Tefo Mahola

Tefo Mahola is a 30-year-old drummer/composer/pianist from Gugulethu, Cape Town. His touch on the drums and cymbals is out of the ordinary and a true sight to see and hear. His music is a true translation of his character and nature, with each song being an extension to a specific trait. The music is the result of the amalgamation of jazz, hip hop, funk, jazz rock and neo-soul to create compositions of a truly original and compelling sound.

His musical journey started at the age of 14 and since has been involved in numerous projects such as MAISHA, an EU Delegation to the African Union created project (‘life’ in Swahili) which is an Afro-European Music Experiment with 12 musicians from the two continents in Addis Ababa May 2018, to engage in a two-week music residency where they had the chance to collaborate and co-create original musical pieces. He has also played with many musical greats such as McCoy Mrubata, Sisonke Xonti, Darren English and Mark Fransman to name a few, and performed at numerous festivals aound the world such as the Oslo Jazz Festival, Rocking the Daisies and Capsule Fest.

Tefo has released his debut album called First Offering, released July 5th 2020 which has received the award for Best Jazz Album in the Mzantsi Jazz Awards 2021, and has been great reviews from listeners on the various streaming platforms since it’s release.