S’bu Shabalala

Sibusiso is a pianist, saxophonist, composer, arranger, and vocalist from Hammarsdale’s Mpumalanga township in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. His journey has equipped him with skills that enabled him to be versatile and fit easily in various music settings. He teaches music to children from his hometown and communities such as Khayelitsha, Soweto and Verulam.

Sibusiso started playing instruments in 2013 under the tutelage of, Saxophonist, Khaya Mahlangu,  at that time S’bu was playing the alto saxophone. Before the instrumentation, he wrote and performed poetry and explored rapping when joining hip hop group Unfamiliar systems. In 2015 he studied under jazz icon and instrument maker Ndikho Xaba, then he proceeded to venture into academics and pursued a degree in Jazz and Popular Music at UKZN in 2016, with piano as his practical and arranging as his major.

In 2019 he was a member of the shadow jury at UNISA’s International Piano Competition organised by former president Mr Thabo Mbeki. He is one of the founders of Bandless, a Durban based versatile band, in which he plays piano, saxophone and sings. He is founder and leader of Zim Zim, where he sings and plays synth and guitar identifying as a different alias.. In 2021 he started Felabration, both a musical act and a live music event, where he and the band members exclusively perform the music of Nigeria’s Fela Kuti at the Felabration event. As a collaborator he has worked with the 2 Bears, a British musical duo and Blk Jks. Currently he works with Salim Washington, Victoria Raw, MJ Summers, Rhea Blek.