John Knox Bokwe

John Knox Bokwe (15 March 1855 – 22 February 1922) was a South African journalist, Presbyterian minister and one of the most celebrated Xhosa hymn writers and musician. He is best known for his compositions Vuka Deborah, Plea for Africa, and Marriage Song. Bokwe is recognized as the first known Black South African composer to have notated his own music, marking a significant point in South African musical history.

As a young boy, Bokwe ran errands and worked for Dr. James Stewart's family. It was also in their house that he learnt to play the organ and the piano. In the same year Dr. Stewart took him into the general office of the Lovedale Mission as messenger, and later as his secretary, a post he filled until he left Lovedale in 1897. Meanwhile, in 1869, he was admitted into the mission's college department, where he was to remain until 1872.

Bokwe's exposure to music at Lovedale influenced his development as a composer. His first known hymn, "Msindisi wa boni" (Saviour of Sinners), is particularly significant as it is considered the earliest notated composition by a Black South African. Grant Olwage notes that "Msindisi wa boni" exemplifies Victorian hymn melody, showcasing a binary structure similar to popular tunes of the time, such as the Old Hundredth.

Bokwe met a young girl, Lettie Ncheni, who was also employed in the Stewart household. She worked there from 1868 to 1873 while attending night classes and from 1871 attended as a day scholar. The two got married in 1878 when Lettie returned from Scotland where she had accompanied Mrs. Stewart for three years.

Musical Style and Influence

Bokwe's hymns and compositions were influenced by the Victorian hymnody he encountered at Lovedale Mission. According to Olwage, Bokwe blended Western musical elements with aspects of African tradition in his compositions. His work often featured the arching symmetry typical of Victorian hymn tunes and used motifs that built towards climactic moments. Olwage suggests that this combination of styles reflects the cultural tensions of Bokwe's time, navigating between African and colonial influences.

Imvo Zabantsundu newspaper: 1898–1899

In 1897, after 24 years of service, Bokwe left Lovedale Mission to collaborate with John Tengo Jabavu in producing the Xhosa newspaper Imvo Zabantsundu ("African Opinion") in King Williamstown. Many Xhosa South Africans were critical of the views expressed by Jabavu, in part because Jabavu was an Mfengu, a group regarded as subordinate to and unrepresentative of the Xhosa people. iZwi la Bantu ("The Voice of the People") was founded and published in East London, under the editorship of N. C. Mhala, in opposition to the Imvo Zabantsundu ("African Opinion") newspaper. It was to discourage these accusations that Bokwe, a Xhosa, went to join Jabavu. Olwage notes that Bokwe’s brief involvement in journalism reflected his multifaceted contributions to Xhosa culture, although his true calling lay in music and ministry.

Last years: 1921–1922

He was forced to retire in 1920 because of failing health and moved nearer to Lovedale again. In the same year, already in poor health he appeared before the Native Affairs Commission. His last years were spent helping Dr. Henderson, the principal, to translate the metrical psalms into Xhosa. He died at his home at Ntselamanzi, near Lovedale, on February 22, 1922. He was buried in the Gaga Cemetery, alongside other missionaries associated with Lovedale.

Family Lineage

Bokwe was married twice and had six children:

Barbour Bokwe, Rosebery Tandwefika Bokwe, (1900–1963) qualified as a doctor in 1933 and later became active in the African National Congress (ANC). Selbourne Bokwe, Frieda Bokwe, married "ZK" (Zachariah Keodirelang) Matthews, the educationalist, church leader and African nationalist. Pearl Bokwe, Pearl became the wife of Mark Radebe, the composer. Waterson Bokwe.

Other notes

John Knox Bokwe's name appears on an autograph quilt made as a local church fundraiser, about 1894. The original quilt is on display at the National Museum of Australia. This rare autograph quilt is one of the earliest known signature quilts in Australia. It includes about 650 embroidered signatures, names, monograms or initials. Only a small number, including prominent figures in late 1890s elite Melbourne society and missionaries in Australia, England and South Africa, have been identified.