Hugh Ramapolo Masekela was a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, singer and composer who was described as "the father of South African jazz". Masekela was known for his jazz compositions and for writing well-known anti-apartheid songs such as "Soweto Blues" and "Bring Him Back Home". He also had a number-one US pop hit in 1968 with his version of "Grazing in the Grass".
PJ Powers is a South African singer and performer. She became a household name in southern Africa after the widespread success of the song “Jabulani”. When she played at the Jabulani Amphitheatre in 1983 she was hailed by the crowd with the name “Thandeka”. On the stage she drank from a calabash as part of the performance to the delight of the audience. World in Union 95, the Ladysmith Black Mambazo version featuring PJ Powers, became an international hit record in 1995. It reached no. 47 in the UK singles charts.
Mbongeni Ngema was a South African playwright, lyricist, composer, director, choreographer, and theatre producer, best known for co-writing the 1981 play Woza Albert! and co-writing the 1988 musical Sarafina!. He was known for plays that reflected the spirit of black South Africans under apartheid, and won much praise for his work, but was also the subject of several controversies. He died in a car accident on 27 December 2023.
Sibongile Khumalo was a South African singer and song writer. She sang classical, jazz, opera and traditional South African music. She was noted for singing at the inauguration of Nelson Mandela in 1994, as well as the final of the Rugby World Cup the following year. She was appointed to the Order of Ikhamanga in 2008.
Amandla!: A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony is a 2002 documentary film depicting the struggles of black South Africans against the injustices of Apartheid through the use of music. The film takes its name from the Zulu and Xhosa word amandla, which means power.
Moses Khumalo was a South African jazz saxophonist. He studied at Manu Technical College from 1994–1998 after graduating from community college. He started with the piano but switched to the saxophone in February 1995.
South African jazz is the jazz of South Africa.
McCoy Mrubata is a South African jazz saxophonist.
Louis Mhlanga is a Zimbabwean artist based in South Africa, an award-winning guitarist and producer. Mhlanga taught himself to play the guitar at a young age and is considered one of the best Southern African guitarists.
Welela is an album by the South African musician Miriam Makeba, released in 1989. It was produced primarily by Sipho Mabuse.
Donald Mahwetša Laka, professionally known as Don Laka, is a South African jazz musician, songwriter and music producer, as well as the founder of "kwaai-jazz".
Sello "Chicco" Twala is a South African singer and record producer. He has produced many hit singles for well-known artists in the country, including Nkosana Kodi and Brenda Fassie. In the 1970s, he played in soul bands including Umoja and Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse's Harari, as well as forming his own band, Image.
The Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO), is a copyright asset management society. It was established by the South African Copyright Act, and aims to protect the intellectual property of music creators by licensing music users, collecting licence fees and distributing royalties to music creators. SAMRO represents more than 15,000 Southern African music composers, lyricists/authors and music publishers. The organisation administers performing rights.
"Soweto Blues" is a protest song written by Hugh Masekela and performed by Miriam Makeba. The song is about the Soweto uprising that occurred in 1976, following the decision by the apartheid government of South Africa to make Afrikaans a medium of instruction at school. The uprising was forcefully put down by the police, leading to the death of between 176 and 700 people. The song was released in 1977 as part of Masekela's album You Told Your Mama Not to Worry. The song became a staple at Makeba's live concerts, and is considered a notable example of music in the movement against apartheid.
The apartheid regime in South Africa began in 1948 and lasted until 1994. It involved a system of institutionalized racial segregation and white supremacy, and placed all political power in the hands of a white minority. Opposition to apartheid manifested in a variety of ways, including boycotts, non-violent protests, and armed resistance. Music played a large role in the movement against apartheid within South Africa, as well as in international opposition to apartheid. The impacts of songs opposing apartheid included raising awareness, generating support for the movement against apartheid, building unity within this movement, and "presenting an alternative vision of culture in a future democratic South Africa."
Strike David Vilakazi was a South African vocalist, drummer, trumpeter, composer, and music producer. He was known for composing the anti-apartheid song "Meadowlands", and for his career as a producer, during which he was influential in the development of mbaqanga.
"Asimbonanga", also known as "Asimbonanga (Mandela)", is an anti-apartheid song by the South African racially integrated band Savuka. It was first released as a 12" single in 1986, and then included in their 1987 album Third World Child. It alluded to Nelson Mandela, imprisoned on Robben Island at the time of song's release, and other anti-apartheid activists. "Asimbonanga" is a Zulu phrase that may be translated as "We have not seen him". It was well received, becoming popular within the movement against apartheid, and was covered by several artists including Joan Baez and the Soweto Gospel Choir.
No Borders is the forty-fourth and final studio album by South African jazz trumpeter Hugh Masekela. The album was released on 11 November 2016 via Universal Music label.
Afrika Mkhize is a South African Jazz pianist and composer. He is known for his contributions to the Cape Jazz and South African jazz scene. Mkhize has worked with various renowned musicians such as Miriam Makeba, Sibongile Khumalo, and Hugh Masekela. He has also released his own albums, including "Rainbow Nation" and "African Jazz and Percussion." Mkhize's music is often a fusion of jazz, African rhythms, and elements of South African traditional music. Mkhize comes from a musical family and is the son of renowned South Jazz pianist Themba Mkhize.
