Sakhile Simani

Sakhile Simani was born and raised in the township of Mdantsane East London, South Africa. He started playing music at a very early age, by the year 2000 Simani joined the Field Band Foundation (FBF) under the direction of Thoko Mlonyeni and Tally Goduka. Where they competed nationally and obtained trophies for the Best Creative and Best Brass Ensemble .While at the FBF, Simani won several awards for Best Brass Player nationally from the year of 2004 to 2007. This led him to play in The Salvation Army Brass Band by the year 2007.

In 2008 Simani enrolled for Jazz trumpet at the University of KwaZulu Natal. During his varsity days Simani played classical first trumpet for Durban Music School for two consecutive years, during the same period Simani was also active in the University’s Big Band as a first trumpeter. Some of the musical highlights of Sakhile Simani’s journey include being selected as a young trumpeter for the National Youth Band under the conductorship of Feya Faku, Mike Campbell and McCoy Mrubata, in the year 2009 until 2011.

This afforded him the opportunity to play big stages like; the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz in Johannesburg and Baxter Theatre in Cape Town. Moreover, during his final year in varsity, Doctor Neil Gonsalves formed a university sextet for a Cultural Exchange programme and Sakhile was selected to be the part of the Exchange as a composer and trumpeter. The band toured to Virginia Richmond, United States of America in September 2012 and March 2013 and recorded an album entitled “Leap of Faith” the album  featured the Durban guitar Maestro Madala Kunene and Plunky Branch the great soulful saxophonist from Richmond. 

Immediately after obtaining his Bachelor’s Degree in Practical Music, Simani got appointed as a Jazz teacher and Brass tutor alongside the Band Co-Ordinator of the Field Band Foundation at the Stirling High School in 2014.Later that year Simani recorded with Nduduzo Makhathini an album entitled “Mother Tongue and Sketches of Tomorrow”. In 2016 Simani toured Kenya with Ms Siya Makuzeni, Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz and formed part of the recording of Siya Makuzeni’s debut album entitled “Out of This World”.

Simani has  recorded and played extensively  with various musical luminaries such as Tally Goduka,Lulama  Gaulana,Sazi Dlamini,Nduduzo Makhathini, Neil  Gonsalves,Siya Makuzeni the late Sisa Sopazi,Afrika Mkhize Big Band,Tutu Puone Tribute Big Band,James Morrison Big Band,Nomfundo Xaluva,Tete Mbambisa and many more .Currently, Simani  is a Musical Director for the  Artists In Schools program for tribute concerts ,he also forms part of the Dumza Maswana band and is a conductor for the Merrifield’s Preparatory School Jazz Band. Has has recently been awarded the Isakhona Jazz Fellow at Nelson Mandela Bay Theatre Complex.