The legacy of Kashi Orchestra: South Africa's first Indian vernacular band

IN THIS column, I have stepped away from the traditional style of profiling a Tamil band. Instead, I have opted to profile the first South African Indian vernacular band, the Kashi Orchestra, led by Peter Jack.

Next month, the Bethesda Church will turn 100 years old. The Kashi Orchestra was an integral part of the church. It was formed solely for the purpose of performing gospel vernacular music for the Christian Indian community.

In 1946, Pastor Rowlands visited India and discovered the name 'Kashi'. Hence, on his return to South Africa, he founded the orchestra with Jack that same year and named it "Kashi." It was based at the Bethesda Church in Carlisle Street, Durban. 

Prior to the formation, Jack was a member of Durban’s famous Ranjeni Orchestra, whose headquarters were in the Natal Tamil Vedic Hall, situated directly opposite the Bethesda Church. He left the Ranjeni Orchestra to lead the newly formed Kashi Orchestra.

Jack, who was a clarinet player, had a flair for vernacular music. He was born in the Railway Barracks in 1927 and attended Depot Road School. Most of the band’s members emanated from the Railway and Magazine barracks and the Durban CBD - being the first generation of Christian settlers in this country.

The other founding members included Rajamoney John, T John, Shirley John, Peter Prakasim, John Prakasim and James Kistnaswami. As the band’s existence spanned over a period of 64 years, the membership is too many to mention and injustice will be done if any names were omitted in this column. 

The orchestra performed predominantly in the Tamil and Telugu languages, had strong ties, and networked with India, especially Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, and countries like Malaysia and Sri Lanka. It made tremendous sacrifices in the promotion of Indian vernacular music.

In his Golden Jubilee message for Kashi Orchestra, Jack said: “Presenting Kashi Orchestra to our Indian community in South Africa has never been an easy task. We had to bear much criticism, persecution and ridicule because of its strong lean to westernisation."

He also said: “In our country at this present time, language and culture has taken a prominent place among all South Africans. We as Indian South Africans must do all we can to keep language and culture in our worship.”

The orchestra performed all over South Africa for many engagements, campaigns and crusades, especially in the sugar cane estates and plantations of the Natal coastal belt and the Natal Midlands. The band was regularly featured on the SABC Indian magazine programme on Sundays, called Music in the Morning, contributing to the Easter and Christmas special segments, which they did for over 45 years.

The orchestra also rendered Indian Christian vernacular music for weddings and other social functions. In the 1970s, the Kashi Orchestra recorded its first album and more followed. The band officially closed in 2010 after Jack and other members retired. Sadly, Jack passed away on October 21, 2022, at age 95.

Jimmy Moodley is an author and researcher. 

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