By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Multi-Award winning jazz legend Sylvia Ncediwe Mdunyelwa has died peacefully in the early hours of this morning, at the age 74.
In a statement, her family said: “She passed away peacefully in the early hours of the morning on 25 August 2023 after a long illness.
“Mama Kaap, as she was affectionately known, devoted her life to the creative and music industry, propagating young people and creating opportunities in the township through music and acting.
“She was celebrated on global stages all around the world and leaves an indelible mark in society.”
According to her artist profile on Artistes Personal Management, Mdunyelwa started her career in the 1970s with Victor Ntori’s sextet and performed with other musicians on the Cape Town jazz scene, including Winston Mankunku Ngozi, Merton Barrow, Duke Ngcukana and Ezra Ngcukana.
In 1990, she was awarded a scholarship by the Education Opportunities Council and studied at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).
When she returned to South Africa, she was invited to tour Germany, where she performed at the Berlin Festival in 1994.
Mdunyelwa’s family said details of the memorial and burial service will be released in due course.