Drumstruck Cast Members

Mpho Rasenyalo


Born in Soweto Mpho Rasenyalo is the Drum Café’s lead facilitator and has been with Drumstruck since 2005. She is an outstanding all round performer, she is South Africa’s best female jembe player, she has her own marimba band called Basadi and she is also a qualified traditional healer. She has toured with Drumstruck in Japan and China and was a cast member for the year and a half run of Drumstruck on Off-Broadway’s Dodgers Stages now known as New World Stages. Mpho has a unique gift of uniting and leading an audience.

Sabelo Mgaga


Sabelo has toured with Drumstruck since 2013, he has trained with Grand Master Percussionist Thebe Lipere and is currently recording an album with Meropa Orchestra and the great Jazz guitarist Themba Mokoena. He has featured in the film ‘Shebela” as a musician and set dresser. He played the young Nelson Mandela in the stage show “Madiba The African Opera” by Unathi Madiba based on the life of Nelson Mandela. Sabelo recorded an Album with Will Smith, performed with John Legend, Shakira and Anneta Baker, he is a qualified Drum teacher and also participated in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He is currently a co-ordinator of “Master Drummers of Africa” and has won this competition twice.

Bafana Enoch Mahlangu


Enoch joined the Drum Cafe in 2000 and developed his skills as a dancer, drummer and facilitator. Enock has been a firm favorite in Drum Cafe’s social and corporate teams, delighting young and old as a drummer and drum circle facilitator at schools, social functions, benefits and corporate events. Enoch’s ability to hold an audience’s attention, leading them through the drumming experience with confidence, sound musical skill and a great sense of humor landed him a lead role in Drumstruck since its beginning in 2004. He was the lead facilitator during Drumstruck’s year and a half run on Off-Broadway in New York City. His return to Drumstruck in 2015 is most welcome.

Joshua Jstar Zacheus


Joshua Jstar Zacheus is a 27-year-old professional session & recording drummer based in Eldorado Park, South Africa. He is self-taught from the age of 4 and started drumming in my fathers church. He knew from the day he first touched a drumkit that it’s what I want do for the rest of his life. He has worked with numerous South African artists including Brian Temba, Jozi, Lebo Mashile, Kabomo, Kunle, Bianca, Timothy Moloi, Melanie Lowe, Dj Switch, Benjamin Dube, Neyi Zimu, Patrick Duncan, Liquideep, Kabelo, Phelo Bala, The Bala Family, Lui Mhlanga, Lungi, Da-Les, Danny K, Loyiso, Nothende Madumo, Lee Anne Kistan, Lira, Soulstone, In-Cha, Jamali, TKZee, Karen Zoid, Selaelo Selota, AkA, Khuli Chana, international gospel Star Donnie McClurkin. He has opened for Celine Dion, Snoop Dogg, Pharrell Williams, Kanye West, Brian McKnight, Akon, Fat Joe, Fred Hammond, Mario and more others Performed at Live Earth and 46664 Concert. Endorsements: Yamaha drums, Anatolian cymbals, Music Connection, Zildjian Cymbals, Remo, Shure In-ear monitoring

Richard Carter


Richard Carter, known as “Manos de Fuego” or “Malume” (“Uncle”), graduated from the Cape Town University with a BA in Performing Arts in 1979, majoring in Theatre Performance and Fine Art History. He studied Tomashevsky mime in Paris, France and spent many years in Europe working as an actor and dancer. Richard has studied and toured with master drummer Adama Drame and Foliba in the Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. He has taught percussion extensively and performed with many pop, jazz and African artists. He has collaborated with all of South Africa’s major dance companies and frequently works on the local corporate circuit and as a studio musician. He was a composer and Musical Director of Drumming for the South African hit musical “African Footprint” and works from his own music studio as a producer and composer. He is a founding member of Drumstruck. He has a great love for Latin music and performs regularly as a congasero in a Salsa band. Between tours of Drumstruck he works at Drum Café Johannesburg as a Creative Director and Production manager.

Tumelo Seleke


Tumelo Seleke, Drumstruck’s Dance Captain, is a singer, dancer, actor, choreographer and a drummer! He started dancing at a very young age at the African Theatre and Dance Co. then later moved on to join Africa Umoja to perform professionally as a theatre practitioner. He has performed in over 30 countries all over the world. He has worked with the Drum Café doing the Shebeen Show then grew to become a Drummer in the venture to be a facilitator. He recently stared in the hit musical African Footprint doing a season In Dubai December 2019.

Sithembile Oralia Nhlapho


Born in Soweto SITHEMBILE NHLAPO is a versatile and energetic artist who tells her story through music, she has throughout her life explore most discipline in arts with success. She has worked with high profile and influential people in South Africa and International. She started being involve in the arts industry in 1994 and was so privilege to learn from the best teachers SIMON NKOSI and ARCO MATLALA .In 2000 she toured EGYPT doing cultural exchange led by SIMON NKOSI. In 2006 she joined DRUM CAFÉ that’s when she was introduced in playing different instruments e.g. (INDIGINOUS INSTRUMENTS / ZIMBABWEN DRUMS). She then joined BASADI LEMEROPA women’s band under DRUM CAFÉ, which toured HOLLAND in a festival called MUNDIAL festival. SHE was part of the opening of WORLD CUP CRICKET in JAMAICA.IN 2012 SHE VOLUNTEE to go to JAPAN after TSUNAMI to run workshops and bring smiles to all the people who lost their families and their houses during TSUNAMI IN SENDAI. IN 2016 she was part of a group called ABAFAZI who toured BELGIUM, GERMANY with the help of STEFAN BRUIN who produce the show. In 2015 she toured USA as a drummer facilitator for WALLMART conference under DRUM CAFÉ.