Inspired by Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, its members included Dollar Brand (later known as Abdullah Ibrahim) on piano, Kippie Moeketsi on alto saxophone, Jonas Gwangwa on trombone, Hugh Masekela on trumpet, Johnny Gertze on bass, and Early Mabuza or Makaya Ntshoko on drums.
It used a jazz score to tell the tragic story of South African heavyweight boxer Ezekiel "King Kong" Dhlamini.
The 1960 Sharpeville Massacre marked the beginning of an era of vicious apartheid and greater repression of African culture.
After the Sharpeville incident, the government imposed a State of Emergency, made mass arrests, issued thousands of bannings, and put activists who challenged apartheid laws on trial.
[2] In 2017–18 they played several concerts in North America and Europe, including San Sebastian (Spain) Jazz Festival on 25 July; Berlin on 4 August[3][4] and Ann Arbor on 13 April 2018.