US EditionLegendary Photographer and Jazz Visionary Rashid Lombard Dies at 74
- Rashid Lombard, a South African photojournalist and jazz promoter, died on 4 June 2025 in Cape Town at age 74.
- Born in 1951 in the North End area of what is now known as Gqeberha, Rashid spent his early years in a racially mixed community until apartheid-era forced relocations disrupted this environment, experiences that deeply influenced his lifelong dedication to justice.
- He captured the brutal realities of apartheid and significant milestones in South Africa’s democratic transition, later establishing espAfrika and leading the major annual jazz event in Cape Town from 2000 until 2014.
- In 2014, Lombard was honored with a Silver Class award of the Order of Ikhamanga for his influential work in culture and jazz, and he curated an archive of over 500,000 negatives that is preserved as a treasured national resource.
- His death prompted tributes highlighting him as a storyteller and cultural icon who captured South Africa's struggle and promoted inclusivity through his art and jazz events.
15 Articles
15 Articles
The Conversation
ugandanews.netRashid Lombard: the photographer who documented both resistance and celebration in South Africa
The click of a camera shutter and the improvisation of a jazz saxophone may seem worlds apart. Yet, in the hands of South African photojournalist and cultural organiser Rashid Lombard, they became inseparable instruments of resistance and celebration. Born in Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha) in 1951, Lombard began his journey as a photographer during one of the most turbulent periods in South African history. He documented pivotal moments in the co…
Visionary with a camera: Rashid Lombard’s lasting legacy – The Mail & Guardian
Rashid Lombard was a legend among legends. A comrade, a stalwart, a hip jazz cat — he lived large, energetically, wildly seizing life by the horns, as if there was an urgency to do so. Lombard was a photojournalist working for the foreign press, capturing the darkest days of apartheid South Africa, but also a major contributor to culture whose name was synonymous with jazz in South Africa. He died on 4 June, at the age of 74. Tributes from all o…
Gayton McKenzie pays tribute to Rashid Lombard
Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has described the late Rashid Lombard as a storyteller who was unafraid to document South African history.The acclaimed photographer, cultural activist, and jazz promoter passed away peacefully on Wednesday at the age of 74, surrounded by his loved ones.“Rashid Lombard was more than a photographer. He was a storyteller and freedom fighter who used his camera as a weapon for justice. He captured tr…
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