Sibongile Khumalo (24 September 1957 – 28 January 2021) was a South African singer and songwriter. She sang classical, jazz, opera and traditional South African music. She was noted for singing at the inauguration of Nelson Mandela in 1994, as well as the final of the Rugby World Cup the following year. She was appointed to the Order of Ikhamanga in 2008.
Early life
Khumalo was born in Orlando West, Soweto, in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 24 September 1957. Her mother worked as a nurse; He inspired her to pursue music and Khumalo started learning when she was eight years old. She studied music at the University of Zululand, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts from that institution. Her show which sold-out, called The Three Faces of Sibongile Khumalo, involved a mix of jazz, opera, and local indigenous music. as well as at his inauguration as President of South Africa one year later. He gave her the popular moniker of South Africa's "First Lady of Song". She subsequently led the national anthems of South Africa and of New Zealand at the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
Khumalo sang as the mezzo-soprano soloist in Verdi's Requiem when The Bach Choir under David Willcocks toured South Africa in 1997. According to the lawsuit, Khumalo and a number of other members of the leadership of SAMRO overpaid themselves by more than R1.6 Million rand. Allegedly, Khumalo herself was irregularly overpaid by R312 000.
SAMRO would later become the centre of a scandal regarding the underpayment of royalties to artists, much of this taking place during Khumalo's time working for the organisation.
Later life
Khumalo established the Khabi Mngoma Foundation in March 2007. Named after her father, the purpose of the foundation was to raise funds for the Khongisa Academy for the Performing Arts (which was created by him), as well as to provide scholarships to talented individuals in the arts. She also performed in an Opera Africa production in Oslo, Norway. Khumalo toured the United States the following year with Hugh Masekela and performed at the Celebrate Brooklyn! festival. She was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Musicology by the University of South Africa in Pretoria, as well as an honorary Doctor of Philosophy by the University of Zululand
Khumalo released her final album, Breath of Life, in 2016. She cited financial and artistic difficulties for the seven-year hiatus, explaining how the time she spent recording in a studio was sporadic as an independent artist. She also reportedly trained as an inyanga during this time.
Khumalo died on 28 January 2021. She was 63, and suffered a stroke following a long-term period of illness prior to her death.
Discography
- Ancient Evenings (1996)
- Live at the Market Theatre (1998)
- Greatest Hits (2006)
- Breath of Life (2016)