Statement from Anroux Marais, Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport:
It is with great sadness that I learnt of the passing of one of the Western Cape’s great music talents, Errol Dyers.
Errol did not formally study music but honed his craft through listening to the natural rhythms of Cape Town and watching how people around him expressed themselves through music. His style can be described as Cape Jazz and Ghoema, and some of the songs on his debut album incorporated elements of melodies that stemmed from the earliest strummings of Cape Town people.
Errol also toured in the UK in 1990 alongside Robbie Jansen and the late Basil Coetzee. The tour included a live broadcast on BBC. His career included performances with Winston Mankunku, Abdullah Ibrahim and Mccoy Mrubata.
Errol was a musician who contributed to the Western Cape’s rich culture and he will be greatly missed by his fellow artists and his fans. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family and to all of those whose lives were touched by his music.
Dr Tania Colyn
Head of Communication Service
Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport
Tel: 021 483 9877 / 076 093 4913
E-mail: Tania.Colyn@westerncape.gov.za