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 three 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 at 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 three 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. In 2026, Sullaphen was nominated for a Naledi Theatre Award in the “best original score/soundscape” category for the theatre production “Gabo Legwala”, a work created in collaboration with award-winning poet Modise Sekgothe and vocalist Phumla Siyobi.
Sullaphen has worked extensively with acclaimed South African director and choreographer Robyn Orlin on stage productions that have been performed internationally. Between 2012 and 2017, his composition for Orlin's "Beauty remained for just a moment…" toured extensively in France and throughout Europe. Since 2021, Sullaphen – as part of the live-looping band uKhoiKhoi – has been touring Europe, Asia and the United States of America with Orlin’s stage production titled “We wear our wheels with pride…”. In 2024, this production was performed for the first time in South Africa at the JOMBA! Dance Festival where Orlin was honoured as the 2024 JOMBA! Legacy Artist. Since mid-2024, uKhoiKhoi has also performed throughout Europe with “How in salts desert is it possible to blossom...”, another stage production by Orlin.
Sullaphen has also composed for and performed internationally with world-renowned South African choreographer Kieron Jina and, more recently, with multi-award-winning choreographer Gregory Maqoma. Sullaphen formed part of the musical cast that composed and performed the music for Maqoma’s work, "Genesis - The Beginning and End of Time", which premiered at the 2025 Weimar Arts Festival in Germany, before it was staged in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa, in early 2026.
In another collaboration, Sullaphen worked with Modise Sekgothe, winner of the 2025 Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Poetry, to create a stage production titled “Gabo Legwala”, that was performed at the 2025 National Arts Festival in Makhanda, South Africa, followed by performances at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg.
In 2026, Sullaphen joined forces with multi-award-winning performance artist Albert Ibokwe Khoza to create a work titled “Dear Museum! The Truth of the Matter: It Seems Everything Was Better When We Were Not Telling the Truth”. This work, which questioned Western ethnological museum practices and explored the presentation of cultural artefacts in museum collections, was performed at the Humboldt Forum in Berlin, as well as the 2026 National Arts Festival in Makhanda.
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's productions, uKhoiKhoi has performed at Sauti za Busara, an African music festival held annually in Zanzibar, Tanzania; the 2025 Ruhrtriennale, a music and arts festival in Germany; as well as at music festivals and events across South Africa, such as Mieliepop and Fête de la Musique.
Works and performances
Works for theatre and film +TitleDateEvent / Venue, City & CountryRoleBeauty remained for just a moment then returned gently to her starting position (by Robyn Orlin with Moving into Dance Mophatong)2012-2017Biennale de la danse, Lyon (France) (premiere, Sep 2012)ComposerDown To Earth (by Kieron Jina & Marc Philipp Gabriel)Feb 2017Tanzfabrik Berlin (Germany)Composer, performerMay 2017Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Berlin (Germany)Jul 2017National Arts Festival, Makhanda (South Africa (SA))Jungfrau (by Jade Bowers)Jun 2018National Arts Festival, Makhanda (SA)Composer, performerFestival Theaterformen, Braunschweig (Germany)Between Horizons (by Kieron Jina & Marc Philipp Gabriel)Jul 2018National Arts Festival, Makhanda (SA)Composer, performerEmoyeni (by Umlilo and Sean K)Aug 2018Song production (funded by Pro Helvetia)ProducerRise of the African Queer (by Kieron Jina)Apr 2019South African State Theatre, Pretoria (SA)Composer, performerStrange Land (by Jade Bowers)Jun 2019Market Theatre, Johannesburg (SA)ComposerShhh! The Musical (by Jade Bowers & University of Johannesburg (UJ) Arts Academy)Oct 2019University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg (SA)Composer, performer, song writer, arrangement, music directorPause (by Kieron Jina)Feb 2020Centre for the Less Good Idea, Johannesburg (SA)ComposerDarkie (by Katlego Letsholonyane)Mar 2020POPArt Theatre, Johannesburg (SA)Composer, performer, sound designChameleon Home (by Kieron Jina & Mathias Becker)Jul 2020Die Irritierte Stadt Online Festival (Germany)Composer, sound designMothers Grimm (by Jade Bowers & UJ Arts Academy)Jul 2020Virtual National Arts