UThemba Mkhize, wazalelwa eThekwini ngo-1957, wethulwa emculweni esemncane. Waze umculo we-jazz esafunda amabanga aphakeme futhi wabonwa yiqembu lendawo, i- “Dukes Combo“. Ngo-1981 waqala ukwenza umsebenzi wobungcweti neqembu “iSakhile”. Ngo-1984 uThemba wajoyina iqembu elidumile i- “Bayete”, futhi waba yingxenye yeqembu elihlonishwayo iminyaka engaphezu kweyishumi. Wabamba iqhaza emdlalweni womculo othi “Buwa”, owabhalwa nguCaiphus Semenya futhi wazulazula e-Afrika, esebenzisana nezingqwele eziningi zomculo.
Ngaphambi kokuba aqale umsebenzi wakhe wesolo ngo-1999, uThemba wayeseke wadlala nabaculi abaningi baseNingizimu Afrika, okubalwa kubo uHugh Masekela wodumo, uSibongile Khumalo noMiriam Makeba, ukubala nje abambalwa. Empeleni uyabezwa okhiye bepiyano bakaThemba bengena komunye wemidlalo edume kakhulu kaHugh Masekela, lapho aqopha i-albhamu yakhe i-‘Hope‘ bukhoma e-Washington DC’s Blues Alley ngo-1993.
I-Tales from the South
Ngemuva kokusebenza nabaculi abasezingeni eliphezulu bakuleli, okubalwa kubo uHugh Masekela, Sibongile Khumalo noMiriam Makeba, uThemba ukhiphe i-albhamu yakhe i-Tales from the South ngo-1999. I-albhamu yakhe yathakaselwa kakhulu wabonwanjengomculi ovelele eThekwini. I-albhamu yakhe yamukelwa ngesasa, yawina imiklomelo emithathu ku-South African Music Awards ngo- 2000, kwalandela i-Daimler-Chrysler’s Best Musician Award.
Ubuhle bomculo kaThemba, obuhambisana nemizamo yakhe ephikelelayo yokufaka izisho zomdabu zesiZulu neze-Jazz, waba ngumculi owabhekwa umhlaba wonke. Ngo-2008, uThemba wakhipha i-Scenes from South Africa, eyayethula izingqophamlando kuma-albhamu akhe ahamba yedwa, icilongo uHugh Masekela nomculi uSibongile Kumalo beyizimenywa eziqavile. Ukuxuba kwakhe isigqi sase-Afrika ne-American jazz kwakha isitayela sokuphayona ekuveleni kwe-jazz nomculo womhlaba.
Kodwa ithalente likaThemba lidlulela ngale kokuthanda kwakhe i-jazz, kanye nekhono lakhe lokuhlanganisa imisindo yesiZulu nohlobo lomsindo oluvame ukuhlotshaniswa ne-Afrika nabaseMelika. Ngaphezu kokuba ngumculi owine izindondo, uThemba unestudiyo iMavovo Production Studios, futhi ungumnikazi weThela Music nomlingani wakhe, uStella Khumalo. Lo mlingisi owine imiklomelo eminingi ye-jazz maestro, uphrojusa, umdlali wopiyano kanye nomqondisi womculo ubuye abe nemihlangano yokufundisa, ukunikeza amakhono nolwazi lomculo. Indodana yakhe, u-Afrika Mkhize, nayo ingumculi we-Jazz odume umhlaba wonke owaklonyeliswa ngendondo yodumo ye-Standard Bank Young Artist of the year for Jazz ngo-2012.