Blackroots Marimba

Members

Sibahle Sky Dladla (Managing Director) - African Music student at University of Cape Town
Sky was born in Gugulethu and started playing marimbas in 2009 at Pinelands High School and later on that year she started playing professionally for a marimba company called AmaAmbush. She then went on to form the Blackroots Marimbas Band which she is now managing and directing. She expanded her love for African music by enrolling at UCT for African Music and now plays various African instruments such as Nyunga nyunga, uhadi, mbira, chitende, djembe, percussion and the African marimba. Sky has also recently returned from Mozambique where she took part in workshops on traditional Mozambican instruments such as Timbila, nyunga nyunga, chitende and Makonde drumming.

Sharon Mhambi - Social Development Student at University of Cape Town
Sharon was born in Gugulethu, Cape Town where in 2010 she co-founded a CBO in Gugulethu for teens called Be U 2 The Full. In 2011 she joined Broadway in South Africa which she later travelled with to New York, touring, singing and dancing. Sharon is a co-founder of Blackroots Marimbas and she plays the tenor marimba and the Mbira. She has a degree in Social development from UCT.

Ntombekhaya Halam - Marketing Student Northlink College
Ntombekhaya was born and grew up in Gugulethu. She started traditional dancing at the age of 10 with other young girls from Gugulethu and her love for African music expanded when she began drumming for the group. Ntombekhaya is also a co-founder of Blackroots Marimbas and she plays the base, tenor and the alto marimba.

Eric Hunt (Percussionist) - Opera student at the University of Cape Town
Eric was born in Jankemp Dorp, but grew up in Sekhing in North West. In High School, Eric made history by being the first learner to reach the provincial and national level of the SASCE competition as a tenor soloist and went on to win the provincial. Eric is studying Opera at UCT and this is where he met Sky and expanded his love for African music by joining the band as a percussionist.

Rashid Adams - African Music student at University of Cape Town
Rashid was born in Cape Town and is studying his Masters in African Music at UCT majoring in Guitar. His love of music started at the age of 5 where he started playing guitar. He nurtured this love in his church band and has gone on to play the electric guitar as well as the acoustic guitar. Rashid joined the band in 2015 and he plays the alto marimba, the Mbira, the African Harp and he is also a percussionist.