Khululiwe Sithole

Khululiwe was born in Umlazi, KZN and married to one of prominent South Africa’s musical legends, the late Jabu Khanyile. Perhaps one of the younger, but more experienced studio-recording artists to come out of South Africa. Her voice has featured, as a backing vocalist, in most of the sound recordings done by leading musicians in the country to critical acclaim. She has backed and appeared along side South Africa’s greatest artists in festivals locally and abroad. Khululiwe’s first taste of the performing arts was when she was picked by Mbongeni Ngema for the Broadway hit musical Sarafina and subsequently “Township Fever” , where she did solo performances before following music full time as her chosen carer and profession. A versatile vocalist and musician who has mastered most of South Africa’s music genre, Khululiwe easily transcends between Afro-pop, Afro Jazz, Maskandi and urban Zulu music, not to mention South African Gospel and still performing with the Bayete band. A great choreographer who popularized the late Jabu Khanyile’s front line dance routines of Bayete’s backing vocalists. Khululiwe directed Jabu Khanyile’s last live recording and collaboration with Busi Mhlongo in 2006. Not new to accolades and recognition, which is evident in the srtings of awards and performances such as her feature in the movie “Sarafina” in 1990, gold sales award for her contribution to more than half a million units sold for the Lion King Album, “Rhythm of the Pride Lands”, nominated for in 1998 for the FNB SAMA Awards for the “Best Female Solo Performer”, awarded by His Majesty Zwelithini for her performance at the Annual Reed Dance Ceremony. Khululiwe has worked with leading world musicians such as Salif Keita, Angélique Kidjo, Kanda Bongo Man, Quincy Jones, Papa Wemba, and has backed artists such as Busi Mhlongo, Letta Mbulu and Caiphus Semenya, Jabu Khanyile, Hugh Masekela just to mention a few. As a solo artist, Khululiwe has performed in Mexico ( 2003), in Greece at the Greek Olympics ( 2005), including a duet with the top Czech Republic artist Lucas Fiser in Praque in 2002, Europe and the United States. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.