of the Western Cape to preserve his photographic archives along with that of some other photographers, such as the late George Hallet. Rashid was a humble man and did not always know the influence he had on the lives of many people throughout South Africa. He loved music and photography (he was never without his camera), but I suspect he loved people more. He was one of those people who could never leave a party without speaking to everyone in attendance. He loved to party and would often be one of the last to leave. I remember offering to give him and his wife a lift home from one party and then having to wait until he had said all his plentiful goodbyes. Over the last year or so, Rashid became ill and did not venture out much. In fact, when his good friend, James Matthews, passed away in September last year, Rashid was conspicuous by his absence. But he was already very sick at the time. Rashid married the love of his life, Colleen, in 1970 and they had three children, Chevan, Shadley and Yana. Colleen had been a trade unionist and ANC underground activists during the 1980s. He had two other younger sons with Heidi Raizenberg, the daughter of one of his friends. Rashid returned to Colleen a few years ago after she became very ill and he undertook to look after her. But they did not know that he too would become ill and that she would eventually outlive him. The last time I saw him was at a gathering of struggle journalists in Kalk Bay last year where we talked about ways of intervening in the media landscape to give more voices to ordinary people. Yesterday, his funeral was attended by a who's who of South African politics, business and civil society. Most people arrived way before the starting time of 12h45 and only left as the sun set in the early evening. Rashid received a simple Muslim burial, with a sendoff from his house in Burwood Road, Crawford, the coffin being carried through the streets to the mosque in nearby Taronga Road, and finally being laid to rest in the rough clay ground at the Mowbray cemetery, in the shadow of Table Mountain, before the mourners returned to the family house to wash their hands and have a meal. The simplicity of his burial belied the greatness of the man. * Ryland Fisher is a veteran journalist and former newspaper editor. ** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL, Independent Media or The African.
