I am a (currently lapsed) uilleann piper & whistle player living in
Melbourne, Australia. I came across your site about 18 months ago,
after meeting an English expat. on a tram, after just buying a new
whistle. He saw the top of the whistle protruding from the top of a brown paper bag and asked me if I had heard any South African penny-whistle. He urged me to seek some out as he had heard some excellent music there in the 1960s & ’70s.

To cut a long story short I found this site and have used the links & materials here to some benefit.

I would like to add some info that you may find useful.

I have found videos that feature Spokes Mashiyane (both sax & whistle)& Big Voice Jack soundtracks on youtube.

tom hark – elias & his zig zag jive flutes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKz5kpqctV0

ry ry – B side of above:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4xkfoIEHbw

here is a transcription I did of Ry Ry from the above source:

X:1
T:Ry Ry
S:Elias & his Zig Zag Jive Flutes
Z:donpiper
L:1/8
M:12/8
K:D
z2A d2f a3-a2z | gzA c2e a3-a2z |
fzA d2f a3-a2z | gzA c2e a3-a2z |
fzA d2f a2b a2z | gzA c2e a2b a2z |
fzA d2f a2b a2z | gzA c2e a2b a2z ||
dzA d2e =f2e dz2 | B2z ez2 c2z EzA |
dzA d2e =f2e dz2 | B2z ez2 c2z EzA |
dzA d2e =f2e dz2 | B2z ez2 c2z EzA |
dzA d2e =f2e dz2 | B2z ez2 c2z EzA ||

If you have trouble with the abc format there is info here:

http://www.lesession.co.uk/abc/abc_notation.htm

and a converter here:

http://www.concertina.net/tunes_convert.html

I have found vinyl rips of two Big Voice Jack LPs here:

http://electricjive.blogspot.com/2009/09/township-mshovo-and-groovin-one-two.html

and a compilation with a lovely Spokes Mashiyane 12 bar Boogie entitled ‘Kalla’s Special’ here:

http://electricjive.blogspot.com/2009/10/pre-bop-fifties-joburg-jazz-jukebox.html

Hope you find this stuff useful,
cheers,
Don.