Bokani Dyer is a multi-award-winning South African pianist, composer, and producer whose work traverses the intersections of jazz, soul, electronic music, and African rhythm. A deeply thoughtful and boundary-pushing artist, Dyer has spent over a decade cultivating a sound that is both deeply rooted in the South African jazz tradition and open to global and contemporary influences.
Born in 1986 in Gaborone, Botswana — where his father, renowned musician Steve Dyer, lived in exile during apartheid — Bokani moved back to South Africa as a child in 1990. He grew up primarily in Johannesburg before pursuing formal music studies at the University of Cape Town, graduating with distinction in jazz. Early recognition came in 2009 when he was named runner-up in the SAMRO Overseas Scholarship Competition, earning a mentorship with celebrated American jazz pianist Jason Moran in New York.
Over the years, Dyer’s performance career has taken him across the globe. In 2014, he performed at the opening of the London Jazz Festival and participated in a tribute to South African jazz pioneers The Blue Notes, led by Shabaka Hutchings. A year later, his Swiss-based ensemble, the Bokani Dyer Swiss Quintet, toured South Africa and Mozambique before heading to Switzerland for a series of acclaimed performances. He’s played at some of the world’s leading jazz platforms, including the North Sea Jazz Festival, Cape Town International Jazz Festival, London Jazz Festival and Jazzahead in Germany, and has graced iconic venues like Ronnie Scott’s in London and SFJAZZ in San Francisco.
Dyer has released six solo albums under his name, each one charting a new course in his musical evolution. His 2010 debut Mirrors and 2011 follow-up Emancipate the Story signaled the arrival of a bold new voice in South African jazz. In 2015, World Music introduced a wider palette, integrating groove, vocal elements, and horn arrangements — and earned a South African Music Award (SAMA) nomination for Best Jazz Album. In 2018, The Bokani Dyer Trio released Neo Native, a critically acclaimed project that explored identity, belonging, and the complexities of home, and went on to win the 2019 SAMA for Best Jazz Album. His 2020 release Kelenosi, recorded during lockdown, was an introspective, self-produced work exploring isolation, freedom, and musical experimentation.
In 2023, Dyer introduced a new musical persona — Radio Sechaba — and with it, released a landmark project of the same name through Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings. Radio Sechaba is a celebration of community and connection. Seamlessly blending soul, groove, jazz, and pan-African sounds, the album interrogates themes of identity, belonging, and social justice. With standout tracks like “Move On” and “Mogaetsho,” it has been praised for its warmth, lyricism, and sonic sophistication, affirming Dyer’s place as one of South Africa’s most visionary artists.
While his roots remain in jazz, Dyer’s creative reach extends far beyond. He co-founded the groove/electronic band Soul Housing Project in 2007, a shape-shifting ensemble that has performed across South Africa and internationally — including appearances at Lighthouse Festival in Croatia and the National Youth Jazz Festival. He has collaborated with South African jazz icons such as Feya Faku and has shared the stage with globally acclaimed artists like Shabaka Hutchings and Adam Glasser.
Dyer is also an accomplished producer and composer for film. He scored the 2017 romantic drama Catching Feelings and the upcoming 2025 feature Sabbatical. His work for stage includes collaborations with director Mkhululi Mabija and the launch of the Jazzafrika Legacy Sessions — a curated series at The Orbit Jazz Club that revived and celebrated South African jazz heritage through live transcription and performance.
In 2025, Dyer’s trio embarked on a U.S. tour, performing at leading jazz venues including Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Sam First (Los Angeles), the Century Room (Tucson), and the Piedmont Piano Company (Oakland). These performances showcased his continued commitment to live improvisation and exploration — and reaffirmed his global resonance as a performer.
With a deep respect for legacy and a fearless openness to change, Bokani Dyer continues to redefine the role of the modern jazz musician. Whether on stage, in the studio, or through his genre-bending persona Radio Sechaba, he uses music as a tool for connection, reflection, and transformation. His work is a testament to the power of sound to bridge not just genres, but geographies, generations, and inner worlds.
