Thandeka Mfinyongo

BIOGRAPHY
Thandeka Mfinyongo is a musician born and raised in Nyanga East, Cape Town (South Africa). Mfinyongo's love and passion for performing arts started at a very young age at church. In 2017, she graduated with a Performer's Diploma in Music; in 2018, she graduated with an Advanced Diploma in African Music from the University of Cape Town. Mfinyongo specialises in two Xhosa instruments, uhadi (gourd/calabash bow) and umrhubhe (mouth-bow). In 2020, she finished her Master's in Music Performance at SOAS University of London, majoring in kora (an instrument from West Africa). Mfinyongo is currently doing her PhD in Ethnomusicology at Rhodes University.
Mfinyongo has performed on various stages, including the Baxter and ArtsCape Theatre. In 2008, she joined a drama, dance and music group called Rainbow Arts Organisation and soon after sang in the His Favour Gospel choir, which recorded an album in 2013. She performed at the Zabalaza Festival in March 2013 (Baxter Theatre) and in the June 16 musical production at ArtsCape Theatre (as part of a collaboration with a group of young people from different communities). Mfinyongo also wrote and performed one of her poems at the Land Act 1913 Commemoration at the Homecoming in District Six. In March 2014, she was involved in the International Jazz Festival Skills Development, sponsored by the Department of Arts and Culture. Between 2014 and 2017, she was part of the UCT iBuyambo Ensemble, performing regularly in Cape Town. Mfinyongo is one of the founding members of a musical group called Azanian Aesthetics (2016).
In May 2018, Mfinyongo released her first single, Wenza Ngabom and made her debut on a local TV show called Hectic99, where she performed the song. In August 2018, she had her first solo performance at Baxter's Masambe Theatre. In November 2018, she had the opportunity to perform with the legendary Madosini (known as "The Queen of Xhosa" instruments) and Msaki as part of an event called 'At the Feet of a Living Archive' at Youngblood Gallery in Cape Town.
In May 2019, Mfinyongo performed at the Global LBQ Conference in Cape Town, held for the first time in South Africa. She completed an Eastern Cape tour with two friends in Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown. The same year, she performed at AfroBru in Johannesburg alongside Morena Leraba.
In June 2019, she released a song with Zyo called Brighter Day. During the same month, she performed at The Awakening Sessions in Kimberly. She performed alongside renowned South African musician Dumza Maswana during July's National Arts Festival in Grahamstown. During the Take a Child to Theatre Benefit Concert at the Baxter Theatre in August 2019, she performed with Freshlyground lead singer Zolani Mahola.
In October 2019, while at SOAS University of London, she performed in events like Young Gifted and Black during Black History Month. In November of the same year, she performed at the Antariksha, a fundraiser event organised by Sister Library and the SOAS Indian Dance Society. Mfinyongo also worked...