# Yogin Sullaphen

Yogin Rajoo Sullaphen (born 8 January 1986) is a South African composer, music producer, live-looper and multi-instrumentalist. He is a member of the musical duo uKhoiKhoi, where his live-looping practices are a feature of their stage performances. Sullaphen is also known for composing and performing as part of theatre productions and performance art projects, which has earned him two nominations for Naledi Theatre Awards, which recognize excellence in South African theatre.

## Early life

Sullaphen was born in Durban, South Africa, and relocated to Johannesburg during his teenage years. He comes from a mixed-heritage background, with a South African Indian father and a Coloured mother. His diverse background exposed him to a wide range of musical influences, ranging from popular music of the 1970s and 1990s to Indian classical music and avant-garde jazz rock. Sullaphen did not receive formal music training until after high school when he decided to pursue a career in music and went on to complete a Bachelor of Music (BMus) at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, majoring in composition.

## Career

Sullaphen began his career as a guitar teacher in a private school in Johannesburg before transitioning to freelance work in music, primarily focusing on composition and production. His work in music composition has earned him two nominations for Naledi Theatre Awards. He was nominated in the "best original score" category for the production "Jungfrau" in 2019, and for "best sound design/soundscape" for "Strange Land" in 2020, both directed by award-winning South African theatre director Jade Bowers.
Sullaphen's work with acclaimed South African director and choreographer Robyn Orlin has been performed internationally. Between 2012 and 2017 his composition for "Beauty remained for just a moment…" travelled extensively in France and throughout Europe. From 2021 to 2024, Sullaphen, as part of uKhoiKhoi, toured across Europe with Orlin’s stage production titled “We wear our wheels with pride…”; and in mid-2024, uKhoiKhoi performed in several shows in France with “How in salts desert is it possible to blossom...”, Orlin’s latest production. Sullaphen has also composed for and performed in shows internationally with choreographer and performer Kieron Jina.
In 2019, Sullaphen, along with vocalist and performing artist Anelisa "Annalyzer" Stuurman, founded the live-looping band uKhoiKhoi. This duo blends indigenous and electronic music to honour their ancestors and address societal injustices. uKhoiKhoi released a self-titled 3-track EP in 2020 and their second EP "Nongqawuse" was released in 2022. In addition to the international tours with Robyn Orlin, uKhoiKhoi has performed across South Africa at festivals, such as Mieliepop and Fête de la Musique, and other live events.

