Lindiwe Maxolo

Lindiwe Maxolo was born and bred in the then Vaal Triangle, now known as Sedibeng, in South Africa. With a background rooted in church music, Ms Maxolo felt the need to take her musicianship to a higher level by studying music formally. She went on to graduate cum laude in her Honours Degree in Jazz Music from the University of Cape Town (UCT).

Lindiwe has been involved with many different styles of music but her main focus remains with Jazz. Critics have described her sound as 'jazzy', 'soulful', 'lyrical', 'affirming' and 'layered'. According to Lindiwe, her sound is an acoustic experience that incorporates both African and traditional jazz influences. She was the winner of the 2002 Old Mutual Jazz Encounters Competition in the Afro Vocal category.

Lindiwe has worked with top South African musicians such as Sibongile Khumalo, Themba Mkhize, Concord Nkabinde, McCoy Mrubata, Gloria Bosman, Feya Faku and Andile Yenana, to name but a few. She was invited to share a stage with the legendary Dave Grusin and Lee Ritenour. Lindiwe also did a countrywide tour with the (O)prah Magazine & Old Mutual’s Find your Balance Workshops. She featured as part of Joburg’s top corporate jazz outfit, Chilli&Lime. Internationally she has performed on a number of prestigious platforms. In 2004, Lindiwe was part of the South African Department of Arts and Culture’s representatives at the Athens Olympics in Greece. In 2006 she was invited to the USA to perform as part of the New Orleans - South African Connection, a cultural exchange dedicated to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. In 2008 Maxolo was invited to perform at the opening of the Habtoor Hotel’s Horizon Lounge in Dubai. In 2009 she performed in Lisbon, Portugal as a guest of the South African Ambassador, Ms Thandiwe January Mclean. In 2013 she performed in India at the Delhi International ICCR Jazz Festival.

As an educator, Lindiwe has conducted workshops at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. She is also a music educator at the Thaba Jabula Secondary School in Soweto.

Lindiwe's debut album, 'Time', was released in 2013. It received a Mbokodo Award in 2014 for Women in Jazz, and was also nominated for SAMA, SATMA and Wawela Awards. The album's success has ensured that Lindiwe Maxolo has become one of the leading young voices in South African jazz, taking South African music to greater heights.