Fast Facts about The Robben Island Singers

• Muntu Nxumalo, Thembinkosi Sithole, and Grant Shezi were once incarcerated on Robben Island Prison at the same time as Nelson Mandela because they had the courage to fight Apartheid
• Muntu was incarcerated for 13 years, Thembinkosi 9, and Grant Shezi for 10 years.
• Chicago award-winning documentary filmmaker Jeff Spitz, co-founder of Groundswell Educational Films, is now creating a film about the journey that brought them together and across the world to Chicago
• The Robben Island Singers have performed at Chicago’s Field Museum, large churches, cultural centers, colleges and Chicago public schools, using the songs and stories of their struggle to inspire audiences
• Their message is the importance of standing up for what you believe in, the universality of struggle, and the importance of forgiveness to achieve peace

Photos of The Robben Island Singers

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The Robben Island Singers, (from left): Thembinkosi Sithole, Grant Shezi, and Muntu Nxumalo. Download high res version	The Robben Island Singers, (from left): Thembinkosi Sithole, Grant Shezi, and Muntu Nxumalo. Download high res version
Robben Island Singer Grant Shezi performs at a Chicago area school. Download high res version	Robben Island Singer Grant Shezi, performs at a Chicago area school. Download high res version
Robben Island Singer Thembinkosi Sithole learns some new dance moves from the Kenwood Academy High School Chorus. Download high res version	Robben Island Singer Muntu Nxumalo shows Prosser High students an African dance step. Download high res version
The three Robben Island Singers teach Michelle Clark High School choir students the words to one of their songs. Download high res version	Documentary filmmaker Jeff Spitz (right) and South African Contributing Director Mickey Madoda Dube (left). Download high res version

Robben Island Singers Documentary Trailer

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Key Biographical Information

Thembinkosi Sithole, Robben Island Singer

• Born 1956 in Durban, South Africa
• Joined the banned ANC‘s underground movement in 1975
• Arrested in 1977, charged with attempting to leave South Africa illegally, and sentenced to 9 years at Robben Island Prison as prisoner # 15/3271
• Released from Robben Island Prison in 1986

Grant Shezi, Robben Island Singer

• Born 1956 in Durban, South Africa
• Joined the banned ANC‘s military wing, Umkhonto weSizwe (“MK”) in 1977
• Arrested in 1980, charged with treason, and sentenced to 15 years at Robben Island Prison as prisoner # 20/9420
• Released from Robben Island Prison in 1990

Muntu Nxumalo, Robben Island Singer

• Born 1957 in Durban, South Africa
• Joined the banned ANC‘s military wing, Umkhonto weSizwe (“MK”) in 1977
• Arrested in 1978, charged with treason and attempted murder, and sentenced to 22 years at Robben Island Prison as prisoner # 18/1898
• Released from Robben Island Prison in 1991

Jeff Spitz, documentary filmmaker

• Born in Hollywood, CA
• Now lives in Chicago, IL
• Previous work includes Sundance Film Festival Official Selection The Return of Navajo Boy (2000)
• First heard the voices of the ex-political prisoners singing on a cd called “Prison Songs Cell Stories” which he purchased in the gift shop of the Robben Island Museum as a tourist in May 2001 (Spitz was in South Africa to present The Return of Navajo Boy at the INPUT 2001 Public Television Conference)
• Inspired by the music, Spitz went looking for the stories of the three singers

Mickey Madoda Dube, South African Contributing Director

• Born in Johannesburg, South Africa
• Lives in Johannesburg, South Africa
• Previous work includes Movements in Black, a documentary on South African Black ArtExperiment, a half-hour documentary for ABC-TV