CREDITS
Project developed collaboratively with ILAM, Raphaela Linders, Elijah Madiba and Thandeka Mfinyongo
With contributions from: Kuhle Ngqezana, Dr Lee Watkins, Dr Boudina McConnachie, Bradley Jackson, Sikhumbuzo Makandula, Robyn Perros, Themba Baleni, Mbali Mankala, Bafana Zembe, ALT BLK Continua and Msaki
Special thanks to the Mpahleni family, especially Pumza Mpahleni
Performers:
The Ngqoko Women’s Ensemble
Thandeka Mfinyongo
PERFORMERS BIOGRAPHIES
The Ngqoko Women’s Ensemble
The Ngqoko Women’s Ensemble hails from the Eastern Cape, and sing haunting split-tone and overtone ancestral songs. The rare tradition of overtonal or throat-singing only exists within the Tuva of Mongolia, the Inuit of Canada, and Xhosa of South Africa. These women are a local group, long under-recognised at home, but who have toured internationally. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience an ancient and rare tradition and to witness these powerful women perform on home soil.
Thandeka Mfinyongo
Thandeka Mfinyongo is a musician born and raised in Nyanga East, Cape Town (South Africa). Mfinyongo’s love and passion for performing arts started at a very young age at church. In 2017, she graduated with a Performer’s Diploma in Music; in 2018, she graduated with an Advanced Diploma in African Music from the University of Cape Town. Mfinyongo specialises in two Xhosa instruments, uhadi (gourd/calabash bow) and umrhubhe (mouth-bow). And she recently finished her Master’s in Music Performance at SOAS University of London, majoring in kora (an instrument from West Africa). Mfinyongo is currently doing her PhD in Ethnomusicology at Rhodes University. Mfinyongo has a tremendous presence on stage and is an experienced vocalist, uhadi and umrhubhe player. Mfinyongo is inspired by an older generation of musicians, such as Madosini, whom she spent time with learning and deepening her knowledge.