## Works and performances
### Works for theatre and film

| Title | Date | Event / Venue, City, Country | Role |
| Beauty remained for just a moment before returning gently to her starting position (by Robyn Orlin with Moving into Dance Mophatong) | Sep 2012 | Biennale de la danse de Lyon, Lyon, France | Composer |
| Down To Earth (by Kieron Jina & Marc Philipp Gabriel) | Feb 2017 | Tanzfabrik Berlin, Germany | Composer, performer |
| Down To Earth (by Kieron Jina & Marc Philipp Gabriel) | May 2017 | Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Berlin, Germany | Composer, performer |
| Down To Earth (by Kieron Jina & Marc Philipp Gabriel) | Jul 2017 | National Arts Festival, Makhanda, South Africa (SA) | Composer, performer |
| Jungfrau (by Jade Bowers) | Jun 2018 | National Arts Festival, Makhanda, SA | Composer, performer |
| Jungfrau (by Jade Bowers) | Jun 2018 | Festival Theaterformen, Braunschweig, Germany | Composer, performer |
| Between Horizons (by Kieron Jina & Marc Philipp Gabriel) | Jul 2018 | National Arts Festival, Makhanda, SA | Composer, performer |
| Emoyeni (by Umlilo and Sean K) | Aug 2018 | Song production (funded by Pro Helvetia) | Producer |
| Rise of the African Queer (by Kieron Jina) | Apr 2019 | South African State Theatre, Pretoria, SA | Composer, performer |
| Strange Land (by Jade Bowers) | Jun 2019 | Market Theatre, Johannesburg, SA | Composer |
| Shhh! The Musical (by Jade Bowers & University of Johannesburg (UJ) Arts Academy) | Oct 2019 | University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, SA | Composer, performer, song writer, arrangement, music director |
| Pause (by Kieron Jina) | Feb 2020 | Centre for the Less Good Idea, Johannesburg, SA | Composer |
| Darkie (by Katlego Letsholonyane) | Mar 2020 | POPArt Theatre, Johannesburg, SA | Composer, performer, sound design |
| Chameleon Home (by Kieron Jina & Mathias Becker) | Jul 2020 | Die Irritierte Stadt Online Festival, Germany | Composer, sound design |
| Mothers Grimm (by Jade Bowers & UJ Arts Academy) | Jul 2020 | Virtual National Arts Festival, Makhanda, SA | Film composer |
| Mothers Grimm (by Jade Bowers & UJ Arts Academy) | Oct 2022 | Vrystaat Arts Festival, Bloemfontein, SA | Composer, performer |
| Zebras Crossing Video Series (by The Zebras Crossing Collective) | 2021 | Online videos (funded by British Council) | Concept design, producer, composer |
| Pusha Pressa Phanda (by Dick d’vLz Reubin) | Released May 2021 | Film (produced by Layla Swart) | Film composer |
| The Empire Builders (by Dintshitile Mashile & Kwasha! Theatre Company) | Feb 2021 | Online (binaural audio play) | Composer, recording, music & sound director |
| We wear our wheels with pride, we slap your streets with color…we say ‘bonjour’ to satan in 1820 (by Robyn Orlin with Moving into Dance Mophatong & uKhoiKhoi) | Jun 2021 | Chaillot National Theatre, Paris, France | Composer, performer |
| We wear our wheels with pride, we slap your streets with color…we say ‘bonjour’ to satan in 1820 (by Robyn Orlin with Moving into Dance Mophatong & uKhoiKhoi) | Aug 2022 | Tanzforum Berlin, Germany | Composer, performer |
| We wear our wheels with pride, we slap your streets with color…we say ‘bonjour’ to satan in 1820 (by Robyn Orlin with Moving into Dance Mophatong & uKhoiKhoi) | Nov–Dec 2022 | Romaeuropa Festival, Rome, Italy | Composer, performer |
| We wear our wheels with pride, we slap your streets with color…we say ‘bonjour’ to satan in 1820 (by Robyn Orlin with Moving into Dance Mophatong & uKhoiKhoi) | Nov–Dec 2022 | Paris Autumn Festival, Paris, France | Composer, performer |
| We wear our wheels with pride, we slap your streets with color…we say ‘bonjour’ to satan in 1820 (by Robyn Orlin with Moving into Dance Mophatong & uKhoiKhoi) | Nov–Dec 2022 | Le Théâtre Garonne, Toulouse, France | Composer, performer |
| We wear our wheels with pride, we slap your streets with color…we say ‘bonjour’ to satan in 1820 (by Robyn Orlin with Moving into Dance Mophatong & uKhoiKhoi) | Nov–Dec 2022 | Le Volcan, Le Havre, France | Composer, performer |
| We wear our wheels with pride, we slap your streets with color…we say ‘bonjour’ to satan in 1820 (by Robyn Orlin with Moving into Dance Mophatong & uKhoiKhoi) | Nov–Dec 2022 | Kinneksbond, Luxembourg | Composer, performer |
| We wear our wheels with pride, we slap your streets with color…we say ‘bonjour’ to satan in 1820 (by Robyn Orlin with Moving into Dance Mophatong & uKhoiKhoi) | Nov–Dec 2022 | tanzhaus nrw, Dusseldorf, Germany | Composer, performer |
| We wear our wheels with pride, we slap your streets with color…we say ‘bonjour’ to satan in 1820 (by Robyn Orlin with Moving into Dance Mophatong & uKhoiKhoi) | Mar 2023 | Dansens Hus, Oslo, Norway | Composer, performer |
| We wear our wheels with pride, we slap your streets with color…we say ‘bonjour’ to satan in 1820 (by Robyn Orlin with Moving into Dance Mophatong & uKhoiKhoi) | Mar 2023 | International Theatre Amsterdam, Netherlands | Composer, performer |
| We wear our wheels with pride, we slap your streets with color…we say ‘bonjour’ to satan in 1820 (by Robyn Orlin with Moving into Dance Mophatong & uKhoiKhoi) | Mar 2023 | Amare, The Hague, Netherlands | Composer, performer |
| We wear our wheels with pride, we slap your streets with color…we say ‘bonjour’ to satan in 1820 (by Robyn Orlin with Moving into Dance Mophatong & uKhoiKhoi) | Aug 2023 | Zürcher Theater Spektakel, Zürich, Switzerland | Composer, performer |
| We wear our wheels with pride, we slap your streets with color…we say ‘bonjour’ to satan in 1820 (by Robyn Orlin with Moving into Dance Mophatong & uKhoiKhoi) | Dec 2023 | Concertgebouw Brugge, Bruges, Belgium | Composer, performer |
| We wear our wheels with pride, we slap your streets with color…we say ‘bonjour’ to satan in 1820 (by Robyn Orlin with Moving into Dance Mophatong & uKhoiKhoi) | Sep 2024 | Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, Durban, SA | Composer, performer |
| We wear our wheels with pride, we slap your streets with color…we say ‘bonjour’ to satan in 1820 (by Robyn Orlin with Moving into Dance Mophatong & uKhoiKhoi) | Sep 2024 | Market Theatre, Johannesburg, SA | Composer, performer |
| We wear our wheels with pride, we slap your streets with color…we say ‘bonjour’ to satan in 1820 (by Robyn Orlin with Moving into Dance Mophatong & uKhoiKhoi) | Oct 2024 | Théâtre Equilibre, Fribourg, Switzerland | Composer, performer |
| We wear our wheels with pride, we slap your streets with color…we say ‘bonjour’ to satan in 1820 (by Robyn Orlin with Moving into Dance Mophatong & uKhoiKhoi) | Oct 2024 | Les Halles De Schaerbeek, Brussels, Belgium | Composer, performer |
| We wear our wheels with pride, we slap your streets with color…we say ‘bonjour’ to satan in 1820 (by Robyn Orlin with Moving into Dance Mophatong & uKhoiKhoi) | Oct 2024 | Les Quinconces, Le Mans, France | Composer, performer |
| Breaking Down Walls (by Kieron Jina) | Jun 2022 | TalentLab, Théâtres de la ville de Luxembourg, Luxembourg | Composer, performer |
| Skeletons (by Jade Bowers & UJ Arts Academy) | Premiered Jul 2022 | 2022 Durban International Film Festival, Durban, SA | Film composer |
| African Exodus / Surplus Circus (by Sbusiso Shozi & Nhalnhla Mahlangu with the Centre for the Less Good Idea) | Feb 2023 | Komische Oper Berlin, Germany | Performer |
| The Paper Double-Bill (by Jade Bowers & UJ Arts Academy) | Feb 2023 | UJ Keorapetse William Kgositsile Theatre, Johannesburg, SA | Composer, performer |
| Dante and Mashudu (by Johannesburg School of Mask and Movement Theatre) | Mar 2023 | Atterbury Theatre, Pretoria, SA | Composer, sound design, music director |
| Dante and Mashudu (by Johannesburg School of Mask and Movement Theatre) | Mar 2023 | UJ Arts and Culture, Johannesburg, SA | Composer, sound design, music director |
| Dante and Mashudu (by Johannesburg School of Mask and Movement Theatre) | Mar 2023 | Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, Durban, SA | Composer, sound design, music director |
| Dante and Mashudu (by Johannesburg School of Mask and Movement Theatre) | Mar 2023 | Magnet Theatre, Cape Town, SA | Composer, sound design, music director |
| Breaths of Joburg (by Jade Bowers, Alex Halligey & UJ Arts Academy) | Apr 2023 | Hillbrow, Johannesburg, SA | Composer, performer |
| Hybrid (by The Zebras Crossing Collective) | Jun 2023 | TalentLab, Théâtres de la ville de Luxembourg, Luxembourg | Concept design, producer, composer, performer |
| I Release You (by Kieron Jina) | Aug 2023 | Zürcher Theater Spektakel, Zürich, Switzerland | Composer |
| The Rise (by Kieron Jina) | Oct 2023 | Tramway, Glasgow, Scotland | Composer |
| Spatial Fabrications: An Uninhabitable World (by PreEmpt Group Collective) | Oct–Nov 2023 | Fak’ugesi Creators Online Exhibition | Composer |
| How in salts desert is it possible to blossom... (by Robyn Orlin with Garage Dance Ensemble & uKhoiKhoi) | Jun 2024 | Festival de Marseille, Marseille, France | Composer, performer |
| How in salts desert is it possible to blossom... (by Robyn Orlin with Garage Dance Ensemble & uKhoiKhoi) | Jun 2024 | Festival Montpellier Danse 2024, Montpellier, France | Composer, performer |
| How in salts desert is it possible to blossom... (by Robyn Orlin with Garage Dance Ensemble & uKhoiKhoi) | Jun 2024 | Le Théâtre Garonne, Toulouse, France | Composer, performer |

