Mdantsane trumpeter hits all the right notes

When Sakhile Simani picked up a trumpet as a young boy at his church in Mdantsane, he could never have imagined it would one day take him to international stages and into a university lecture hall. Today, the acclaimed trumpeter, composer, arranger and music director balances an international performing career with teaching and music direction. He leads the Buffalo City Big Band, works as music director and arranger for the Dumza Maswana Big Band, teaches brass at Stirling High School and Emmanuel African Church, lectures part-time in jazz studies at Incopho Arts Centre in Cathcart, and is preparing to take up a new role as a brass instrument lecturer at the University of Fort Hare.

Despite a career that has seen him perform alongside some of SA’s leading jazz musicians, Simani says his greatest inspiration remains the township where his musical journey began. His latest appointment at Fort Hare will see him teaching brass students while leading performance ensembles. “I’m going to be teaching brass instruments.

I’m going to be lecturing brass and some other things. “I think I’m going to take some ensembles as well for performance,” he said. In 2000, he joined the Field Band Foundation, where he played under the direction of Thoko Mlonyeni and Tally Goduka.

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During his five years with the organisation, the band competed nationally, winning trophies for Best Creative and Best Brass Ensemble, while Simani collected several national Best Brass Player awards between 2004 and 2007. “We played a lot while still playing with the foundation,” he said. Those achievements convinced him to pursue music professionally.

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