Judith Sephuma’s sensational debut album of 2002. A Cry, A Smile, A Dance, scooped two prestigious SAMA awards as well as two Kora All Africa Awards, establishing her reputation as a major force in South African music. By the end of 2002, the album had reached Platinum status, with sales in excess of 50 000 units, and it has continued to sell consistently well during both 2003, and 2004 – now approaching double-Platinum. Needless to say, A Cry A Smile A Dance is one of the most successful South African jazz albums in recent years.

Born in Limpopo, Judith decided to devote herself to a musical career at the age of 15.  She studied at the FUBA Academy in Johannesburg and later completed an Honours degree in Jazz Performance at UCT. During her student years, she worked live both as a jazz singer as a soloist with Jack van Poll Trio and with Gerry Spencer’s Jazz Cyclone, but also worked more traditional material together with Selaelo Selota in the group Taola. One of the highlights during this period was the group’s performances at the 1997 Fin de Siecle Festival in Nantes, France. Another was her performance for Graca Machel and Nelson Mandela when Machel was installed as Vice-Chancellor of University of Cape Town at Cape Sun Intercontinental Hotel in 1999.

Judith’s solo live-performance career took off in earnest during 2002, with countless jazz festivals around South Africa. She charmed audiences at the Cape Town North Sea Jazz Festival and brought the house down when invited to perform at the Statenhaal, the 12 000-capacity main stage of the North Sea Jazz Festival in Den Haag, The Netherlands.  During the second half of 2002, her international career started taking off, with performances in neighbouring countries, as well as in Senegal and Japan. In December 2002, she also performed at private function at Columbia University in New York City, when the University of Cape Town bestowed an honorary doctorate on UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

During 2003 and 2004, Judith has continued an extremely busy live performance schedule, Highlights have included a tour of Mexico in October 2004, as part of the 32nd Festival Internacional Cervantino, but also sold-out shows in Swaziland, Mocambique and Zimbabwe as well as participating in a special production for the 10th Anniversary of Democracy at the State Theatre in Pretoria on 27 April 2004. To her delight, she has been invited to perform in Limpopo several times in this period, most recently as a headline artist at the successful Mapungubwe Arts & Culture Festival in Polokwane. During 2004, she has also acted as an Ambassador for Limpopo Tourism.

Looking forward to 2005, Judith’s main priority will be the release of her second album. Having re-signed with BMG (now Sony/BMG), Judith has already started work on the pro-production phase of the album, and is currently finishing recording in Johannesburg. Collaborating with long-time associate, pianist Sylvester Mazinyane and producer Lawrence Matshiza on the album, Judith hopes to release in the early spring of 2005, followed by high-profile performances at key events and venues around the country.