South African jazz legend Ray Phiri has died at the age of 70 after a two-month battle with lung cancer.
The guitarist, producer and vocalist rose to fame when he featured on Paul Simon’s Graceland album in 1986.
He was admitted to hospital a few days ago, while a pubic appeal was launched to help pay for his medical bills.
In an interview with South Africa’s The Sowetan newspaper earlier this month, Phiri said:
“Let me suffer [in peace with my] pain, on my own with my dignity.”
Born in Mpumalanga to Malawian immigrant worker and South African guitarist nicknamed “Just Now” Phiri became founding member of the Cannibals in the 1970s.
When the Cannibals disbanded Ray founded Stimela, with whom he conceived gold and platinum-selling albums like Fire, Passion and Ecstacy (1991), Look, Listen and Decide (1992) as well as the controversial People Don’t Talk So Let’s Talk.