Neo-traditional African musician Dizu Plaatjies has been awarded a ministerial lifetime achievement award by the provincial Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport.
Mr Plaatjies, who is head of African music, practical studies at UCT’s South African College of Music, received his award at the Artscape Theatre on Saturday March 9.
He is a founder and former leader of KwaLanga marimba group, Amampondo, which put traditional South African music on the international map in the 1980s.
He left Amampondo and started Ibuyambo, with which he has toured the world for the past decade. He and Ibuyambo are the recipients of two South African Music Awards (SAMAs), for the albums African Kings and Ubuntu – The Common String.