Nofinishi Dywili

[1] Nofinishi Dywili was recognised by the people of her village as a teacher of traditions and customs, she played a significant role in the training of girls and young women to help them prepare for marriage.

Dywili's musical talents started becoming known to the world in 1981 when Andrew Tracey brought some traditional village musicians including Nofinishi, to perform at the ethnomusicology symposium at Rhodes University.

In 1986, Nofinishi and 14 other people from the village of Ngqoqo were requested to perform at the Grahamstown Festival where each person received a payment of R450.

The outcome of the meeting was the decision, prompted by Nofinishi and Nokontoni, to create a traditional music group.

Nofinishi has also performed for the visiting Queen of the United Kingdom in Cape Town in 1999 and various other prominent people in South Africa.

She was acknowledged as the leading uhadi player in Ngqoko, and was also regarded as one of the most important Xhosa song leaders of the 20th century.

She also led the celebratory' dance songs, however she would sometimes cede this role when leader of a higher ranking was present.

She had vast knowledge of the songs, customs, rites and traditional language of her people regardless of having never learnt to read or write.

[5][6] She died at the age of 80 in 2002 and soon after her death, she was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award of the South African Arts and Culture Trust.