Amampondo

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Amampondo is a South African percussion ensemble which was started by Dizu Plaatjies in Langa Cape Town in 1978. The other founding members were Simpiwe Matole; Michael Ludonga; Mzwandile Qotoyi; Leo Mbizela and Mandla Lande.

They recorded an album entitled Give Praise Where Praise Is Deserved with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and in 1988 Amampondo were asked to play at Nelson Mandela's seventieth birthday concert at Wembley. This is fitting because, like Mandela, Amampondo are part of the Xhosa-speaking tribes of South Africa. Upon his release from prison, Nelson Mandela promoted them as ambassadors of South African music, and later nominated them to represent their country at the opening ceremony of the 1996 Olympic Games.

Amampondo has entertained audiences with their broad spectrum of African traditional and contemporary compositions . They have taught and played the world over, from Israel to Japan, from Scandinavia to the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.^{[citation needed]}

The group continue to perform but without their former leader Dizu Plaatjies, who has started his own project entitled "Ibuyambo".

1 Current line-up (as of 2006)
2 Partial discography
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Current line-up (as of 2006)

Simpiwe Matole - Soprano marimba, vocals, dance/acrobatics
Mzwandile Qotoyi - Bass & piccolo marimba, African drums, percussion, vocals, and dance
Michael 'Nkululeku' Ludonga - African drums, tenor marimba, vocals, dance
Mandla Lande - African drums, percussion (djembe/congas), vocals, dance/acrobatics
Blackie Zandisile Mbizela - Bass marimba, percussion, vocals, dance
Nondzondelelo Fancy Galada - Lead and backing vocals, percussion, dance
Mantombi Matotiyane - Lead and backing vocals, umrhumbhe, isitolotolo and dance
Dave Mxolise Mayekana