Bokani Dyer is a Botswana-South African pianist, composer, and music producer known for blending jazz with electronic, R&B, salsa, and classical influences. Currently based in Cape Town, he is a rising star in the South African jazz scene.

Dyer has gained recognition through various projects, showcasing his skills as a pianist, composer, and producer. He has released two solo albums, Mirrors (2010) and Emancipate the Story (2011), both of which received critical acclaim.

Early Life and Education

Bokani Dyer, born on January 21, 1986, in Gaborone, Botswana, grew up in an environment shaped by South African exiled musicians and artists, including his father, renowned musician Steve Dyer. In 1990, he moved to South Africa as a child, splitting his formative years between his mother in Botswana and his father in South Africa. His name, Bokani, meaning “to be grateful” or “give thanks” in a collective sense, reflects his diverse cultural background.

His father, of English, Welsh, and German descent, chose exile in Botswana rather than serve in the South African army during apartheid. At the age of seven, Bokani returned to South Africa, just a year before Nelson Mandela’s election and the official end of apartheid. While his father significantly influenced his jazz education—appearing in some of Bokani’s works, such as Radio Sechaba—it was other family members who helped him discover his passion for music at 14.

That same year, he began taking piano lessons and later pursued jazz studies at the University of Cape Town, where he graduated with honors in Performance and Composition in 2008. After completing his degree, he earned two international scholarships that allowed him to train with world-renowned musicians through masterclasses and specialized programs.

Career Beginnings

Bokani Dyer’s vocal style has been deeply influenced by the Neo-Soul scene and its offshoots. He draws inspiration from artists like Erykah Badu, Glen Lewis, and Carl Thomas, alongside legendary figures such as Nat King Cole and Donny Hathaway. His more contemporary influences include Moses Sumney and Jordan Rakei. As a pianist, he credits South African composer and multi-instrumentalist Bheki Mseleku as an early favorite, along with jazz greats like Bill Evans, Michel Petrucciani, and especially Ahmad Jamal.

In 2006, while still a student, Bokani was selected by Andre Peterson to join a youth band that attended a summer school program in Sogne, Norway. He also became part of the Standard Band National Youth Jazz Band, which performed in Grahamstown, Johannesburg, Cape Town, and toured Sweden. The following year, in 2007, he co-founded the experimental electronic music duo Soul Housing Project with vocalist Sakhile Moleshe. The group had the honor of opening the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown and later performed at the Lighthouse Festival in Croatia.

In 2009, Bokani was the runner-up in the SAMRO Overseas Scholarships competition, which provided him with the opportunity to travel to New York for mentorship under renowned pianist Jason Moran. The following year, in 2010, he released his debut album, Mirrors.

His second album, Emancipate the Story, was released in 2011 and featured collaborations with acclaimed musicians such as Marcus Wyatt, Buddy Wells, Ayanda Sikade, Shane Cooper, Mandla Mlangeni, Tony Paco, and Mark Buchanan. The album was a direct result of his recognition as the winner of the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Jazz.

In 2013, he further cemented his career by winning a SAMRO Overseas Scholarship in the final round of the competition.

In 2014, Bokani Dyer embarked on his first European tour with his Swiss-based quintet, performing in Switzerland, Germany, the Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom. This tour led to an invitation to play at the opening of the London Jazz Festival in November.

By July 2015, he had released his album World Music, which earned a nomination for Best Jazz Album at the 2016 South African Music Awards. That same month, he embarked on a 10-show tour across South Africa and Mozambique with his trio, making stops in Grahamstown, King William’s Town, Johannesburg, Maputo, and Cape Town.

In 2016, he contributed to Sisonke Xonti’s debut album Iyonde and performed as a soloist at the launch of the SA/Russia Cultural Seasons in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

The following year, in 2017, Bokani composed the original score for the South African film Catching Feelings. He also performed at the Safaricom Jazz Festival in Nairobi and took the stage at notable festivals such as Jazzahead in Germany, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, Musique en Été in Geneva, and Festival Métis in France.

His growing success was recognized in 2019 when he won a South African Music Award for Best Jazz Album.

In 2020, he released the album Kelenosi, which was written and recorded over two months during South Africa’s extended lockdown. The album was first performed live at Untitled Basement in Johannesburg in November 2020. Reflecting on its creation, Bokani shared:

“At the beginning of 2020, I was actually working on another album (Radio Sechaba). When lockdown hit, that wasn’t possible—I didn’t have contact with other musicians, and live shows weren’t happening. I was basically left to my own devices, so I started making beats by myself. ‘Kelenosi’ means ‘by myself’ in Setswana.”

Discography

Albums

Mirrors (2010)

Emancipate the Story (2011)

Oscillations (2013)

World Music (2015)

Kelenosi (2020)

Radio Sechaba (2023)

Singles & EPs

202 – Hope Spring

2020 – Ke Nako

2023 – Resonance of Truth

2023 – Tiya Mowa 

2023 – Move On

2024 – All This Time