My name is Mukundi Ratshimbilani and I am a Music Composer and Sound Engineer from Johannesburg, South Africa. My journey, like a script, begins on a blank page. I had no musical instruments in the house and no musicians as friends or relatives. As a child, I struggled with academics - an irony because I come from a family of academicians: my grandparents were teachers and principals.

Due to academic challenges, I transferred to five schools before attending high school. The one positive aspect of my tumultuous early education is music. As I jumped from school to school, I never struggled playing with musical instruments. I learned the African drums, piano, guitar, full drum set, trumpet, and marimbas, but only ever mastered the Piano and Marching Drums. Practicing music helped me gain focus and maintain my bearings through all the chaos.

I started my film scoring journey in university. I obtained a BA in Film from AFDA, and a Bachelor Honours degree in Music and Musicology from Rhodes-University, double-majoring in Music Composition and Sound Technology. I received a SAFTA and the 2024 Sony Future Filmmakers Award in California for my university final film project which I sound engineered, final mixed and scored . As I began my career as a sound engineer, I have been privileged to have worked on projects with Will Smith and Usain Bolt and on Netflix and Amazon productions at the highest level in South Africa.

I look forward to my journey here at GEMS, and can’t wait to create!