ZINZI invites viewers on a transformative journey to a remote village to meet the Ngqoko Women, guardians of amaXhosa culture—a rich and impactful heritage that nurtured leaders like Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu.
The Ngqoko Women are the last living, breathing practitioners of the ancient art form of overtone singing and fast-disappearing traditional music indigenous to Southern Africa. Through intimate storytelling, the women reveal their personal histories and their fierce, collective desire to keep their music alive.
By shining a spotlight on universal human emotions like joy, revelation, and triumph in a stunning, remote geographic setting, the film fosters deep empathy and reminds viewers how universal our core experiences truly are. ZINZI is more than a documentary—it is an immersive sensory bridge connecting neighbors across cultural divides
“It’s not only their singing, the musical instruments they play, it is also their presence, their dignity, their gaiety and the sure knowledge they give to an audience that they are part of an ancient tradition.”
Andrew Tracey, Founding Director International Library of African Music.
We’re seeking to build strong relationships with partners in the fields of Education, Global Initiatives, Cultural Preservation, and Educational Travel. JOIN US in creating awareness and impact as we release ZINZI to audiences through our National Outreach Campaign:
- Festival Premiere Screenings
- A Virtual Event Premiere
- University Screenings & Panel Discussions
- Educational Materials & Discussions Guides
- Regional Event Premiere & Screenings
- Digital & Streaming Release
- A National PBS release
Dorothy Ann Gould is one of South Africa’s most respected actresses and the recipient of 28 Best Actress Awards. Her career has taken her to America, Europe and especially the United Kingdom where she has worked and continued to work since 1989. When not acting, she is directing or coaching other actors. She is the founder of JAM (Johannesburg Awakening Minds).
Dorothy Ann Gould
Mamela is a South African dancer, teacher, activist and an internationally recognized choreographer. She is the recipient of numerous awards for ground breaking, politically charged works that upend and reshape conventions. Hatched Ensemble, a reimagining of her signature piece, is touring internationally with a full-company of dancers. She recently choreographed Le Vol Du Boli, a grand opera created by Damon Albarn and Abderrahmane Sissako at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. In demand as a solo artist, she performs and teaches master classes in the U.S., London, Germany, and other countries around the world.
Mamela Nyamza
Phyllis (Molly) is an actor, playwright, screenwriter and author, who dreamed of working with the Ngqoko Women after seeing them perform in a play in New York city. Zinzi and the Ngqoko Women is her ten-year endeavor to make that happen. First, she imagined it, then she got to live it, and it became a film.
Phyllis MacBryde
Sinothando (Chuma) is making her film debut. She is a primary student residing in the township that served as a location for our film. With new opportunities on her horizon, she attends an after-school Arts and Leadership Program four days a week. The program provides dance training, leadership training, and Saturday English classes at the University of Cape Town.
Sinothando Dalane
Faniswa (Fezeka) is a South African film, television, and theatre actor known for the vivid characters she has originated. An alumnus of the University of Cape Town drama school, she has taken on a breadth of demanding roles. She earned The Fleur Du Cap Theatre Award for Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Play and was nominated for Best Supporting Actress by the African Movie Academy Awards. She also directs and has brought her own innovative sensibilities to plays presented by the Baxter Theatre and the Market Theatre, among other venues. She is currently appearing in the international tour of Life and Times of Michael K, a play based on a novel by Nobel Prize-winning author, J.M. Coetzee.
Faniswa Yisa
Luniko Bili (Themba) is a primary school student residing in the Cape Town location seen in the film. A highly motivated student, he attends iGugu-lethu Arts and Leadership Program four days a week, never missing his lessons in dance training, music training, leadership training and a Saturday English class at the University of Cape Town.
Luniko Bili
Nofirst (Mama Nofirst) is a founder and key member of the Ngqoko Cultural Group, an ensemble of traditional Xhosa musicians who have performed in concert venues internationally and at the Kennedy Center In Washington and the Skirball Center in New York, She is considered a Master Musician. She was trained in music by her mother and plays the uhadi calabash percussion bow, umrhubhe mouth bow, harmonica, and isitolotolo inkinge (Jewish harp). She played a prominent role in the world tour of Mies Julie, and was featured musician in MoloRa. A keen business woman, she is also known for her hearty laughter.
Nofirst Tandiwe Lungisa
Nogcinile has been a member of the group for 45 years. She plays all traditional Xhosa bows. In our film, she plays the umrhubhe mouth bow – the sound of the instrument resonating in her mouth, while she simultaneously whistles ¬– a technique developed by mouth bow players in the Eastern Cape. In addition to her world concert tours with the Ngqoko Cultural Group, she was featured in the world tour of the play, MoloRa, and as the Matriarch and Singer in the National Theatre of Great Britain production of Les Blancs.
Nogcinile Yekani
Nomthandazo Ntese joined the group in 1998 as a singer. She is a school teacher, educating village children in academics and music. The sole English speaker among her Xhosa elders, she often serves as a translator, as she did in our film. She most recently performed with the Ngqoko Women at the National Arts Festival in Makhanda, South Africa.
Nomthandazo Ntese
Notest is an energetic lead off singer and instrumentalist. It is her voice that starts the Xhosa songs in our film. She also plays umrhubhe mouth bow and percussion. She has performed in the world tour of MoloRa and in festivals and events throughout South Africa, including concerts at the National Arts Festival in Makhanda.
Notest Ngozi
Nopasile Mvotyo is a founding member of the Ngqoko Women and the eldest in the group. She plays umrhubhe mouth bow, uhadi percussion bow, and is an accomplished singer, who performs the extremely rare and most challenging form of overtone singing – ungqokolo ngomqangi. Together with Nogcinile Yekani, she recorded “Nomkangaye: Umrhubhe Whistling Duet” for the International Library of African Music. She was a featured actor in MoloRa, during its eight-year world tour.
Nopasile Mvotyo
Nosignile Mvotyo is a revered elder member of the group. Born and raised in the Ngqoko village, she revels in dancing and singing the ancestral songs that are unique to the Xhosa people. She most recently performed with the Ngqoko Women at the National Arts Festival in Makhanda, South Africa.
Nosignile Mvotyo
