Sean Bergin
Sean Bergin (29 June 1948 – 1 September 2012) was an avant-garde jazz saxophonist and flautist from South Africa. Bergin was born in Durban on 29 June 1948. He was a saxophonist, flautist, composer, educator and bandleader.
Sean Bergin

Tom Beetz @ · Sean Bergin · CC BY 2.0
- Name
- Sean Bergin
- Born
- 29 June 1948
- Birthplace
- Durban, South Africa
- Died
- 1 September 2012
- Place of death
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Occupation
- Musician, composer, educator, bandleader
- Nationality
- South Africa
- Fields
- jazz
- Languages
- English
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Documentary summary
Sean Bergin (29 June 1948 – 1 September 2012) was an avant-garde jazz saxophonist and flautist from South Africa. Bergin was born in Durban on 29 June 1948. He was a saxophonist, flautist, composer, educator and bandleader.
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museum · ef287315-5ad2-45c4-a8a5-d90d60fa8725 · wikidata · Q350008 · wikipedia · Sean Bergin
In this article
Biography
Biography
In his youth Bergin was influenced by the rich South African jazz. During apartheid, he performed illegally with black musicians. He is one of the expatriates of South African jazz to find success elsewhere. From 1976 he lived in Amsterdam. In addition to his M.O.B. ("My Own Band") project, Bergin was active in Trio San Francisco (a saxophone trio with Tobias Delius and Daniele D'Agaro), the Bug Band (with Paul Stocker), and in several Tristan Honsinger formations. He worked with Mal Waldron, Louis Moholo, Ernst Reijseger, Boi Akih, and Miriam Makeba. He won the VPRO/Boy Edgar Award in 2000.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Sean Bergin • Born — 29 June 1948 • Birthplace — Durban, South Africa • Died — 1 September 2012 • Place of death — Amsterdam, Netherlands • Genre — Avant-garde jazz • Occupation — Musician, composer, educator, bandleader • Instrument — Saxophone, flute • Years Active — 1970s–2000s • Label — Nimbus, Data, BV Haast
As leader
As leader
• Kids Mysteries (Nimbus) • Live at the BIMhuis (BV Haast) • Copy Cat (BV Haast) • MOB Mobiel (Data) • Nansika: Plays the Music of South African Composers (Data) • Song Mob: Fat Fish (Data) • Mistakes with Ernst Reijseger (Data) • Chicken Feet (Pingo) • Jazz for Freedom (Varajazz 1990) • Tale of Three City's - with Rogério Bicudo (Pingo) • Mixing It with Rogério Bicudo (Pingo) • Lavoro with Tristan Honsinger (CAM Jazz)
As guest
As guest
• Alex Maguire's Cat O'Nine Tails - Hoki-Poki (Wire) • J.C. Tans + Rockets - Bust Out! (BV Haast, 1983) • Harry Miller Quintet - Down South (Varajazz, 1984) • J.C. Tans + Rockets - A Rocket Symphony (BV Haast, 1985) • Tristan Honsinger - Picnic (Data, 1985) • Barry Altschul Quartet - That's Nice (Soul Note, 1986) • Louis Moholo's Viva La Black - Louis Moholo's Viva La Black (Ogun, 1988) • Louis Moholo's Viva La Black - Exile (Ogun, 1990) • Lebombo - Khwela Jazz Khona (BV Haast, 1992) • Louis Moholo's Viva La Black - Freedom Tour Live in South Afrika 1993 (Ogun, 1994) • Dedication Orchestra - Ixesha (Ogun, 1994) • Lebombo - Nabakitsi (BV Haast, 1995) • Trio San Francisco - Prisoners of Pleasure (BV Haast, 1996) • Eric Boeren - Cross Breeding (Bimhuis, 1997) • Night in Torremolinos - Maiden Voyage Jazz Orchestra (BV Haast, 1999)
Identity
Identity
Sean Bergin is recorded as saxophonist and musician.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
2012
Sean Bergin died at Amsterdam.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Durban.
Birth place
Amsterdam.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
Institutional database
- MusicBrainz artist record for Sean Bergin
Scholarly · MetaBrainz Foundation
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q350008: Sean Bergin
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “Sean Bergin”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Literature
Scholarly footprint
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Citations
References
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Institutional database
MusicBrainz artist record for Sean BerginMetaBrainz Foundation
Institutional witnessauthority record
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
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