UCT chiseled my talent and gave me tools to interpret songs - Ndumiso Manana

The eSwatini-born muso talks to Azania Mosaka about his life, unpacks the album 'In the beginning was the end' on #702Unplugged.

Ndumiso Manana was born in the humble hills of eSwatini. Whether behind the drum kit, piano or microphone, he is able to express what the heart needs to hear simply and honestly.

Azania Mosaka on #702Unplugged finds out more about Manana.

I started writing music in my second or third year at university, so it's actually not been too long. It's just about spending time on every single song that we work on and interrogation every single word, every single note.

Ndumiso Manana, Musician

In 2002 the Drakensberg Boys Choir came to Swaziland and at the time my parents thought it would be a great idea for me to audition for the school. Obviously, I was too young and didn't think too much of it.

Ndumiso Manana, Musician

Watch Ndumiso Manana perform on #702Unplugged

I auditioned and when I got in the first was essentially a culture change for me simply because every day there is choir training, every day there is ear training, every day you're working on music. It was like a music boot campus. For six years I was there basically refining what at that time I suspected I had. The history of the school speaks for itself.

Ndumiso Manana, Musician

When you get to UCT you might have an idea of what kind of music you wanna be making. What they have mastered is being able to chisel what you have and give you a clearer impression of what you need to interpret the song, what you need to tell people, not just in lyrics but in the interpretation of what you're saying so that people do not just understand in mind but feel it in the soul.

Ndumiso Manana, Musician

Listen below for the full interview...

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