Miriam Makeba

Somi Kakoma was born in Illinois to immigrants from Uganda and Rwanda. Known in the jazz world simply as ‘Somi’, she has built a career of transatlantic storytelling, and is the first African woman ever nominated in any Grammy jazz category (2021, Best Jazz Vocal Album for Holy Room; 2021 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Vocal Album). Somi’s previous albums include Petite Afrique (2018 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album) and her major label debut The Lagos Music Salon feat. special guests Angelique Kidjo and Common. Both albums earned her ECHO Award nominations in Germany for Best International Jazz Vocalist. Somi recently released a new studio album honoring the great South African singer and activist Miriam Makeba. Somi is a Soros Equality Fellow, a USA Doris Duke Fellow, a TED Senior Fellow, a Sundance Theatre Fellow, and a former artist-in-residence at Park Avenue Armory, Rauschenberg Residency at Captiva, Baryshnikov Arts Center and UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance. Somi holds undergraduate degrees in Anthropology and African Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master’s degree in Performance Studies from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and is the founder of Salon Africana, a boutique cultural agency and record label.

Sangoma Chorus / Joseph / Stokely

Aaron Marcellus is a singer, vocal coach, writer, musician, dancer, and actor from Atlanta who got his start in gospel music and has performed around the world. He has recorded albums and was voted top 24 on “American Idol” in 2011. After a world tour, Marcellus was featured in a ChapStick commercial, NBC’s “Next Caller,” and STOMP. Marcellus also hosts a burlesque show at Duane Park. He founded Surrender to Love, LLC, a foundation that supports arts programs and seeks to feed the hungry and Adventure Voice, a training program offering vocal classes for groups and individuals.

Sangoma Chorus / Bongi

Naledi Masilo is a vocalist, composer, actress and teaching artist from Johannesburg, South Africa. She cultivated her love for the arts through backyard jam sessions and endless artistic curiosity. While cultivating her passions at the intersections of music, women and development, Naledi received a Bachelor of Social Sciences from the University of Cape Town and a Bachelors of Music from The New England Conservatory. Masilo has been a resident at the Kennedy Center (D.C) through Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead Program, where she was mentored by the likes of Dee Dee Bridgewater and Jason Moran. She has also been selected as part of the prestigious South African Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Band and has been invited to participate in the Banff International Jazz and Creative Music workshop in Calgary, Canada. Masilo is the founding director of the South African based non-profit Dreaming Girls Arts Foundation. Due to make prolific strides in the arts industry—Masilo is a young artist with a voice and story to remember!

Sangoma Chorus / Baba / Gooli

Phumzile Sojola is from Gqeberha, South Africa. He originated the role of Lord Pinkleton in the Broadway production of Cinderella and made his Broadway debut as Peter in The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. He has toured with The Phantom of the Opera (Ubaldo Piangi) and appeared Off-Broadway with Three Mo Tenors. Regional: Master Harold and The Boys (Syracuse Stage). Opera: L’etoile (Herrisson) and Troubled Island (Popo) at New York City Opera; La Boheme (Rodolfo) at Missouri Symphony Orchestra; Lost in the Stars (Leader) at Skylark Opera; The Magic Flute (Monostatos) and Carmen (Remendado) at Dayton Opera; Porgy and Bess (Robbins/Crabman) at Opera National de Lyon and The Edinburgh International Festival. Orchestral concerts include Jacksonville Symphony and Knoxville Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and Krasnoyarsk Ballet Orchestra. He has also performed at the famed art festival La Biennale di Venezia with pianist Jason Moran. He can be heard on the Broadway cast recordings of Cinderella as well as The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. Other recordings include Treemonisha with the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra and The American Spiritual Ensemble CD, The Spirituals.

Sangoma Chorus / Mama

Phindile Wilson, a native of South Africa,  begin her career early on performing in theatrical productions all around the world. She performed with Michael Jackson at Nelson Mandela’s 80th birthday, performed In Mbongeni Ngema’s productions and Sarafina 2 in Europe and Australia. She was in a movie soundtrack of The Lion King in 1994 at Sun City South Africa.

Most notable in the role of Rafiki in the US Tour, Las Vegas, Madrid and Brazil productions of Disney’s The Lion King (Helen Hayes Award Nominee) to The Festival of The Lion King in Hong Kong. Most recently Mrs. Wilson worked on the developmental lab of Mandela The Musical, The Wildflower Musical and Dreaming Zenzile. TV: “We Are New York,” “Orange Is The New Black,” and “The Widows” by Mfundi Vundla. She’s so thankful to be part of The amazing Dreaming Zenzile again and honored to share The Legend, Mama Miriam’s beautiful story and music.

Understudy

Kim Onah is excited to be making her NYTW debut in Dreaming Zenzile. Her favorite credits include: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical Tour Company, Aida at White Plains Performing Arts Center, All Shook Up at Arrow Rock Lyceum, and Buddy Holly: The Buddy Holly Story at the John W. Engeman theater. For more: www.kimonah.com / @kimona93.

Understudy

NYTW debut. NATIONAL TOUR: Rock of Ages 10th Anniversary. REGIONAL: The Scottsboro Boys (Helen Hayes Award Winner), Ragtime, Hairspray (New Hampshire Theatre Award-Best Supporting Actor in a Musical Nominee), Gypsy, West Side Story, Smokey Joe’s Cafe. EDUCATION: East Carolina University/New York Film Academy. Thanks to Stewart/Whitley casting and RKS Management. Socials: @WayneBomb

Piano

NYTW debut. Off-Broadway: Sleep No More (pianist). Regional: Dreaming Zenzile (pianist). A Tokyo-born, Berklee College of Music Alumnus pianist, composer, arranger, producer & author, Grammy-nominated Toru Dodo has released 5 leader albums. Also as one of New York’s most in-demand sideman, Dodo has worked with jazz luminaries such as Kenny Garrett and Curtis Fuller. www.torudodo.com. Instagram: @torudodopiano

Bass

Bassist Pathé Jassi is a world class jazz musicianwith a career that spans three decades. Originally from Dakar, Senegal, Jassi has traveled the globe performing and recording alongside a diverse group of musicians including legendary West African vocalist Youssou N’Dour and Grammy Award winning songwriter Luis Resto.

Guitar

NYTW debut. Virtuoso guitarist, composer, arranger and respected producer, Hervé Samb has established himself as an outstanding musician worldwide, with many famous artists such as Marcus Miller and Salif Keïta. His five previous albums have all been acclaimed by the public and international critics, through which he confirms a unique style, “Jazz Sabar.”

Alternate Guitar

NYTW debut. Flavio Silva is a 2019 Hot House Jazz magazine awardee as best guitarist. He is a musician who is part of a new generation of Brazilian composers and instrumentalists that has been breaking through the musical scene of different places, such as Brazil, The Netherlands and most recently, New York.

Percussion

Sheldon Thwaites is an award-winning International Caribbean-American percussionist, specializing in drum-set and steel pan. Drums were his first love, but after pursuing music at the highschool level, he transitioned into composition, arranging and production. He has worked with such artists as Chris Daughtry, Lauryn Hill, Amel Larrieux, Cobi and Marina Satti. Sheldon has played drums internationally for world-renowned steel bands Witco Desperadoes, Phase II Pan Groove and Skiffle Bunch. He has studied drum set with TerriLynn Carrington, John Blackwell and Dave Dicenso. Sheldon is a graduate of Boston Arts Academy and Berklee College of Music. @sheldonthwaites / www.th8aites.com