Ishmael is said to be the only pop artist alive in South Africa that has been relevant to the youth market for over an 18 year period. The one constant in Ishmael’s life has always been music; from the sounds rattling in the house when his mother ran a shebeen where they played music to major influences like Michael Jackson and Smokey Robinson.

 

As music fuelled Ishmael’s days, this astonishing talent took him to great heights, which started with P.O.C (Prophets of the City). Ishmael initially joined P.O.C as a dancer but eventually came full circle as the main singer of the group. Ishmael then went on to be part of the Kwaito group Skeem under which he was the most distinguishable voice. One of the most loved and well known South African songs, WAAR WAS JY?, still remains to be very popular amongst all South Africans when it is played. Ishmael then went on to release a string of solo albums in which he won a SAMA for Long Way Homeome in the Best R n’B category for that year. He also claimed the accolade of a UK Number #1 single on top of the pop charts in 1999.

​

Ishmael later went on to form part of SA Boy hiphop group JOZI, with members

DA LES and Bongani Fassie. The group went on to win numerous awards from MTV BASE, TO SAMAs and METRO FM awards, as well as producing the award winning Reality TV show "Moving The City". 

​

Having evolved over the years with the latest pop trends, Ishmael continues to surprise his fans with new sounds from electro pop to Amapiano. His latest single with DJ CLEO is making waves locally and a collaboration with DJ Lisa Li is circulating the European Dance floors.