Themba Mkhize Millionaire Artiste

Themba Mkhize, born in Durban in 1957, was introduced to music at an early age. He discovered jazz while in high school and was spotted by local band, “Dukes Combo”. In 1981 he started performing professionally with the band “Sakhile”.

In 1984 Themba joined renowned band “Bayete”, and remained part of the celebrated ensemble for over ten years. He took a role in the musical “Buwa”, which was written by Caiphus Semenya and toured around Africa, featuring many musical greats.

After having worked with the best of South African musicians, including Hugh Masekela, Sibongile Khumalo and Miriam Makeba, Themba released his long overdue solo album, Tales from the South in 1999. His debut album was a glorious celebration of the experiences he had gained and served as a signature release of energy from this talented Durban musician.

The album received a warm response from critics and won three awards at the South African Music Awards in 2000, followed by Daimler-Chrysler’s Best Musician Award.

Themba’s musical virtuosity, coupled with his persistent attempts to marry traditional Zulu and Jazz idioms, have made him an artist worthy of world-wide attention.

In 2008, Themba released Scenes from South Africa, which presented key recordings from his solo albums, with trumpeter Hugh Masekela and vocalist Sibongile Khumalo as featured guests. His mix of African rhythms with American jazz created a pioneering style in the evolution of jazz and world music.

In addition to music and performances, Themba owns Mavovo Production Studios, and co-owns Thella Music with partner Stella Khumalo. The multi-award winning jazz maestro, producer, pianist and music director also conducts workshops to impart his musical skills and knowledge. His son Afrika Mkhize is also a world renowned Jazz musician who was awarded the prestigious Standard Bank Young Artist of the year for Jazz in 2012.