ABOUT
Thandanani Gumede is called Thanda for short---a Zulu name that means 'love one another'. Thanda is a vocalist and a multi-disciplinary artist from Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. He is primarily based in Leeds, U.K. and his music draws heavily from his dual Zulu and Xhosa heritage amalgamated with Jazz, Neo-Soul, Gospel and other contemporary styles. Notable appearances include the first ever Nelson Mandela Day officiated by the United Nations at the British Museum in London (2010), at Buckingham Palace (Royal Enclosure) for the then 44 members of the British Royal family (2014), the Theatre Royale Haymarket in the West End to raise funds for the British Red Cross (2015), the Manchester; Leeds and London Jazz Festivals (2018-2021), the award-winning Pizza Express SOHO (2021), the BBC Proms (2021), BBC Introducing (2021), and other various appearances on SKY One, SABC 1, BBC television and radio stations, to name but a few.
Opera North
Join us for Opera North’s very first Theatre of Sanctuary Open Mic Night, a celebration of collaboration and connection featuring musicians from around the world who are now based in our region.
Hosted by South African singer-songwriter Thandanani Gumede, the line-up includes Stone Flowers, a Manchester-based collective of musicians who have fled conflict, as well as short performances by talented musicians from the refugee and asylum seeker community in West Yorkshire. Read More.
Created by West Yorkshire-based composers Boff Whalley (Chumbawamba) and Thanda Gumede, a new song inspired by the county and its inhabitants will be premiered online as part of Sound UK’s nationwide project A Song for Us on Wednesday 2 February 2022.
‘Looking Out, Reaching Out’ is one of 14 County songs written to mark the struggles of the past 18 months. It’s co-commissioned by Sound UK and Opera North, and it aims to celebrate communities and the power of music in bringing them together. Read More
