Biographies of Musicians

Musician, composer, lecturer and author

Legendary accordion player and composer of boeremusiek.

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.

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.'.

Vocalist and South Africa's First Operatic prima donna

Musician, liberation struggle activist and volunteer.

DJ; music producer; TV and radio presenter; Director of Community and Youth Development for NPC, GCAP/SR4A; precision drifting and stunt car driver

 South African musical artist and was attributed as one of the world's greatest reggae superstars

Musician, founder member of the Daughters of Africa and wife of John Langalibalele Dube. 

Singer and songwriter

Musician 

South African pop singer

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

Jazz musician and music educator

Opera singer and Social Worker

South African jazz bass guitarist

Jazz Artist, Composer, Musical Director

Saxophone player known as the “King of Langarm”, a popular form of South African Coloured dance music

Known as South Africa’s most distinguished pianist and a world-respected master musician.

Musician

Musician

Television personality, actor, writer, director, producer, musician and businessman

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'. 

Celebrated musician, singer, composer and trumpet player

Musician and Singer, exiled person

Singer and Actress

South African jazz pianist, composer and journalist.

Pianist, singer and composer

Poet, Musician, and Community Activist

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

Singer

Jazz musician, pianist and composer

Jazz Musician 

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

Musician and Cab driver

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

South African jazz musician and a saxophone player

Artist and musician

South African saxophonist and a pioneer in the music scene and international recognition of African jazz in the 1950s and 60s.

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

singer, song-writer, actor and film director 

Jazz artist (saxophonist) 

South African musician, flautist and saxophonist

Artist - Musician

Saxophonist, composer and record producer

Musician

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