The musician Coco Schumann is dead. He died on Sunday at age of 93 years in Berlin, shared his record company Trikont, citing his family. He was named Heinz Jakob Schumann with a civil name. He was a jazz guitarist, swing legend and KZ survivor.

With his band Coco Schumann quartet he celebrated international success. After Second World War Schumann played as one of first in Germany on an electric guitar.

The 1924 born Schumann was son of a Christian far and a Jewish mor. He was nicknamed Coco by a French friend who could not pronounce his first name.

Schumann's far converted from love to mor to Judaism. In early years Schumann taught himself guitar and drums and performed as a minor with swing bands in Berlin bars and dance venues.

1943 he was denounced and deported to Theresienstadt, where he had to give concerts as a member of Ghetto Swingers for SS. In September 1944 he came with band to extermination camp Auschwitz, where he had to make music with ghetto Swingers on behalf of Nazis for newcomers and marching of working columns.

After he was liberated from U.S. troops in 1945 during a death march, Schumann remained in Germany. He performed with jazz violinist Helmut Zacharias and pianist and singer Bully Buhlan, played on radio and recorded records. In 1950 Schumann emigrated to Australia with his family, but returned four years later. Schumann's autobiography of Ghetto Swingers was performed in 2012 as a musical at Hamburg Chamber games.

Date Of Update: 30 January 2018, 12:03