According to research done for the artist's brief on the sculpture, the story goes that, when playing bepop, Kippie's fingers ran along his saxaphone like rolling stones, which is how he acquired a nickname, “Morolong”.
One of the great figures of South African jazz, Kippie Moeketsi was a genius, a sensitive, brilliant musician, a dedicated teacher, and an outspoken critic. But, whenever people speak or write about him there is inevitably a reference to the flip side: Kippie the hard-living alcoholic, depressive and moody, a troublemaker, a lost soul who died penniless and alone. The intensity he brought to his music he also brought to his daily existence. Born into poverty, he was destined to forge an existence among apartheid's downtrodden, were it not for the fact that he came from a family of musicians. The day he picked up his brother's clarinet at the age of 20 was the day his destiny revealed itself. He changed the course not only of his own life, but that of South African township jazz.
According to Kate Shand of the Newtown Improvement District: “The sculpture now sited outside the Kippie's venue is a detailed and painterly portrait of the man and his instrument, seated on an ordinary kitchen chair with another next to him waiting for passers by interested in a photo opportunity, or, for fellow musicians who'd still like to imagine what it felt like to play alongside the great man. We are hugely grateful to all the partners on this project, the Gauteng Department of Recreation, Sports, Arts, Culture and Heritage, the City of Johannesburg and the Johannesburg Development Agency, for working together to make sure this important work has been realised in public space in our district. The piece makes a great new contribution to our public art offering and will ensure that many people who visit the area learn about Kippie and his legendary influence on South African jazz.”
