Charles Segal
A prolific South African pianist and composer, Charles Segal is recognized for his varied albums of children's music, jazz, and relaxing mood music. Emerging in the 1950s, he initially drew public attention with his popular English and Afrikaans music, as well as his work composing for the South African Broadcast Company. Along with many of his songs becoming standards in South Africa, Segal has garnered acclaim, including a 1973 South African Record Industry (SARI) award and a 2017 Guinness Book of World Records title as the Most Recorded Pianist in the world.
Born in 1929 in Joniškis, Lithuania, Segal was two years old when his Jewish family left the country to escape the Holocaust, settling in Cape Town, South Africa. Encouraged to study classical piano, Segal excelled, eventually graduating from the Trinity College of London with degrees in performance and teaching. As a performer, he first came to fame in 1952 when his composition "Miskien" (Afrikaans for "Perhaps") won a magazine songwriting competition. Buoyed by his success, he embarked on a lucrative performance and recording career, founding the Spin Record Company and established his own publication firm to promote his music. Along with releasing his own albums, he worked regularly for the South African Broadcast Company (SABC), performing on the radio and supplying the music for numerous productions, including "The Forsyte Saga," "Story of an African Farm," "The Saga of Prunella," and many others.
From 1969 to 1992, Segal's "Carousel" (co-written with Dorothy Arenson) was used as the theme song for the SABC's external service Radio RAS (Radio South Africa). Along the way, many of the pianist's songs gained popularity in South Africa, including recordings like "Africa," "Kwela, Kwela," "Die Ou Kalahari," "Sy Kom Van Kommetjie," "Kalkoenkie," and "Hy-Ba-Ba-Rie-Bab," among many others. He also garnered attention around the globe, composing songs for Arthur Prysock, Sheila Davis, and Ronnie Dove. In 1973, his song "My Children, My Wife" was named South African Song of the Year. As well as being a founding member of the Southern African Music Rights Organization (SAMRO) and the Drama and Literary Rights Organization (DALRO), he also started his highly regarded Charles Segal Music Schools in Pretoria and Cape Town.
Working with his wife, singer and actress Colleen Hay, Segal has composed a handful of musicals, including Magical Mystery Man, Rocky Road, Mystery Mansion, and Once Upon a Storyland. In the late '80s, the couple relocated to the United States, where they composed the musical Freedom! A Refusenik Story. Together, they have also published several music tutorial books. In 2018, they moved to Los Angeles, where Segal has remained active, performing at award shows such as the Oscars, Emmys, and the Kids Choice and Teen Choice Awards. In June 2017, Segal was awarded the Guinness Book of World Records title of the Most Recorded Pianist in the world, having recorded 11,721 tracks.
© Matt Collar /TiVo
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Feelings into Sound
Lounge - Released by Charles Segal on Feb 8, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Pleading for Your Decision
Lounge - Released by Charles Segal on Oct 26, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Saturday Morning Piano
Jazz - Released by Charles Segal on Jan 1, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
As I Hear It in Israel
World - Released by Charles Segal on Jan 1, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Days That Linger On
Classical - Released by Charles Segal on Dec 10, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Charles Segal's Evergreens
Classical - Released by Charles Segal on Aug 6, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dreams Can Come True
Jazz - Released by Charles Segal on Jul 21, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Close Your Eyes and Listen
Jazz - Released by Charles Segal on Jan 6, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dedicated to Our Brave Astronauts: Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley
Classical - Released by Charles Segal on Aug 10, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
It's Once in a Blue Moon
Jazz - Released by Charles Segal on Feb 1, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Finally Found You
Jazz - Released by Charles Segal on Nov 25, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Intricacies of Life
Classical - Released by Charles Segal on Mar 24, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Remembering What You Said
Classical - Released by Charles Segal on Apr 20, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Moon Turns Blue
Lounge - Released by Charles Segal on Sep 24, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Are You Missing Me Too?
Classical - Released by Charles Segal on Nov 25, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Melodies of Relaxation
Classical - Released by Charles Segal on Feb 1, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
South African Jazz Scene
Jazz - Released by Charles Segal on Jun 15, 1955
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Far Away Love
Lounge - Released by Charles Segal on Dec 11, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Friends At Last
Jazz - Released by Charles Segal on Nov 17, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Articulating Melodically
Lounge - Released by Charles Segal on Mar 17, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo