Sabu

Nomakrestu Xakathugaga

Nomakrestu Xakathugaga is an indigenous contemporary African musician/ actress. She is the 2017 Zabalaza Theatre Festival Best Actress winner. She uses various Africa instruments such as uhadi along with the beautiful sounds of umngqokolo (throat singing).

Here’s some more info about her journey so far. Nomakrestu Xakatugaga is an African Contemporary Musician, who started singing in Alshadal Christian Ministry Choir from 2006 till 2011. In 2012 she decided to go and enhance her skills in Rainbow Arts Organization (RAO) under the leadership of the late Luvuyo Gaji. Under RAO She did African dance for a year trained by Zama Qambi. During this year she did acting, and music and she performed in many plays under Rainbow arts.

In 2012 she played a role of Nontsikelelo/lead singer in Thami Mbongo’s musical Unborn. After Unborn she was invited to join a hip-hop group called Delft South Origin (DSO) with Bongani Bonase and Buntu Jobela and performed in many of their songs and even featured in Bongani’s video of the song Phaphama. She was also part of the cast and a musician of Umbengu Sonyangaza directed by Mfundo Tshazibane at UCT Drama School Arena Theatre. In 2013 she was a musician in Thando Doni’s Mhla Salamana/When our eyes met at the Theatre Arts Admin Collective. In 2013/2014 Nomakrestu played the role of Smangele in Thokozile Ntshinga’s Bash or be bashed which toured townships all around Western Cape.

In 2012/13 and 2014 she was part of the cast of the show called The Widow directed by Mandisi Sindo and played Zintle as well as being the lead singer. It was staged as a sight specific theatre piece and it was performed at various festivals including the Zwakala Festival at the Market Theatre, Infecting the City in Cape Town, Mbombela in Nelspruit and at Baxter Dance Festival.

In February 2014 she collaborated with the Unity Band for her first live musical show. A year later she performed After Freedom by Luntu Masiza and Morgan Njobo at the Edinburg Fringe Festival. In 2015 she also played various roles and was a musician in Ityala lamawele, adapted for stage by Thando Doni and directed by Mandla Mbothwe and Thando Doni. 2016 she played the character of Thembisa in Amathafa entandabuz, directed by Thami Mbongo at the Baxter. She performed with Lingua Franca poetry movement at the 2016 Fleur Du Cap Awards held at the Baxter Theatre. In May of the same year, she performed her live musical show Ukubuya komntu/the return of a human being, with a band at the Black Box Theatre in Delft, performing music which she composed, directed by Thandolwethu Mzembe. In 2016 she again performed Ityala Lamawele at the National Arts Festival and which received a Standard Bank Ovation Award. Last year Nomakrestu Zabalaza Theatre Festival Best Actress award for her performance in The Holy Plan…B by Thandolwethu Mzembe. The play received seven nominations. She also played Madongwe in Mfundo Tshazibane’s set work of the classic play Buzani Kubawo by WK. Tamsanqa.

In 2018 Performed with with Lingua Franca at the Hilton Garden inn Evanston/Chicago. ITyala Lamawele at the first Camagu festival in Bloemfontein.

In November 2018 she performed her 2 days live show at the Baxter Masambe theatre.

Lonwabo Diba Mafani

Lonwabo Diba Mafani started playing piano at the age of sixteen. His first piano teacher was his brother, Sabatha Mafani who taught him the basics of piano playing. He has had numerous teachers over the years such as Dr Nishlyn Ramanna, Kingsley Buitendag and Annali Smith just to mention a few but is largely self-taught.

 In ,2014 he was selected as the pianist for the Standard Bank National B Band directed by Brian Thusi and was re-selected in 2015 under the leadership of Mark Fransman.

He won the Fine Music Radio Bursary Trust Awards for jazz (2019).

He had been part of the Unity Band album called Fabric and McCoy Mrubata album called Brasskap session Vol.3.

Lonwabo has performed as a secessionist pianist around the country, he has worked with the likes of Lulama Gaulana, Hugh Masekela, McCoy Mrubata, Gareth Walwyn just to mention a few and he finishing his study at the university of Cape Town.

Daddy Kabuya Mbuyamba

Daddy Kabuya Mbuyamba is a solid Bass Guitarist, Singer and Percussionist from Congo , He started playing the instruments at school and went on to play at church. Daddy has played with Cape Town based Band called young Bakuba, he is also a permanent feature of a band called Afro Fiesta, he is also a member of the Addis Ababa Ensemble. Daddy’s style of play has a very strong latin and Congolese influence, he enjoys playing jazz and also enjoys playing out of his comfort