Sibongile Khumalo’s music will reverberate across the corridors of the Market Theatre yet again. This is the same place where her 1998 album Live at the Market Theatre was recorded.
As the Market celebrates its 50th anniversary, Khumalo’s music is an important part of that history. Hosting the Sibongile Khumalo Celebration is honouring an icon while reflecting on the journey of the place she once considered home.
“At a space where her earthly remains once lay, we take time to pay homage to her through the very thing she gave the world: music,” conductor Maestro Kutlwano Masote said.
Masote, alongside musical director Tshepo Mngoma, who is also Khumalo’s son, will lead a cast of esteemed singers and band members, many of whom worked with the icon. They have woven together a set list that will revisit Khumalo’s extensive
forays into various musical expressions.
There is something moving about remembering an artist through the gift
that made the world fall in love with them.
For Khumalo, the gift was a voice that travelled effortlessly between opera, jazz, traditional music and gospel, carrying a warmth and depth that was unmistakably hers.
Affectionately known as South Africa’s First Lady of Song, a title bestowed on her by former president Nelson Mandela in 1994, Khumalo died in 2021, aged 63.
Her death came at a time when the Covid-19 restrictions had changed how people gathered to mourn. Yet, as Masote recalls, they did not diminish the public’s need to say goodbye.
The Market Theatre was flooded with people from all walks of life — fellow musicians, politicians and ordinary South Africans — who came to pay their respects.
The gathering spoke volumes about the place Khumalo held in the nation’s heart. Her influence reached beyond the music industry. People felt connected to her, and the turnout was a testament to that.
Her musical journey began at home, in a family steeped in classical music. Her father, Professor Khabi Mngoma, founded the Ionian Music Society, exposing her to orchestral and choral music from an early age.
That grounding shaped an artist who could move between musical traditions while remaining connected to her South African heritage.
For Masote, this celebration is not only about looking back. It is about allowing her music to live again through other voices.
The concert will feature Sibongile Mngoma, Brenda Mntambo, Swazi Dlamini, Maleh, Bongiwe Nakani and Ayanda Khumalo, accompanied by the Chamber Orchestra of Johannesburg.
The tribute remembers Khumalo as a mother, mentor and advocate who created opportunities for young musicians, including through her community music project in Empangeni.
A voice like hers does not disappear. It remains in the songs she gave us, the artists she inspired and the memories of those who gathered to honour her.
This weekend, as her music fills the Market Theatre once more, Sibongile Khumalo will be remembered for her voice and what it meant to a nation.
- Sibongile Khumalo's 1998 album "Live at the Market Theatre" was recorded at the Market Theatre, which is now celebrating its 50th anniversary.
- The Sibongile Khumalo Celebration is being hosted at the Market Theatre to honor her legacy through music, led by conductor Maestro Kutlwano Masote and musical director Tshepo Mngoma, Khumalo’s son.
- Khumalo, known as South Africa’s First Lady of Song and awarded the title by Nelson Mandela in 1994, passed away in 2021 at the age of 63.
- The tribute concert features artists including Sibongile Mngoma, Brenda Mntambo, Swazi Dlamini, Maleh, Bongiwe Nakani, and Ayanda Khumalo, accompanied by the Chamber Orchestra of Johannesburg.
- Khumalo's musical journey began in her classical music family, and she influenced many through her music and community projects, especially supporting young musicians in Empangeni.
Sibongile Khumalo’s music will reverberate across the corridors of the Market Theatre yet again. This is the same place where her 1998 album Live at the Market Theatre was recorded.
As the Market celebrates its 50th anniversary, Khumalo’s music is an important part of that history. Hosting the Sibongile Khumalo Celebration is honouring an icon while reflecting on the journey of the place she once considered home.
“At a space where her earthly remains once lay, we take time to pay homage to her through the very thing she gave the world: music,” conductor Maestro Kutlwano Masote said.
Masote, alongside musical director Tshepo Mngoma, who is also Khumalo’s son, will lead a cast of esteemed singers and band members, many of whom worked with the icon. They have woven together a set list that will revisit Khumalo’s extensive
forays into various musical expressions.
There is something moving about remembering an artist through the gift
that made the world fall in love with them.
For Khumalo, the gift was a voice that travelled effortlessly between opera, jazz, traditional music and gospel, carrying a warmth and depth that was unmistakably hers.
Affectionately known as South Africa’s First Lady of Song, a title bestowed on her by former president Nelson Mandela in 1994, Khumalo died in 2021, aged 63.
Her death came at a time when the Covid-19 restrictions had changed how people gathered to mourn. Yet, as Masote recalls, they did not diminish the public’s need to say goodbye.
The Market Theatre was flooded with people from all walks of life — fellow musicians, politicians and ordinary South Africans — who came to pay their respects.
The gathering spoke volumes about the place Khumalo held in the nation’s heart. Her influence reached beyond the music industry. People felt connected to her, and the turnout was a testament to that.
Her musical journey began at home, in a family steeped in classical music. Her father, Professor Khabi Mngoma, founded the Ionian Music Society, exposing her to orchestral and choral music from an early age.
That grounding shaped an artist who could move between musical traditions while remaining connected to her South African heritage.
For Masote, this celebration is not only about looking back. It is about allowing her music to live again through other voices.
The concert will feature Sibongile Mngoma, Brenda Mntambo, Swazi Dlamini, Maleh, Bongiwe Nakani and Ayanda Khumalo, accompanied by the Chamber Orchestra of Johannesburg.
The tribute remembers Khumalo as a mother, mentor and advocate who created opportunities for young musicians, including through her community music project in Empangeni.
A voice like hers does not disappear. It remains in the songs she gave us, the artists she inspired and the memories of those who gathered to honour her.
This weekend, as her music fills the Market Theatre once more, Sibongile Khumalo will be remembered for her voice and what it meant to a nation.
