On the Ngeke! stage
The Brother Moves On
Music, movement and storytelling. Johannesburg's performance-art collective.
The story
The Brother Moves On, often shortened to TBMO, is a South African band and performance-art collective based in Johannesburg. Their work brings music together with costume, visual art and storytelling, drawing on South Africa's rich traditions of protest music and creative resistance.
Fronted by vocalist Siyabonga Mthembu, who is also known for his work with Shabaka and the Ancestors, the collective moves between experimental jazz, rock and South African musical influences. Their DIY roots remain central to performances that connect sound, movement and social commentary.
Their releases include A New Myth, Tolika Mtoliki and the 2022 Native Rebel Recordings album $/he Who Feeds You...Owns You. The Brother Moves On joins the Ngeke! Festival 2026 artist lineup.