Biography

Exiled in 1976 from her homeland Sonti lived as a refugee in Botswana and Germany. Her gift and love for music

has always been a thread that held her life together while in foreign lands for over 30 years. Her musical journey

has given her an opportunity to share and make special appearances on stage with International music icons

like Peter Gabriel, Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Ritchie, Elton John, Sade, Paul Simon and Donna Summer.

She moved to Germany in 1980 to work with the South African German based musical group “Sounds of

Soweto” and stayed with them for 2 years before moving to London to join the legendary “Ipi Intombi” Musical

for a tour of West Africa. She met Hugh Masekela through Julian Bahula in London in the 80’s and he invited her to join him on his tour of the US.

While on tour with Hugh Masekela she met Miriam Makeba in Washington DC and from that moment she was

blessed with a rare and humbling experience of working with two South African legends for over 10

years. She went on a world tour with Paul Simon on the Graceland Tour performing to audiences in Europe,

Canada, Russia, Australia, and Africa and in the USA. She also appeared at the Grammy Awards with Paul Simon.

In 2001 she coached and mentored the cast of “Umoja” in the West End, London. She has performed to great

acclaim at the Wembley Arena in London, Apollo Theatre and Madison Square Garden in New York with

Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel and Grace Jones. She has toured extensively with her band performing in

Ghana, Nigeria, Gabon, Togo, Sierra Leone, United Kingdom, Belgium, Greece, France, Hungary, Sweden,

Norway and the Netherlands. Sonti Mndebele is now back home in South Africa where she belongs to share her gift with her people.