Mandisi Dyantyis

Like many Xhosa people in South Africa, the popular singer and trumpeter Mandisi Dyantyis was raised in the Christian church, but he tenaciously retains traditional Xhosa values and reflects both worlds in his music. Born in Port Elizabeth in 1984, Dyantyis has long been a vital part of South Africa's jazz scene—having recorded and performed with Abdullah Ibrahim's Big Band—and is the Isango Ensemble theatre company's music director. His 2018 debut album, Somandla, is a lyrically and spiritually incandescent distillation of jazz, gospel, classical and traditional sounds. Singing exclusively in Xhosa, Dyantyis nods to his roots in the a cappella opener "Molweni" and folky closer "Grandmothers Dance". Dyantyis is an irresistible balladeer, whether questioning his creator via trumpet in the title track or mourning his late brother in conversation with tenor saxophonist Buddy Wells in "Olwethu".