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Biographies of Musicians

Last name First name Synopsis
 Jan  Bouws portraitBouws Jan Musician, composer, lecturer and author
Dorothy Ruth Boxall portraitBoxall Dorothy Ruth music lecturer,  founder of the Young Citizen’s Orchestra, served on executive council of the Johannesburg Music Society, adjudicator, member of the Music Committee of the School Teachers’ Music Association, served on the Research and Education Committee of the South African Society of Music Teachers, and was twice chairwoman of the Witwatersrand University Musical Society.
Nicolaas Cornelius Carstens portraitCarstens Nicolaas “Nico” Legendary accordion player and composer of boeremusiek.
 Ohm Collins  Chabane portraitChabane Ohm Collins Member of the African National Congress (ANC) underground, prisoner on Robben Island, previous MEC for Limpopo’s Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, current Minister in the Presidency and musician.
Jonathan Clegg portraitClegg Jonathan South African musician, anthropologist, recipient of the South African Presidential Award, The Order of Ikhamanga in Silver, for 'bridging African traditional music with other music forms, promoting racial understanding among racially divided groups in South Africa under difficult apartheid conditions, working for a non-racial society and being an outstanding spokesperson for the release of political prisoners.'.
Mimi Coertse portraitCoertse Mimi Vocalist and South Africa's First Operatic prima donna
Basil Coetzee portraitCoetzee Basil Musician, liberation struggle activist and volunteer.
DJ Ready D (Deon Daniels) portraitDaniels Deon DJ; music producer; TV and radio presenter; Director of Community and Youth Development for NPC, GCAP/SR4A; precision drifting and stunt car driver
Lucky Philip Dube portraitDube Lucky  South African musical artist and was attributed as one of the world's greatest reggae superstars
Nokutela (nee Mdima) Dube portraitDube Nokutela (nee Mdima) Musician, founder member of the Daughters of Africa and wife of John Langalibalele Dube. 
 Penelope Jane Dunlop portraitDunlop Penelope Singer and songwriter
 Steve  Dyer portraitDyer Steve Musician 
Feya Faku portraitFaku Feya

South African jazz trumpeter, 

Brenda Nokuzola Fassie portraitFassie Brenda South African pop singer
 Lawrence  Folley portraitFolley Lawrence Lawrence Folley had a long and distinguished career on the stage, appearing in opera, operetta, musicals and concert platforms around the world.  He won the Nederburg Opera prize five times and the coveted Artes Award.  Folley was voted South
Hotep Idris Galeta portraitGaleta Hotep Jazz musician and music educator
Adam Glasser portraitGlasser Adam
Vera Gow (Adams) portraitGow (Adams) Vera Opera singer and Social Worker
Sipho Gumede portraitGumede Sipho South African jazz bass guitarist
Jonas Mosa Gwangwa portraitGwangwa Jonas Jazz Artist, Composer, Musical Director
 Bobby  Hendricks portraitHendricks Bobby Saxophone player known as the “King of Langarm”, a popular form of South African Coloured dance music
Abdullah Ibrahim portraitIbrahim Abdullah Known as South Africa’s most distinguished pianist and a world-respected master musician.
Robert Edward Jansen portraitJansen Robert Musician
Klaasen Thandi

Musician

Joe “Sdumo” Mafela portraitMafela Joe Television personality, actor, writer, director, producer, musician and businessman
Miriam Makeba portraitMakeba Miriam South African singer and human rights campaigner, Makeba was the first vocalist to put African music onto the international map in the 1960s. Makeba is well known throughout the world known as 'Mama Africa' and the 'Empress of African Song'. 
Hugh Masekela portraitMasekela Hugh Celebrated musician, singer, composer and trumpet player
Dorothy Masuka portraitMasuka Dorothy Musician and Singer, exiled person
Lebo Mathosa portraitMathosa Lebo Singer and Actress
Patrick Vuyo Matshikiza portraitMatshikiza Patrick Pianist, singer and composer
Todd Tozama Matshikiza portraitMatshikiza Todd South African jazz pianist, composer and journalist.
 Don  Mattera portraitMattera Don Poet, Musician, and Community Activist
 Mzwakhe  Mbuli portraitMbuli Mzwakhe The musician and political activist Mzwakhe Mbuli has played an essential role in the musical culture of South Africa before and after the fall of the apartheid government.  His poetry and music were a crucial part of the cultural movement in the
Letta Mbulu portraitMbulu Letta Singer
 Chris  McGregor portraitMcGregor Chris Jazz musician, pianist and composer
 Sylvia Ncediwe Mdunyelwa portraitMdunyelwa Sylvia Jazz Musician 
Esther Susanna Mentz portraitMentz Esther Recording artist, taught singing, promoted the development of opera and was a member of PACTS’s opera committee and of the Johannesburg Music Society, a pioneer in the Afrikaans film genre and in theatre
Hailu Mergia portraitMergia Hailu Musician and Cab driver
Busisiwe Victoria Mhlongo portraitMhlongo Busisiwe For her excellent contribution to music and putting South Africa on the international music map with her prolific musical compositions, Mhlongo was awarded the Order of Ikhamanga in Silver
Kippie Jeremiah Moeketsi portraitMoeketsi Kippie

South African jazz musician and a saxophone player

 Harry  Moyaga portraitMoyaga Harry Artist and musician
Benni Gwigwi Mrwebi portraitMrwebi Benni South African saxophonist and a pioneer in the music scene and international recognition of African jazz in the 1950s and 60s.
Bhekumuzi  Hyacinth Mseleku portraitMseleku

A self-taught pianist, saxophonist, guitarist, composer and arranger

Oliver Mtukudzi portraitMtukudzi

singer, song-writer, actor and film director 

Winston Monwabisi Ngozi portraitNgozi Winston Jazz artist (saxophonist) 
Zimasile Ngqawana portraitNgqawana Zimasile South African musician, flautist and saxophonist
 Simon  Nkabinde portraitNkabinde Simon Artist - Musician
 Isaac  Zakes Nkosi  portraitNkosi Isaac Saxophonist, composer and record producer
Tu Nokwe portraitNokwe Tu Musician
Bonakele Milner Ntsangani portraitNtsangani Bonakele Musician, charged in the 1956 Treason Trial, involved in the Rivonia Trial, Robben Island prisoner and served as an MK commander in the Border region