Award-winning SA musicians continue carving unique artistic identities at National Arts Festival

Daily Maverick

16 hours ago

Standard Bank Young Artist Award recipients in the jazz and music categories are set to give attendees an immersive South African experience.
The richness of South African music cannot be understated. From the catchy sounds of amapiano to the hypnotic characteristics and use of the guitar in isicathamiya, the sonics in Mzansi have a special evocative quality to them.
This can also be said of South African jazz and other folk music. This year's Standard Bank Young Artist Award recipients in the jazz and music categories respectively pay great homage to this depth.
'What I've come to learn and appreciate about South African jazz is the joy it brings to people who listen to it,' says Siyasanga (Siya) Charles, the jazz award recipient.
The tenor and bass trombonist, composer and arranger, who is currently based in New York, speaks highly of how South Africa's expression of the American imported genre translates beyond our shores.
'We have so much joy in our music. It's very uplifting and carries a powerful message. Our music has depth. It's not just about sounding good. It really has a message to uplift and make people aware of the times we are living in.'
The FirstRand Laurie Dippenaar laureate comes from a family of self-taught musicians, and Charles also taught herself to play the piano.
Her late mother was a fervent supporter of her musical career, encouraging her to study towards a bachelor of music degree in jazz trombone performance at the University of Cape Town.
'Having a supportive family and a community that pushes you to be the best version of yourself is invaluable. It has really helped me to be confident in what I do and realise the importance of community.'
When it comes to valuing one's community, the same can be said for the Standard Bank Young Artist award recipient in the music category, Muneyi Masibigiri, known professionally by the mononym Muneyi. He was inspired by his grandmother.
'She's my biggest inspiration and longest-standing muse. She is also my primary parent, so just being raised by her and being loved in the way she has loved me has made me this person – and this person I am has led to the artist I am.'
His debut project, Makhulu, broke him into the South African mainstream consciousness, and he hasn't looked back. He is a multifaceted artist, songwriter, composer and guitarist who combines Tshivenda folktales and modern sounds to transcend language.
Muneyi is a sonic archivist who uses music to preserve and promote his language – a task he takes very personally.
'It's important as part of my identity. I don't want to wake up one day and find that there isn't any preservation of my language, culture and identity.'
In a country that has been known to be divided along ethnic lines, his use of his talent distinguishes him as an artist and elevates his work beyond enjoyment – perfectly aligning with Charles's point on South African jazz.
This heritage is something that is passed on over generations. Both musicians have strong feelings about the role mentorship has played in carving this aspect of their artistic identity.
'I would be nothing without some of my mentors. Some of the stuff, you can't really learn it at an educational institution, but even in those you can find [people] who believe in you and want to protect you, because the music industry isn't a nice place sometimes,' explains Charles, a magna cum laude graduate of The Juilliard School.
Muneyi echoes this. 'It's been really important, especially in managing expectations and emotions. [South African composer and singer] Msaki has been an anchor, as have other friends who have been in the spaces for longer and who have held my hand, even if it's just a few words, or watching them do what they do, so someone like Robin Fassie… Zoë Modiga as well.'
Both recipients have had their time in the jungle that is the music industry and emphasise protection. The exposure of the path taken brings the societal pressures that most can avoid to the forefront. For Muneyi it's his sexuality, as he is openly gay.
But his experience has been unique, mainly because of his style.
'I don't think I am treated any differently and I wonder if it's because I am not so explicit about my queerness in my work,' he reflects.
'[Maybe that] has a big impact on that. But even with the release of my For The Boys I Like EP, the most that came from that was people relating to the work as opposed to any focus on my queerness.
'It can be tricky, because on one end I want to be seen as a whole being, black, queer, talented, etc, and on the other hand it's good that I am just celebrated for my work.'
Art has a way of cutting through prejudice and biases that day-to-day life cannot. Whether it's in relation to sex, sexuality or race, the transcendence of this human expression stands head and shoulders above the mundane things that differentiate us for all the wrong reasons.
Music does this in a unique way. Soundscapes pierce through and pull at our emotional strings, paving the way for fresh perspectives and ideas.
'My journey as a woman in jazz has had its ups and downs,' Charles explains. 'I have found communities that see you first as a musician. A musician is a musician. No one is going to treat you as less than because you're a woman.'
What both artists pride themselves in is taking ownership of their journey regardless of the environment or of the preconceived notions others have.
This is a certainty that both are bringing to the stage when they perform at the National Arts Festival in Makhanda, Eastern Cape, from 26 June to 6 July. What can fans expect?
'A musical diary of the kind of music that has influenced me as a person and as a musician,' says Charles. 'I believe in using music to venerate the people that you love, more specifically the people who are no longer with us…'
Fans of Muneyi can also expect full immersion into his world.
'Oh, it's going to be very honest, very exciting and mostly just a full introduction of me to the world, without any constraints, without time limits – 90 minutes is a long time – and just knowing that everyone on that chair is there for me. I want to pour my entire heart out and leave nothing.' DM