Sihlalo Children’s African Music Group

2026 is an exciting year for the 15 member Sihlalo Children’s African Music Group. The
Sihlalo Children’s African Music Group is supported by the Mapula Trust, and is a formal
partner outreach program of the International Library of African Music, Rhodes
University, Cape Town (https://www.ru.ac.za/ilam/). Kuda, Sihlalo Children’s African Music Group’s teacher is a
visiting scholar at ILAM, assisting with the research into historic mbiras in the ILAM
collection. Kuda is a gifted instrument maker, who has made all the mbiras, marimbas,
shakers, stringed instruments, and some of the drums, played by the Sihlalo children.

The Sihlalo Children’s African Music Group is performing by invitation from ILAM, at the
National Arts Festival in Grahamstown in July 2026. They will play traditional African
folk songs and rhythms on marimbas, drums, shakers, mbiras and/ or koras.

The children are aged 9 to 16 years from three of the most dangerous townships in Cape
Town. They travel by themselves on informal taxis to Sihlalo every Saturday for lessons,
and they have been rehearsing together for 2.5 years. They spend up to five hours
rehearsing every Saturday. Their music lessons have produced learning in a range of
areas, not just music. The children have shown improving school grades,
concentration, commitment and capacity to learn, individual and group organisational
skills, and responsibility.