Veteran musician Jack Yokowo dies

Veteran musician Jack Yokowo dies

Veteran musician Jack Yokowo dies

13-June-2014
Seychelles has lost another veteran musician. Jack Yokowo passed away yesterday morning at the age of 65.Jack Yokowo

In an article for the Up Close page of the Seychelles Nation issue of February 19, 2012, John Lablache wrote that Jack is probably most revered for his skills on the Hawaiian steel guitar, a feat that not many Seychellois can lay claim to. In fact, it is highly probable that Jack was the only Seychellois who played this instrument…

Born on May 15, 1949, Jack was the offspring of a Japanese father, Tamosu Yokowo, who married his mum, Raymonde Camille, a Diguois. He has one brother and four sisters – one of them the well-known Sister Bernadette of the St Joseph Congregation. Her real name was Isa Yokowo.

Jack went to school at St John Bosco and later St Louis College. He left school to join the Government Survey Division and was a few years later sent on a cartographer’s course in Surrey, in the UK.

Music was always his passion and he played in some of the bands that entertained during weekends at popular night-spots such as Rendez-Vous, City and Rainbow, to name just a few.

Jack played mostly the guitar. But it was not until he joined such bands as Mickey and the Buccaneers that he started making a name for himself. Rolly Chang Him was the lead guitarist, while Jack played rhythm. Other members of the Buccaneers included Frank Juliette and Albert Durand.

Jack also played with ‘Pat et ses ombres’. The band was made up of Jack himself, Pat Barallon, Guibert Pragassen and Eddie Micock.

After getting married in the 1980s Jack moved to Montreal, Canada and spent nine years there, truck driving. He has two daughters – Marcia and Lyn – and a son also called Jack.

Upon returning to Seychelles, Jack went to work at Hunt Deltel for a year, before a six-month stint with the Islands Development Company (IDC) as assistant manager at Farquhar. His last job was with the telecommunications company Airtel as driver/messenger.

Jack who lived at Anse Boileau, also played with the ‘Amigos’ band.
His funeral will take place tomorrow at the Ste Thérèse Church, Plaisance at 10am.

http://www.nation.sc/article.html?id=241992