Sky Dladla

Sibahle Sky Dladla, hailing from the Gugulethu township in Cape Town, South Africa, is a multi-talented African musician and instrument enthusiast. Her journey into the world of music began 13 years ago when she first laid hands on the marimba during her high school days. She continued her musical pursuit by enrolling at the University of Cape Town (UCT) to study Performance in African Music, where she successfully obtained a Performance Diploma, an Advanced Diploma, and a Post Graduate Diploma in African Instruments.

In 2012, Sky founded her band, Blackroots Marimbas. Not only does she excel in playing African instruments, but she also imparts her knowledge by teaching marimba at various institutions, including Bishops Diocesan College, Herschel Girls, Reddam Constatia, and The Grove.

Sky’s musical journey has taken her far and wide, with memorable performances such as touring Mozambique in 2016, 2017 and 2019 conducting instrument-building workshops with Matchume Zango. She’s also made her mark on the global stage by participating in the Global Music Camp (GLOMUS) in Brazil and embarking on a month-long Performance tour in Brazil with Indigenous Too in 2017.

Some of Sky’s notable achievements include:
•Artist in Residency for Bodyland Artist Residency in November 2020
•Madosini and Friends’ performance at the Rupert Museum in October 2021
•Mein Job Dein Job reality show in Munich, Germany March 2022
• Artist in Residency at Centro Cultural Franco-Mozambican and taking part in the Raiz Festival in Maputo in July 2022.
•FoundSound/AltBlk Artist residency at Constitutional Hill (Johannesburg) August 2022
•Greenpop Reforest Festival April 2023
•Msaki’s Embo Time Travel Experiment performance in Makhanda 2023
•Nirox Phenomenal Women Concert August 2023
•Performances with The One Who Sings (Zolani Mahola) and The Feminine Force include: Greenpop Reforest Festival 2022 Bushfire Festival eSwatini 2022, Parklive Festival Johannesburg 2022 and WOMAD Festival Cape Town 2023

Sky Dladla’s musical journey is a testament to her dedication, passion, and talent as an African instrumentalist and marimba maker, enriching the world with her unique sounds and experiences.