Artists & Projects Directory

• Africa Consortium
• Boyzie Cekwana
• Dan Hurlin
• David Roussève/REALITY
• Dean Moss
• Gregory Maqoma
• Los Muñequitos
• Marc Bamuthi Joseph
• Ralph Lemon
• Stories Left to Tell
• The America Project
• Yasuko Yokoshi

Gregory Maqoma/Vuyani Dance Theatre

The music for Beautiful Me was developed by Maqoma in collaboration with the musicians, each a specialist in a distinctive African instrument and vocal style and a composer in his or her own right. He says, "I developed the music with the musicians, the structure was already there, the feel and the sounds I was already feeling in my head and body."

Bongani Kunene began studying as a 13 year-old under the mentorship of David Koloane in the African Youth Ensemble in Diepkloof Soweto. His skill as a musician allows Kunene to transmit afrofused sounds from the cello. He first became involved with Vuyani Dance Theatre in 2006 as a musician for the dance work Rhythm Colour, a piece featuring 10 dancers in memory of June 16 1976, which was staged both in local theatres as well as at the exhibition area of the Apartheid Museum at Gold Reef in Johannesburg.

Isaac Molelekoa began studying as a 9 year-old under the mentorship of David Koloane in the African Youth Ensemble in Diepkloof Soweto. He is also a member of Mathaka String Quartet, whose repertoire is grounded both in classical music as well as the various genres that inform current South African music. He first became involved with Vuyani Dance Theatre in 2006 as a musician for the dance work Rhythm Colour, a piece featuring 10 dancers in memory of June 16 1976, which was staged both in local theatres as well as at the exhibition area of the Apartheid Museum at Gold Reef in Johannesburg.

Mandienkosi Nhlapo is an accomplished percussionist in the Johannesburg scene. Since 2006 he has been playing with the resident band at Gold Reed City, a center of cultural tourism in South Africa. Nhlapo performed in the recent versions of Beautiful Me at FNB Dance Umbrella Festival 2009. He was also crucial in the development and performance of the music for the recent Vuyani Dance Theatre premiere Skeleton Dry.

Poorvi Bhana is from a musical South African Indian family, and has played with several choreographers in South Africa. She is currently studying Fine Art at Pretoria Technikon, Tshwane University of Technology. In September 2008, Bhana appeared as one of the musicians in an internationally renowned Johnny Clegg and Savuka show that took place at the Nelson Mandela Theatre in Johannesburg.  Beautiful Me is the first work that she has performed with Vuyani Dance Theatre.