Dr Richard Deja

MM (Jazz Studies) DePaul University, PhD (Musicology) University of Illinois

Ethnomusicology and Curator, Kirby Collection

Dr Rick Deja is Senior Lecturer and Head of African Music, as well as curator of the Kirby Collection Musical Instruments. His scholarly and creative output is rooted in performance-based research in southern Africa and builds upon his longstanding work with Malawian musicians in Malawi, South Africa, and the American Midwest since 1990. His current research, published works, and creative output focus on musical intersections between jazz and African indigenous musics, collective improvisation and composition, as well as strategies for revitalisation of indigenous musical instruments. He performs on saxophone, guitar, and African instruments and directs the Pan-African Jazz and Popular Music Ensemble at UCT. 

Rick has previously taught at Washington University in St. Louis; Rutgers Arts Online – Mason Gross School of the Arts, University of Illinois (UIUC); and Earlham College. He has also performed with a variety of international artists including: 10,000 Maniacs, Phil Woods, The O’Jays, Thomas Mapfumo, Gary Sinise, Babatunde Olatunji, Brian Mantia (Primus), and Vinnie Colaiuta (Frank Zappa), among others.