Shabaka and the Ancestors is an Avant-garde Jazz octet put together by British saxophonist and composer, Shabaka Hutchings.

Hutchings had visited South Africa several times from 2012. The band came as a result of what he had learnt from his interactions with local musicians and researching the South African music landscape.

The band is made of:

Shabaka Hutchings (tenor saxophone)
Mthunzi Mvubu (alto saxophone)
Mandla Mlangeni (trumpet)
Siyabonga Mthembu (vocals)
Nduduzo Makhathini (piano)
Ariel Zamonsky (bass)
Gontse Makhene (percussion)
Tumi Mogorosi (drums)

In 2015, I presented the musical language that I normally associate with my U.K. bands in the context of Shabaka & the Ancestors' music and musical sensibilities.“ – Shabaka Hutchings.