Biography

 

Mpumi Dhlamini is a multi-instrumentalist, award-winning producer, composer, and musical director whose work bridges jazz, African indigenous traditions, church harmony, and contemporary global sounds. Known for his genre-blending approach and self-contained creative process, he has built a career spanning recording, touring, television, and large-scale productions.

 

He comes from a musical and politically conscious family. His mother, Teddy Nkutha, was a singer with groups such as the Mthunzini Girls and the South African Supremes. His uncle, John Mothopeng, son of PAC president Zephaniah Mothopeng, is a respected producer and pianist. This environment exposed him early to both the cultural and social dimensions of music.

Despite this background, Dhlamini initially focused more on sports than music. His formal musical journey began at the Drakensberg Boys Choir School, followed by studies at the National School of the Arts, where he performed as a chorister and opera singer. He only began playing instruments at the age of 17, later teaching himself multiple instruments and eventually becoming proficient in more than twelve.

 

At 20, he produced his debut album after being signed to BMG Records, which later became Sony Music. The album, Combined Elements (2007), was entirely self-produced and released through a major-label structure—an exceptionally rare achievement not only in jazz but in the industry at large. In a field traditionally shaped by senior producers and established bandleaders, the project marked both a national and continental milestone: one of the first known instances of a young African jazz artist independently producing and releasing a major-label-affiliated debut.

 

Since then, Dhlamini has become known for a highly self-contained creative process. On most of his solo recordings, he composes, produces, mixes, masters, and performs nearly all the instruments himself, occasionally inviting featured musicians where appropriate. This approach has become a defining characteristic of his work, earning him a reputation for delivering fully realized projects independently, efficiently, and on schedule.

 

His musical language draws from a wide range of influences, including classical training, African indigenous traditions, church harmony, East African and Asian musical elements, as well as a deep foundation in hip-hop culture. Before focusing fully on jazz and instrumental music, he was active as a rapper and collaborated with artists such as Proverb and Third Eye from Malawi. This background continues to inform the rhythmic and conceptual aspects of his work.

Over the years, he has performed and collaborated with artists such as Proverb, Zwai Bala, Jimmy Dludlu, and Lira, and has produced for Wanda Baloyi, Brian Temba, Kabomo, Zama Jobe, Sphelelo Mazibuko, and others. His work blends traditional jazz language with contemporary sonic exploration.

 

In 2025, Dhlamini received the NACA Award (National Arts Council Award) for Most Outstanding Musician in South Africa, an accolade held by only 2 musicians in the country, including him. He is also active as an educator, presenting jazz workshops and mentorship sessions at institutions including UKZN, the Centre for Jazz and Popular Music, and the National School of the Arts, to name a few.