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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Sampling of Original Songs
Pop - Released by Charles Segal on 30 Sep 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
American Patriotic Songs
Classical - Released by Charles Segal on 25 May 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sounds of the World's Great Pianos
Classical - Released by Charles Segal on 12 Oct 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
National Anthems
World - Released by Charles Segal on 9 Jul 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Entertainer
International Pop - Released by The Gallo Record Company Vault on 23 Sep 1974
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Last Rose of Summer
Classical - Released by Charles Segal on 16 Sep 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Popular Jewish Music
World - Released by Charles Segal on 17 Sep 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Too Beautiful To Last
Pop - Released by Charles Segal on 1 Nov 1972
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Breathing In and Out
Classical - Released by Charles Segal on 28 Jun 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Relaxing in Cabo
Lounge - Released by Charles Segal on 16 Sep 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Passion from Within
Classical - Released by Charles Segal on 6 Jan 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Feeling On Top of the World
Jazz - Released by Charles Segal on 25 Feb 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Echoes from the Hills
World - Released by Charles Segal on 22 Nov 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Romantic Piano vol. 2
Classical - Released by Charles Segal on 6 May 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mother's Melodies
Folk - Released by Charles Segal on 7 Jul 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
With Such Great Feeling
Lounge - Released by Charles Segal on 26 Oct 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Feelings While Listening
Classical - Released by Charles Segal on 8 Oct 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Coming from the Heart and Soul
Classical - Released by Charles Segal on 8 Mar 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Life is Sunshine
Lounge - Released by Charles Segal on 14 Oct 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
It's This Or That
Lounge - Released by Charles Segal on 8 Dec 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Up in the Clouds
Lounge - Released by Charles Segal on 22 Jan 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo