The Making of a Musical Legend
Bheki Khoza has left his indelible footprints on the South African cultural landscape as a composer, performer, bandleader, and musical director. A marvel on stage and an inspiration in the classroom, he is a self-taught, left-handed guitarist whose mastery bridges the spiritual depth of maskanda with the improvisational power of jazz. Over the decades, his artistry has shaped not only his own career but also the journeys of countless younger musicians whom he has mentored and inspired.
His earliest musical spark came from his grandmother, who would play traditional Zulu tunes on the mouth harp and harmonica. Those sounds, deeply rooted in rural tradition, formed the foundation of his musical ear. As a child of KwaZulu-Natal, he absorbed the soul of maskanda music and later mastered its guitar idiom with the same ease and conviction that he brought to jazz. He was drawn to the pioneering maskanda guitarists — John ‘Phuzushukela’ Bengu, Ikati Elimnyama, and Izingane Ziyamfisa — whose innovations became a wellspring for his own style.
At the same time, the young Khoza found himself entranced by South Africa’s jazz greats: reedmen Kippie Moeketsi and Abdullah Ibrahim, as well as guitar masters Philip Tabane, Allen Kwela, and Sandile Shange.
This dual inheritance of African folk and urban jazz gave him a unique musical vocabulary — one that resonates with authenticity and yet speaks across cultural boundaries.
Later, he discovered the giants of American jazz guitar: Kenny Burrell, Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, Barney Kessel, and George Benson— whose artistry further expanded his horizons. He began playing solos on his guitar, first in small combos and later with large ensembles, honing his craft in the bustling jazz circuits of Johannesburg and Durban.
During his “unsung” years as a sideman, Khoza built a formidable résumé. He played alongside some of South Africa’s most legendary musicians: saxophonist Winston Mankunku Ngozi, bassist Sipho Gumede, flutist Abe Cindi, Victor Ntoni, Mike Makhalemele, Barney Rachabane, and Ntemi Piliso’s African Jazz Pioneers. For the Pioneers, Khoza composed one of their most enduring hits, Sgaxa Mabhande – You Are the Captain, featured on their 1993 album Sip ’n Fly. His distinctive guitar voice also supported leading female vocalists including Dolly Rathebe, Abigail Kubheka, Sophie Mgcina, Sibongile Khumalo, and Thembi Mtshali.
In the politically charged 1980s, Khoza co-founded Thayima, a band that blended jazz and African music while speaking to the social realities of the time. He also joined Sipho Gumede’s Peace, formed after Gumede’s departure from Sakhile, where he played alongside Jabu Nkosi and Thembi Mtshali.
These collaborations cemented Khoza’s reputation as both a versatile guitarist and a committed cultural voice.
Click the video above to watch Bheki Khoza deliver an hour-long interactive workshop on traditional African music
To America & Back
In 1991, a new chapter began when Khoza was awarded a prestigious Talent Award and scholarship to study in the United States. He enrolled at the University of Hartford in Connecticut, where he studied under the mentorship of alto saxophonist Jackie McLean, one of jazz’s most revered educators and performers.
While abroad, Khoza joined bassist Larry Ridley’s Jazz Legacy, immersing himself in the full breadth of African American musical traditions, from ragtime and swing to bebop and R&B.
Performing in iconic jazz venues such as the Blue Note, Saint Mark’s Bar, Smalls, and Anarchy, he shared the stage with American talents including trombonist Steve Davis, pianist Charles Davis, and trumpeter Virgil Jones.
These experiences deepened his musical language and affirmed his belief in the unbroken dialogue between African and African-American traditions.
Upon returning to South Africa, Khoza expanded his role as a composer, arranger, and musical director. His most ambitious project was Drum – Music from the Original Soundtrack (Gallo, 2005), for which he directed a 20-piece ensemble in music inspired by the film Drum, a fictionalized retelling of investigative journalist Henry Nxumalo’s life.
With veterans such as Stompie Manana, Barney Rachabane, Peter Mokonotela, Jimmy Mngwandi, Bheki Mbatha, and Themba Mkhize, alongside singers Tu Nokwe and Thandiswa Mazwai, Khoza crafted a sonic tapestry that honoured the vibrant spirit of Sophiatown.
His own compositions on the album — Bheki’s Ballad and Bheki’s Blues — stand as deeply personal contributions to South Africa’s jazz canon.
Khoza’s work as a director also included Sophiatown: Surviving Apartheid (2003), a documentary honoring Dolly Rathebe, and Thobela Tabane (2006), a tribute to his mentor and inspiration Dr Philip Tabane. These projects reflect not only his artistry but also his commitment to honoring the cultural custodians who came before him.
