Biography
Willard Cele overcame formidable barriers after being born and raised in a segregated South African township, contending with disability, and dying young, yet he exerted an enormous influence on South African music. By positioning a flute or pennywhistle sideways in the mouth, he generated a “thick” sound that enabled far greater tonal shading and extended range than the instrument had been built to deliver. This technique drew special attention following his 1951 appearance in the film The Magic Garden, after which pennywhistlers multiplied across South Africa. They performed without permits on street corners, steering clear of White police determined to make arrests. The style took its name from the repeatedly heard Afrikaans command “Kwela!” (climb up!) that officers directed at musicians while loading them into police vans. Cele’s model helped establish Kwela as a widely embraced and lasting South African form.