Benjamin John Peter Tyamzashe (5 September 1890 - 4 June 1978) was a South African Xhosa music composer, teacher, principal, choir conductor and organist.
[1] He matriculated in 1939 and attempted to study a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of South Africa however, he did not proceed with this due to the death of his wife.
At Tiger Kloof, he worked as a teacher, trained the choir and also played the harmonium for the school assembly.
During his spare time while working at the Tiger Kloof Educational Institute, he obtained an Associate Diploma via correspondence from the Tonic Solfa College in London, England with distinction.
This degree included instruction in solfa notation, elementary harmony, counterpoint, form and style.
[2] During his time in Cala, he led the Transkei Border Troupe which was a group which specialised in Xhosa indigenous music.
He also composed the song ‘Zweliya duduma’ for a 3000 voice choir which incorporated aspects of the Xhosa prophet Ntsikana’s chant.
The song ‘Zweliya duduma’ was performed in Umtata in 1947 to welcome the British royal family to the Eastern Cape.
Many of his compositions have been used as set pieces for choir competitions including Ukuba bendinamaphiko (TUATA 1961), Inyibiba (Transkei 1964), and Intlokomo (Transkei 1965) In 1968, his song Ududa nabo liXhaga leDini received the only prize awarded for an African composers in the South African Composers Society.
He received an Honorary Masters of Arts degree from the University of Fort Hare in recognition for the contributions he made to Xhosa music.