Dr Sibusiso Mashiloane Announces ISIGQI Live Tour in Cape Town and Johannesburg
Celebrated South African pianist, composer, and scholar Dr Sibusiso Mash Mashiloane will bring his latest album ISIGQI – Live at the bird’s eye to the stage this October with two live performances in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Although the album was released earlier this year, this marks Mashiloane’s first national tour with ISIGQI, offering audiences the chance to experience the music in a live and communal setting. The tour is supported by Concerts SA, a joint South African and Norwegian initiative backed by the SAMRO Foundation, the National Treasury’s Jobs Fund, and the Festival Enterprise Catalyst.
The Cape Town performance will take place on Sunday, 5 October 2025, at the Youngblood Gallery in the Beautiful Life Building on Bree Street. Known for merging visual art and music, the venue will host a special acoustic set featuring compositions from ISIGQI. Mashiloane will perform on grand piano, joined by Ntokozo Kunene on vocals and Justin Bellairs on saxophone. “I have a special relationship with Cape Town and its warm audience. Performing ISIGQI in such an art-filled space feels like a true home-coming,” said Mashiloane.
The Johannesburg show is scheduled for Saturday, 11 October 2025, at the Untitled Basement, a venue renowned for supporting original jazz and soul music. This performance will feature a full band with Sphelelo Mazibuko on drums, Dalisu Ndlazi on bass guitar, and Kagiso Ramela on saxophone. “Johannesburg has always pushed my creativity, with its unmatched energy. I am excited to share ISIGQI with the city in this space that celebrates original music,” he added.
ISIGQI was recorded live at the bird’s eye in Basel, Switzerland. The album explores African identity, history, and rhythm while paying tribute to the mentors, teachers, and elders who shaped Mashiloane’s journey. Tracks like “KwaZulu (Song for Madala Kunene),” “Internal Vibrations (Song for Tlale Makhene),” and “Isigqi (Song for Bheki Khoza)” serve as musical dedications. The album draws on the philosophy of Ubuntu, the power of African drumming, and the harmonic languages of South African traditions. One of the standout tracks, “KwaNdebele,” has already earned a nomination in the Best African Jazz Artist category at the AFRIMA awards.
Dr Sibusiso Mashiloane is widely regarded as one of South Africa’s most important contemporary jazz voices. A lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and a PhD graduate focusing on African musical heritage, Mashiloane has released several award-winning albums. His work preserves African musical traditions while presenting them as living cultural memory.
Tickets for the Cape Town performance are priced at R300 for pre-sale and R350 at the door. Doors open at 15:00, and the show begins at 15:30. The Johannesburg performance opens at 19:00, with the show starting at 20:00 at Untitled Basement.
With ISIGQI live, Mashiloane continues his mission to celebrate, preserve, and innovate South Africa’s rich jazz heritage, bringing audiences closer to the heartbeat of African sound.
