Nobuhle Ashanti

Nobuhle Ashanti (24) is a pianist, composer, and recording artist from Cape Town, South Africa. Nobuhle’s musical education began at the Beau Soleil Music Centre, where she studied classical violin before moving to the piano. She has since been involved with various youth music initiatives including The Little Giants, the Sekunjalo Youth Program, and the Grahamstown International Youth Jazz Festival.

With two accomplished musicians for parents, Nobuhle’s childhood exposed her to a diverse range of South African music and the rich histories of legendary South African artists. Nobuhle’s compositional style draws on elements of South African jazz, Rhythm and Blues, Jazz Fusion and Soul, and her songs often features intricate vocal and horn arrangements.

Over the years, Nobuhle has performed at various live music venues and festivals around Cape Town as a session pianist for local artists and with her live project ‘The Ashanti Tribe’. The fundamental concept of ‘The Ashanti Tribe’ is to gather different artists to celebrate their heritage and heal, together with the audience.

Her debut album - ‘Bait for Steps Forward’ - features a wide variety of Cape Town’s leading poets, instrumentalists and vocalists, and will be released on 24 March 2023. Her debut single, 'Choices' featuring Shaw Komori, was released in November 2022, and was featured on many top playlists including New Music Daily and Mzantsi Jazz. Subsequent singles include 'Ancestors (Pt. I & II)' featuring Khadija Heeger, Kitso Seti, Def Eff, and Sean Sanby, and 'Unpredictable' featuring Caitlin May, and 'Ends In Ache' featuring Amy Campbell.