If Abel Selaocoe can be compared to another artist in terms of his approach to the wide world of music, the closest equivalent might be Bobby McFerrin. Like McFerrin, Selaocoe can move seamlessly between perfetly performed classical music, jazz, world music, and more, creating music of such emotional power and flow that it becomes irrelevant to think about its sources.
Selaocoe, 32, was born into a musical family in South Africa. His parents, older brothers, and first music teachers recognised his immense talent and his studies took him from weekend courses in Soweto to the Johannesburg conservatory, and finally to teh Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, where he graduated in 2018 and subsequently put down roots. Two years previously he had formd Chesaba, a trio dedicated to innovative interpretations of African music.
'Sparks fly as the South African cellist Abel Selaocoe and Manchester Collective live on the edge.'
Guardian
Selaocoe has collaborated with such esteemed artists as the percussionist Bernhard Schimpelsberger, kora player Secka Keita, and Famouda Don Moy, the legendary drummer from the Art Ensemble of Chicago. He has also built himself a career in classical music, working with British orchestras and in solo programmes featuring his vituso cello style, distinctive voice, and sometimes using his body as a percussion instrument.
