Dawid Engela

Dawid Engela (1931-1967) was a South African author, broadcaster, composer, musicologist and translator.

Biography

Born Dawid Sofius Engela in Florida, Johannesburg, on 30 October 1931, matriculating from Voortrekker High School, Boksburg, in 1947. Intending to enter the ministry, he finished one year of a BA degree at Potchefstroom University in 1948, but then moved to the University of the Witwatersrand in 1949 for a three-year B.Mus. degree.

He then went to Europe in 1953 intending to study music in Vienna, and in 1956 obtained a position with the BBC in London, working forfor seven years, during which time he became a naturalised British citizen. Initially he worked in the Afrikaans Division and later in the Overseas Regional Service, as announcer, translator, programme compiler and drama organiser and producer, even occasionally doing duty as a sports commentator.[1]

He worked for thew SABC in various capacities between 1948 and 1953. , when he took a part-time job as an apprentice record program compiler in the SABC record library. He managed his time sufficiently well to pursue his full-time studies while having an income. In February 1950 he resigned from the SABC to pay more attention to his studies; nevertheless he handled the music column in the weekly SABC magazine, Radio, from June – August 1950. At the end of 1951 he completed his B.Mus. studies and immediately (in November) rejoined the SABC, this time as announcer/producer. He held this post until May 1953. at

He died in a motor accident on 25 November 1967