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Born in 1992 in Sebokeng, a suburb of Johannesburg, Abel Selaocoe took his first cello lessons at the age of eleven at his local school. After studying music in South Africa, he moved to the Royal Conservatory of Music in Manchester, UK. In addition to his training in classical music, he also took in other styles such as jazz, and immersed himself in the folk tradition of his native country, which he celebrates through his own compositions. A member of the Chesaba trio since 2016 alongside double bassist Alan Keary and percussionist Sidiki Dembelé, the cellist also performs as a soloist or with orchestras such as the BBC Philharmonic. In 2019, after taking part in the 100 Cellos Live concert in Italy, British composer Karl Jenkins will call on him for several of his sacred pieces. Signed by Warner Classics, Abel Selaocoe records his first album, Where Is Home / Hae Ke Kae (2022), in which his compositions rub shoulders with Baroque pieces by J. S. Bach and G. B. Platti. He continues to mix genres on Hymns of Bantu (2025), where Xhosa throat singing rubs shoulders with classics by Marais, Bach and L. B. Files.
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