Jonathan Paul Clegg, was a South African musician, singer-songwriter, dancer, anthropologist and anti-apartheid activist.
Mamma Mia! is a jukebox musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson based on songs recorded by Swedish group ABBA and composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, members of the band. The title of the musical is taken from the group's 1975 chart-topper "Mamma Mia". Ulvaeus and Andersson, who composed the original music for ABBA, were involved in the development of the show from the beginning. Singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad was involved financially in the production and she was also present at many of the premieres around the world.
Dolly Rathebe (OIS) was a South African musician and actress who performed with the Elite Swingsters jazz band, and in Alf Herbert's African Jazz and Variety Show.
Susan P. Stroman is an American theatre director, choreographer, film director and performer. Her notable theater productions include Oklahoma!, The Music Man, Crazy for You, Contact, The Producers, The Frogs, The Scottsboro Boys, Bullets Over Broadway, POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, and New York, New York.
Mango Groove is an 11-piece South African Afropop band whose music fuses pop and township music—especially marabi and kwela.
Freshlyground are a South African Afro-fusion band that formed in Cape Town in 2002. The band members have different backgrounds, including South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. Freshlyground's musical style blends elements of traditional South African music, blues, jazz, and features of indie rock. They are best known for their performance "Waka Waka " with Colombian singer Shakira, which received worldwide recognition. The music video – featuring the group – also received over 3 billion views on YouTube, making it the 21st most watched video on the entire site.
Zolani Mahola is a South African singer, actress, storyteller and world-renowned inspiration speaker, now also known under the stage name The One Who Sings. She is most famously known as lead singer of the internationally-acclaimed pan-African South African music group Freshlyground since 2002. On 15 August 2019, Mahola officially announced the launch of her solo career while the Freshlyground band went on to have their last performance after 17 successful years together on 31 December 2019 at Kirstenbosch Gardens in Cape Town.
The Lion King is a stage musical with music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, and a book by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi, with additional music and lyrics by Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor, and Hans Zimmer. It is based on the 1994 Walt Disney Animation Studios' film of the same name. Directed by Taymor, the musical features actors in animal costumes as well as giant, hollow puppets. The show is produced by Disney Theatrical Productions.
Maggie Nicols, is a Scottish free-jazz and improvising vocalist, dancer, and performer.
The Parlotones are a renowned South African indie rock band hailing from Johannesburg, formed in 1998. The ensemble features Kahn Morbee on vocals and rhythm guitar, Paul Hodgson as lead guitarist, Glen Hodgson handling bass guitar, keyboards, and backing vocals, and Neil Pauw on drums and percussion. Originally rooted in Britpop, The Parlotones' music has evolved to encompass a diverse range of genres, with lyrics centered on relatable themes such as love and everyday life, complemented by engaging and memorable melodies.
Lark are a South African glitch electronica band from Cape Town. Formed in 2003, the group consists of Inge Beckmann (vocals), Paul Ressel, Simon "Fuzzy" Ratcliffe, and Sean Ou Tim. They are often cited as "groundbreaking musicians", who were the key contributors to establishing experimental and intelligent dance music in South Africa. Their name has become synonymous with musical experimentalism, and are one of the country's best loved acts. Lark has released 3 studio albums, and won a SAMA for their debut album, Razbliuto!. Their music videos have been consistently met with admiration for their technically ability, and have received two MK Awards.
Thandiswa Nyameka Mazwai is a South African musician, and is also the lead vocalist and songwriter of Bongo Maffin. She is also known as King Tha. Her debut album Zabalaza (2004), which attained double platinum status and her album also got nominated for Planet Awards on BBC Radio 3.
Natalia Da Rocha is a South African actress, director, youth activist and businesswoman. She can be remembered as being one of the few persons of colour to appear in entertainment media during the Apartheid-era. In 1981 she was the first Coloured to graduate with a Drama degree from the Afrikaans dominant Stellenbosch University. Beginning 1987 she was the first woman of colour along with Sam Marais to star in a Sun City Extravaganza. In 1992, she became the first South African star to perform publicly in Madagascar. She is well remembered for her roles in musicals such as Ain't Misbehavin'; Midnight Blues; Godspell and Vere . Natalia was one of 40 inducted into the S.A. Legends Museum on 26 January 2020 in Johannesburg.
Isak Roux is a South African born German composer born in 1959. He is known for his arrangements of South African music, especially his work with the musical groups Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Kwela Tebza.
"Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)", also known as "Waka Waka (Esto es África)" in Spanish, is a song by Colombian singer Shakira, featuring the South African band Freshlyground. Co-written by Shakira and Co-written, composed and produced by John Hill, it was released on 7 May 2010 by Epic Records as the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which was held in South Africa. The song samples the original Cameroonian song "Zamina mina (Zangaléwa)" by Golden Sounds and the lyrics encourage one to aim for their goals like a soldier on a battlefield.
The Johannesburg Youth Orchestra (JYO) is a youth symphony orchestra founded in 1976. It is a full size symphony orchestra based in Johannesburg, South Africa, and is made up entirely of children and youth who have achieved a musical level of Grade 6 or higher. The youngest member is 12 years old and the oldest members in their mid-twenties.
Amra-Faye Wright is a South African stage actress best known for portraying Velma Kelly in the musical Chicago, both on Broadway and in international tours. In 2010, she became the first actress to have performed the role both in English and in Japanese.
Michaela Mabinty DePrince is a Sierra Leonean-American ballet dancer, currently dancing with the Boston Ballet. She rose to fame after starring in the documentary First Position in 2011, following her and other young ballet dancers as they prepared to compete at the Youth America Grand Prix. With her adoptive mother, Elaine DePrince, she authored the book Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina. DePrince formerly danced with the Dance Theatre of Harlem as the youngest dancer in the history of the company and was a former soloist with the Dutch National Ballet. Since 2016, Michaela is a goodwill ambassador with the Dutch organisation War Child, based in Amsterdam.
Lara de Wit is a South African Australian pianist, violinist, arranger, composer and music teacher. She had been employed by Opera Australia until 2015, where she also worked as a répétiteur. de Wit is also widely known for her covers of music from video games, film and theatre soundtracks, and anime, featured on her Twitch and YouTube channels, called "lara6683".
Joburg Ballet is a ballet dance company based within the Joburg Theatre, Johannesburg, South Africa. Joburg Ballet was formerly known as the South African Ballet Theatre (SABT). The company was formed in 2001 by six dancers who were retrenched by PACT Ballet. The company has been invited to perform in Russia in 2006 and has had exchange programmes with the Royal Swedish Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet, the National Ballet of Canada, the Paris Opera and the San Francisco Ballet.
