Siphokuhle Mathe

Siphokuhle Mathe is a Cape Town-born vocalist whose musical journey began as a child chorister, singing in choirs throughout his schooling career. He was lured into jazz by chance in 2005 when a school band asked if he could sing Georgia On My Mind, the rendition of which accorded him his earlier popularity at school. Prior to formal vocal training in jazz under the tutelage of Wathiq Hoosain and later, Sade Ross, he had adorned Cape Town stages such as the V&A Amphitheatre and Nassau Theatre. In 2009, he was part of the Jazz Youth Festival Choir at the then-Grahamstown Jazz Festival in Makhanda which had been led by Amanda Tiffin both as the choirmaster and the arranger. Although he did not proceed to formally study music at university, ke has kept technically abreast at jazz jam sessions from spaces such as the Great Wizoo, Selective Live, Fat Harry's and more recently at the Blue Room and other venues. He has an insatiable passion for preserving the South African jazz songbook and is in the process of writing new music.