Legendary jazz and opera musician Sibongile Khumalo has passed on. Born in 1957 in Soweto, the musician is one of the most celebrated artists in South Africa.
Khumalo rose to fame when she won the Standard Bank Young Artist Award at the Grahamstown Arts Festival in 1993.
Since then she has graced local and international stages including singing at former President Nelson Mandela’s 75th birthday and 1994 inauguration.
She has also enchanted audiences with her performances of “The 3 Faces of Sibongile Khumalo” in 1992; performances with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 1994 and 1995 as well as Handel’s Messiah with Lord Yehudi Menuhin in 1995.
Khumalo also led the South African and New Zealand national anthems during the World Cup Rugby Final in 1995.
Her accolades include four South African Music Awards and three FNB Vita Awards.
She is also a recipient of the Order of Ikhamanga in Silver, which was bestowed on her in 2008.
At the end of the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz festival in 2019, SABC reporter Ndundu Sithole caught up with Khumalo.
She reflected on gender-based violence cases gripping the country:
She holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in music from the University of Zululand and BA Honours from the University of the Witwatersrand.
Khumalo has also been awarded honorary doctorates by the University of South Africa and the University of Zulu-Land.
Her albums include The Essential, Quest, Immortal Secrets and Ancient Evening. – info sourced from SA Presidency website.
