Just 6: from bathroom rehearsals to Grammy recognition

Local band Just 6 started as a sextet rehearsing in a bathroom, and today they are a two-time Grammy -nominated group.

Founded in 2011 in Pretoria, Just 6 has pioneered a signature sound dubbed “Afro-Vocal Play” − blending contemporary jazz, pop, R&B and traditional African rhythms. They tell Sowetan how they redefined the boundaries of a cappella through their self-coined style.

Ntuthuko Malaza: Those early days taught us that before the stages, awards and international recognition, it was about the love of music and the belief that we could create something special with nothing but our voices. From the bathroom days we learnt how to listen to one another, blend, challenge and trust each other. That spirit has stayed with us.

Mthandazo Sibanda: We’re six guys who know each other well. There’s a lot of joking, teasing and debating. We’re different personalities, and that’s part of what makes the group work. We’re not constantly talking about music when we’re together. Most of the time, we’re eating, laughing, talking about life, or giving each other advice. The brotherhood is important because Just 6 isn’t only a musical relationship. We’ve shared rooms, long flights, difficult times, incredible opportunities and a lot of life together.

Rashaka Mbevhana: We’ve learnt that the music can only remain strong if the relationships remain strong. Travelling internationally and being exposed to bigger opportunities can change your perspective. There are different pressures, opinions and expectations.

Malaza: We’ve also had to become better at communicating, giving each other space and remembering why we started. We also understand that we’re six individuals contributing to one identity. Everybody has their own ambitions and personality, but when we step onto a stage as Just 6, we’re representing something bigger than any one of us.

Nkosilathi Sibanda: We disagree. That’s normal. Six people are never going to agree on everything. The important thing is learning how to disagree without becoming divided. We’ve had to learn that sometimes your idea isn’t the one that wins, and that’s okay if it serves the bigger objective.

Fezile Mavuso: Our African identity is absolutely central to what we do. For us, “Afro-Vocal Play” isn’t about putting African sounds on top of Western musical ideas. It’s about starting from who we are and allowing our influences to meet there. Africa has an incredible rhythmic and musical vocabulary, and our voices allow us to explore that in a unique way. We can take something rooted in African music and present it through contemporary vocal arrangements that can connect with somebody in Johannesburg, London, New York or anywhere else.

Kwande Cakata: There have been several, but the Grammy journey is one of those moments that is difficult to put into words. Our first Grammy nomination came through our feature on Armand Hutton’s Grammy-nominated work, and eventually we received our solo Grammy nomination for our arrangement of Angels We Have Heard On High . To go from starting out in a bathroom to having the work we created with our voices recognised at that level was surreal.