Festival, Makhanda (SA)Film composerOct 2022Vrystaat Arts Festival, Bloemfontein (SA)Composer, performerZebras Crossing Video Series (by The Zebras Crossing Collective)2021Online videos (funded by British Council)Concept design, producer, composerPusha Pressa Phanda (by Dick d’vLz Reubïn)Released May 2021Film (produced by Layla Swart)Film composerThe Empire Builders (by Dintshitile Mashile & Kwasha! Theatre Company)Feb 2021Online (binaural audio play)Composer, recording, music & sound directorWe 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 2021Paris (France)Composer, performerAug 2022Tanzforum Berlin (Germany)Nov–Dec 2022Romaeuropa Festival, Rome (Italy)Paris Autumn Festival, Paris; Toulouse & Le Havre (France)Luxembourg (Luxembourg)Dusseldorf (Germany)Mar 2023Oslo (Norway)Amsterdam & The Hague (Netherlands)Aug 2023Zürich (Switzerland)Dec 2023Bruges (Belgium)Sep 2024JOMBA! Dance Festival, Durban & Johannesburg (SA)Oct 2024Fribourg (Switzerland)Brussels (Belgium)Le Mans (France)Mar 2025London (United Kingdom)Oct 2025Asia+ Festival 2025 (Hong Kong)Seoul (South Korea)Mar 2026New York (USA)Breaking Down Walls (by Kieron Jina)Jun 2022TalentLab (Luxembourg)Composer, performerSkeletons (by Jade Bowers & UJ Arts Academy)Premiered Jul 20222022 Durban International Film Festival, Durban (SA)Film composerAfrican Exodus / Surplus Circus (by Sbusiso Shozi & Nhalnhla Mahlangu with the Centre for the Less Good Idea)Feb 2023Komische Oper Berlin (Germany)PerformerThe Paper Double-Bill (by Jade Bowers & UJ Arts Academy)Feb 2023University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg (SA)Composer, performerDante and Mashudu (by Johannesburg School of Mask and Movement Theatre)Mar 2023Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban & Cape Town (SA)Composer, sound design, music directorBreaths of Joburg (by Jade Bowers, Alex Halligey & UJ Arts Academy)Apr 2023Hillbrow, Johannesburg (SA)Composer, performerHybrid (by The Zebras Crossing Collective)Jun 2023TalentLab (Luxembourg)Concept design, producer, composer, performerI Release You (by Kieron Jina)Aug 2023Zürich (Switzerland)ComposerThe Rise (by Kieron Jina)Oct 2023Glasgow (Scotland)ComposerSpatial Fabrications: An Uninhabitable World (by PreEmpt Group Collective)Oct–Nov 2023Fak’ugesi Creators Online ExhibitionComposerHow in salts desert is it possible to blossom... (by Robyn Orlin with Garage Dance Ensemble & uKhoiKhoi)Jun 2024Marseille, Montpellier & Toulouse (France)Composer, performerNov-Dec 2024Romaeuropa Festival, Rome (Italy)Amsterdam (Netherlands)Paris & Reims (France)Sep 2025Ruhrtriennale 2025, Essen (Germany)Nov-Dec 2025Strasbourg, Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, Bourges, Cannes, Saint-Nazaire, Rennes (France)A border is a line that birds cannot see (by Kieron Jina)Jun 2025TalentLab (Luxembourg)Composer, performerGabo Legwala (by Modise Sekgothe)Jun 2025National Arts Festival, Makhanda (SA)SoundscapistSep-Oct 2025Market Theatre, Johannesburg (SA)Genesis – The Beginning and End of Time (by Gregory Maqoma)Aug 2025Kunstfest Weimar (Germany)Co-composer, performerFeb-Mar 2026Cape Town, Johannesburg (SA)Bantu (by Gregory Maqoma)Jan 2026University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg (SA)ComposerDear Museum! The Truth of the Matter: It Seems Everything Was Better When We Were Not Telling the Truth (by Albert Ibokwe Khoza)May-Jun 2026Humboldt Forum, Berlin (Germany)ComposerJun 2026National Arts Festival, Makhanda (SA)
Performances with uKhoiKhoi +EventDateVenueSocial Distancing Festival24 Mar 2020Online performance streamed from Toronto (Canada)Credo-Memoration25 Jul 2020Online performance streamed from Johannesburg (SA)Planet Afropunk22 Oct 2020Online performance streamed from the USAPendoring Advertising Awards13 Nov 2020Online performances streamed from Johannesburg (SA)4 Nov 2021Sol.i.dar.i.ty8 Apr 2021Online performance streamed from SwitzerlandHuddersfield Contemporary Music FestivalDec 2021Online performance streamed from United Kingdom2nd World Sound Concert27 Aug 2022Joburg Theatre, Johannesburg (SA)Queertopia10 Dec 2022Victoria Yards, Johannesburg (SA)Mieliepop Festival2–4 Mar 2023Lothair, Mpumalanga (SA)Fashion Forward: A Sonic Experience with Thebe Magugu and Spotify15 Apr 2023Nirox Sculpture Park, Johannesburg (SA)Fête de la Musique24 Jun 2023Newtown Junction, Johannesburg (SA)The Reimagining Heritage, Archives and Museums: Today/Tomorrow Convention13 Feb 2024Iziko South African National Museum, Cape Town (SA)2024 SoCreative Summit10 May 2024Victoria Yards, Johannesburg (SA)Sauti za Busara14-16 Feb 2025Stone Town, Zanzibar (Tanzania)Ruhrtriennale7 Sep 2025Bochum (Germany)
References