Biography
South Africa counts the Bala Brothers among its leading vocal ensembles, a trio that disregards genre restrictions while moving fluidly across pop, R&B, hip-hop, opera, gospel, and traditional local folk forms. Their history parallels the country’s shift from apartheid, when three brothers raised under its constraints took a tangible role in the push for racial equality and later stood as visible signs of fresh possibilities once the system fell.
Zwai Bala, born in 1976 as the oldest son of parents who first met inside a choral ensemble, assembled the group. The family lived in Kwa-Nobuhle Township outside Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape inside a small house without electricity, yet Zwai revealed unusual ability early: at five he helped his grandfather, a choral composer, prepare arrangements, and by ten he had formed his own choir. In 1988, at age twelve, he drew national notice as the first Black singer admitted to the Drakensberg Boys Choir while laws still treated Blacks as second-class citizens. He had already released a debut recording with a gospel group and appeared in the South African stage musical King Africa. During his schooling in Johannesburg, Zwai joined friends exploring hip-hop and beatboxing; they blended those street styles with kwaito, South Africa’s form of house music, to launch TKZee, whose first hit single arrived in 1997 and whose commercial run continued through much of the ’80s.
Loyiso Bala, born in 1979 as the middle brother, likewise showed early musical promise. He entered the Drakensberg Boys Choir in 1989, then concentrated on R&B in his teens. His first single appeared in 2001, and he joined an album of TKZee-affiliated artists the following year. Loyiso issued his debut solo album, Wine, Women, and Song, in 2003 and became one of South Africa’s most successful R&B singers, scoring hits such as “Angel,” “Cappuccino,” “Gimme the Night,” and “Girl Without a Name.”
Phelo Bala, the youngest, followed the same path into the Drakensberg Boys Choir during his teens, eventually serving as Head Chorister and Music Leader. He studied music at St. Stithians College and performed with the South African gospel group Joyous Celebration before establishing himself as a leading African R&B artist under the name PheloB.
Although each brother built a separate career, their occasional performances as a trio have made them a major live draw across South Africa and at official ceremonies, including their headline appearance at the 2013 Nelson Mandela Memorial Concert in Cape Town before a sold-out crowd of 55,000 that included Winnie Mandela. After dominating at home and completing tours of Europe and the United Kingdom, the Bala Brothers turned toward the United States. They staged a special concert at Johannesburg’s Lyric Theatre that was filmed for a PBS broadcast; the resulting soundtrack album, titled The Bala Brothers, became their first substantial North American release.
Zwai Bala, born in 1976 as the oldest son of parents who first met inside a choral ensemble, assembled the group. The family lived in Kwa-Nobuhle Township outside Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape inside a small house without electricity, yet Zwai revealed unusual ability early: at five he helped his grandfather, a choral composer, prepare arrangements, and by ten he had formed his own choir. In 1988, at age twelve, he drew national notice as the first Black singer admitted to the Drakensberg Boys Choir while laws still treated Blacks as second-class citizens. He had already released a debut recording with a gospel group and appeared in the South African stage musical King Africa. During his schooling in Johannesburg, Zwai joined friends exploring hip-hop and beatboxing; they blended those street styles with kwaito, South Africa’s form of house music, to launch TKZee, whose first hit single arrived in 1997 and whose commercial run continued through much of the ’80s.
Loyiso Bala, born in 1979 as the middle brother, likewise showed early musical promise. He entered the Drakensberg Boys Choir in 1989, then concentrated on R&B in his teens. His first single appeared in 2001, and he joined an album of TKZee-affiliated artists the following year. Loyiso issued his debut solo album, Wine, Women, and Song, in 2003 and became one of South Africa’s most successful R&B singers, scoring hits such as “Angel,” “Cappuccino,” “Gimme the Night,” and “Girl Without a Name.”
Phelo Bala, the youngest, followed the same path into the Drakensberg Boys Choir during his teens, eventually serving as Head Chorister and Music Leader. He studied music at St. Stithians College and performed with the South African gospel group Joyous Celebration before establishing himself as a leading African R&B artist under the name PheloB.
Although each brother built a separate career, their occasional performances as a trio have made them a major live draw across South Africa and at official ceremonies, including their headline appearance at the 2013 Nelson Mandela Memorial Concert in Cape Town before a sold-out crowd of 55,000 that included Winnie Mandela. After dominating at home and completing tours of Europe and the United Kingdom, the Bala Brothers turned toward the United States. They staged a special concert at Johannesburg’s Lyric Theatre that was filmed for a PBS broadcast; the resulting soundtrack album, titled The Bala Brothers, became their first substantial North American release.
Albums
Live
