The Southern African Arts Alliance Members
Bokani Dyer
“a brilliant, surging tour de force” -Songlines
Album to Hear: Radio Sechaba
Pianist and composer Bokani Dyer was born in 1986 in Gaborone, Botswana, where many artists from South Africa—including his father, the musician Steve Dyer—were living in exile during apartheid. Moving back to South Africa in 1990, Dyer grew up mainly in Johannesburg before moving to study jazz at the prestigious University of Cape Town, where he graduated with distinction. In 2009 Dyer was runner up in the SAMRO Overseas Scholarship Competition and spent three weeks in New York, where he was tutored by Jason Moran. He was awarded the prestigious Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz in 2011. He returned to the SAMRO competition in 2013 and clinched first prize making it possible for him to travel and attend masterclasses with pianists Kenny Barron and Elio Villafranca in New York. Dyer has recorded six award-winning albums under his own name: Mirrors (2010), Emancipate the Story (2011), World Music (2015), Neo Native (2018), Kelenosi (2020), and Radio Sechaba (2023).
Mandla Mlangeni
““Mlangeni tirelessly endeavors to ensure that Jazz serves a social function…the music and its practitioners have a role to play, providing a space for dialogue and discussion, and utilizing their art to drive social progress.”-AllAboutJazz.com
Album to Hear: Afrika Grooves
Trumpeter Mandla Mlangeni is a composition graduate from the University of Cape Town's South African College of Music (SACM) and holds a host of skills that range from teaching and performing to arranging diverse styles of music. Mlangeni currently leads multiple projects in South Africa and abroad, including the Tune Recreation Committee, The Mill, the BirdSong Ensemble, and the Amandla Freedom Ensemble. He was also a participant of Take Five presented by SERIOUS Music UK at the Bore Place Residency and has performed and collaborated with distinguished jazz musicians such as David Murray, Evan Parker, Feya Faku, Louis Moholo, Shabaka Hutchings, Barney Rachabane, Hotstix Mabuse, and Hugh Masekela, to name a few. His album Bhekisizwe was nominated for Best Jazz Album at the 2016 South African Music Awards and the Tune Recreation Committee (TRC) Voices Of Our Vision was listed as one of the New York Times’ Best Albums for 2017, who noted “this alliance of young South African musicians delves into the country’s syncretic cultural heritage…you hear five bristling improvisers dancing together, modelling a kind of thoughtful communion.”
McCoy Mrubata
“South African mbaqanga, gospel music, swing era jazz, hard bop, and traditional Xhosa music all collide into something unforgettably wonderful in his playing” -Hot House Jazz
Album to Hear: First Green
Born in 1959 in Cape Town’s Langa township, reedman McCoy Mrubata grew up with the sounds of African music. When schooling became impossible following the 1976 uprising, Mrubata informally studied under Langa greats like Madoda Gxabeka, Winston Ngozi, the Ngcukanas, Ezra and Duke, Blackie Tempi, and Robert Sithole. In the early 1980s he played in cover bands before joining crossover outfit Louis and the Jive. In 1987 Mrubata was spotted by bandleader Sipho Hotstix Mabuse, who helped him settle in Johannesburg. Mrubata also created his own bands, Cape to Cairo and McCoy and Friends. In the mid-1990s he released his first of multiple albums on the Sheer Sound label: Tears of Joy. He has since released Phosa Ngasemva, Hoelykit, Face the Music (winning the 2003 South African Music Award for Traditional Jazz), Icamagu Livumile (which won in 2005), Brasskap Sessions Volume 1 (which won in 2008), and Brasskap Sessions Volume 2 (which won in 2014). Mrubata has collaborated with top South African jazz players and with overseas artists including Airto Moreira and Flora Purim. Other projects include Kulturation, co-led by pianist Wessel van Rensburg, and Vivid Africa, a collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Greg Georgiadis. Mrubata was a member of the Sheer All Stars superband, which recorded Indibano, Live at the Blues Room, and Dance with Me. More recently, Mrubata has released further albums, including Live at Bird’s Eye (2016), Brasskap Sessions Volume 3 (2019), Quiet Please (2021), and First Green (2022).
Aaron Rimbui
“a singular and absolutely arresting approach to jazz piano.”
-AllAboutJazz.com
Album to Hear: Kwetu
Aaron Rimbui is an ethno-jazz and world music pianist/keyboardist, music director, producer, festival curator and radio host from Nairobi, Kenya. With a career spanning 20 years, Aaron has performed and worked with well-known artists including the late Hugh Masekela, Richard Bona, Kirk Whalum, Lionel Loueke, Sauti Sol, Jimmy Dludlu, Benjamin Koppel, Moussa Diallo, among many others. As a bandleader, Rimbui has released two albums: Deeper (2016) and Kwetu (2017). Relocating to the United States in 2017, Rimbui has actively worked within the New York scene as a performer and educator.
