Sisonke Xonti Launches New Jazz Album, uKholo, with Ensemble Jazz Show

Cape Town’s award-winning saxophonist and composer Sisonke Xonti is celebrating the release of his third album, uKholo, with a special launch tour. The show kicks off in Xonti’s hometown of the Mother City, before moving on to his new music home, Johannesburg.

Here’s everything jazz lovers need to know.

Presented by the beloved Sankayi Jazz Series and Alex Productions, the concert acts as the launchpad for uKholo (‘faith’) and its themes of grief, healing, and hope. With deep, authentically South African rhythms and heartfelt vocals, it is Xonti’s most personal work to date, with tracks like Khanyo already receiving attention from publications such as Jazz News and Radio France.

For the special performance, Sisonke Xonti is joined on stage by an all-star ensemble of South African jazz talent. Benjamin Jephta, known for his album Homecoming Revisited (which is currently under consideration for the 68th Grammy Awards), brings his beloved double bass, alongside Yonela Mnana (piano and vocals), Ayanda Sikade (drums and vocals), Keenan Ahrends (guitar and vocals), and Gontse Makhene (percussion).

Far from a conventional, music-only experience, Jefferson Tshabalala directs the proceedings, bringing a theatrical combination of lighting, staging, storytelling, visuals, and music to the Homecoming Centre.

Who is Sisonke Xonti

Born and raised in Khayelitsha, Sisonke Xonti discovered the saxophone at 13 and has been inseparable from it ever since. Personal mentors like Ezra Ngcukana and Jimmy Dludlu, along with jazz icons Zim Ngqawana and Herbie Tsoaeli, played major roles in shaping Xonti’s distinctive sound.

He released his debut album, Iyonde, in 2017, combining contemporary stylings with more traditional African sounds. His follow-up record, 2020’s uGaba (‘the migration’), took on a more personal story, reflecting his move to Johannesburg and its influence on his sound. That same year, he won the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Jazz, cementing his status as one of the scene’s most exciting voices.

Since then, he has performed at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, Makhanda Jazz Festival, and as part of Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s memorial service at Cape Town City Hall. Xonti is also an active educator, teaching at institutions such as the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls.

How to get tickets

As true enthusiasts know, live concerts are by far the best way to engage with jazz. Experience the next era with one of Cape Town’s most acclaimed jazz performers, Sisonke Xonti, at the uKholo Album Launch Tour, coming to the Homecoming Centre this November.

Cost: R300 per person. Book now on Webtickets.