### Performances with uKhoiKhoi

| Event | Date | Venue |
| Social Distancing Festival | 24 Mar 2020 | Online performance streamed from Toronto, Canada |
| Credo-Memoration | 25 Jul 2020 | Online performance streamed from Johannesburg, SA |
| Planet Afropunk | 22 Oct 2020 | Online performance streamed from the USA |
| Pendoring Advertising Awards | 13 Nov 2020 | Online performances streamed from Johannesburg, SA |
| Pendoring Advertising Awards | 4 Nov 2021 | Online performances streamed from Johannesburg, SA |
| Sol.i.dar.i.ty | 8 Apr 2021 | Online performance streamed from Switzerland |
| Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival | Dec 2021 | Online performance streamed from United Kingdom |
| 2nd World Sound Concert | 27 Aug 2022 | Joburg Theatre, Johannesburg, SA |
| Queertopia | 10 Dec 2022 | Victoria Yards, Johannesburg, SA |
| Mieliepop Festival | 2–4 Mar 2023 | Lothair, Mpumalanga, SA |
| Fashion Forward: A Sonic Experience with Thebe Magugu and Spotify | 15 Apr 2023 | Nirox Sculpture Park, Johannesburg, SA |
| Fête de la Musique | 24 Jun 2023 | Newtown Junction, Johannesburg, SA |
| The Reimagining Heritage, Archives and Museums: Today/Tomorrow Convention | 13 Feb 2024 | Iziko South African National Museum, Cape Town |
| 2024 SoCreative Summit | 10 May 2024 | Victoria Yards, Johannesburg |