Steve Dyer
“one of Southern Africa’s most devoted scholars and disciples of indigenous African music…a globally accomplished jazz musician and producer”
-South African Broadcasting Corporation
Album to Hear: Genesis of a Different World
Steve was born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa in 1960. He completed a B Mus degree in performance at the University of Natal in 1981, majoring in saxophone and flute. Refusing military conscription into the SADF he left South Africa and lived in Botswana for five years. Here Dyer came into contact with the exile sounds of Hugh Masekela and Jonas Gwangwa. He helped form Shakawe, led by Jonas Gwangwa, and played in the band for three years. In 1988 after a stint in the United Kingdom he settled in Zimbabwe where he formed the group Southern Freeway and recorded Southern Freeway (1989) and Indlela yenkululeko (1992). In 1990 he joined the Amandla Cultural Ensemble of the A.N.C on a seven-week tour of Japan. With democracy on the horizon, in 1993 Steve returned to South Africa. Steve has released nine albums under his name. He conceptualized the Southern African music “supergroup” Mahube that has been an ongoing collaboration since 1997. Steve has also composed the soprano saxophone concerto “Rebirth,” as well as string quartets, music for saxophone and marimbas, and more. Steve also has extensive producing experience including five albums for Oliver Mtukudzi (1998-2002), and directed many musical and multimedia events.
Shannon Mowday
“an unstoppable force of nature” -Jazzland
Album to Hear: The Land In-Between
Shannon Mowday was introduced to music from an early age by her father. She plays all woodwinds, but specializes in baritone and bass saxophones, bass and contra-alto clarinets. Shannon relocated to Norway in 2009. As an artist, she has performed throughout Africa, Europe, Asia and America with leading artists. She has led and recorded her own projects such as Galumphing, African Eyes, MØTE, Chi, and LILA and released two CDs under her own name: African Eyes (2005) and The Land In-Between (2020). As leader and composer, her music is featured with Norwegian youth ensemble AOJO on Oasis of Bad Vibes (2019). As performing artist and composer, she has a strong focus combining all elements of her life-her South African roots, Norwegian aesthetics, travel and life experiences and also being a woman and single mother. Her explicit aim is to blur boundaries of styles genres and expectation and break conventional molds within the jazz /improvised music genre with a strong emphasis on individuality. She uses her artistry and music to speak against gender-based violence, and her large ensemble project ‘The Bridge Over Me Too’ brings to the fore real-life experiences that she and other female colleagues and students have experienced in the industry.
Ndabo Zulu
“moments of drama, passages of lush beauty, and explosive drum barrages. It’s a long ride, but one well worth taking.” -Stereogum
Album to Hear: Queen Nandi: The African Symphony
Ndabo Zulu was born and raised in just outside of Durban in South Africa. His love for music was triggered at the age of 9, and he later picked up a trumpet with the help of Nkosinathi Hadebe who advised him to join Siyakhula Music Centre in Umlazi Township to study with the legendary jazz trumpeter Dr. Brian Thusi. In 2009 he enrolled at the University of KwaZulu Natal; while a student at UKZN, Zulu was also a tutor at the Durban Music School and Field Band Foundation. In 2011 through funding from the Fredkorpset he started an exchange program in Norway, partnering the Field Band Foundation and the Norges Musikk Forbund (Norwegian Music Federation). Through this exchange program he spent a year at Toneheim Folkehøgskole in Hamar, Norway, ultimately enrolling as a full-time at the University of Stavanger in 2012. Zulu has played, recorded, and toured extensively with respected artists such as Derrick Hodge, Sjava, Nduduzo Makhathini, and many more. Zulu is a multi-award winning artist, most recently winning three SAMA awards for his debut album Queen Nandi: The African Symphony.
Melanie Scholtz
“A remarkable musical force…Melanie has long brought a genre-busting vision to the music.”-Hot House Jazz
Album to Hear: Freedom’s Child
Melanie Scholtz is a South Africa-born award-winning jazz singer and composer. Playing piano since the age of five, she went on to study classical singing at the Eoan Group before completing an Opera Diploma at the University of Cape Town in 2000. Scholtz has released five albums under her name and has collaborated with many South African and international jazz artists. In 2012 she won all three prizes in the prestigious Jazz Revelations competition as part of the Jazz a Juan Festival in Nice, France. She was invited to be part of the festival program in 2013. Scholtz also lectured at the University of Cape Town from 2004–2005. In 2010 she was named the Standard Bank Young Artist for jazz, and she continues to be involved in upcoming projects and recordings involving other Young Artist Award recipients. In 2013 Scholtz launched Freedom’s Child, a collaborative project with iconic poet James Matthews, marrying poetry and jazz. That same year she released a full-length solo offering, produced by Bokani Dyer, called Our Time. Most recently, Scholtz’s projects have included The Lone Looper, a solo vocal performance utilizing live looping technology.
Linda Sikhakhane
“his spiritual, questing style and deep tone may seem inspired by the work of John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders, but it’s got deep African roots, too.” -Bandcamp
Album to Hear: An Open Dialogue
A student of the late, great Dr. Brian Thusi, saxophonist and composer Linda Sikhakhane gone on to play alongside South African greats past and present, and has been a regular feature in Nduduzo Makhathini's band since debuting on his album Mother Tongue (2014). He was awarded the SAMRO Overseas Scholarship in 2016. This opportunity opened the door that has since seen him going to study under the mentorship of innovators like Billy Harper, David Schnitter, Charles Tolliver, and Reggie Workman at The New School. Besides pursuing academic work, Sikhakhane shared stages with respected jazz musicians in the same city that greats such as his greatest influence, John Coltrane, plied their trade. The learnings from those interactions have gone on to shape the intuitive, seasoned musician he is becoming. Sikhakhane holds two self-released albums under his name. His critically acclaimed debut album, Two Sides, One Mirror, released in 2017. In 2020, An Open Dialogue, Sikhakhane’s follow-up was released, recorded as part of his senior recital at The New School in New York, while in 2022, Sikhakhane released Isambulo on Ropeadope Records.