Sakhile

Formed by premier South African players Sipho Gumede, Mabi Thobejane, and Khaya Mahlangu, the ensemble Sakhile fused indigenous South African traditions with jazz fusion in the vein of Miles Davis. Emerging as a splinter project from Spirits Rejoice—the earlier unit that included Gumede alongside Gibson Kente and Bheki Mseleku—the band encountered mounting racial repression that engulfed South Africa in the wake of the Soweto killings. Though their initial recordings drew fervent support inside the country’s Black townships, denial of radio exposure ultimately forced the group to dissolve. After regrouping in 1987, Sakhile cultivated a global audience. Under the direction of exiled composer Caiphus Semenya, the musicians appeared at anti-apartheid events across Switzerland, Italy, and the former U.S.S.R. during 1988 and 1989. They subsequently backed fellow South African performers at the Nelson Mandela tribute staged at London’s Wembley Stadium. In 1991 Sakhile dissolved once more.