Jazz band makes its mark
KwaThema – A group of local musicians is enjoying sharing its musical talent with the masses.
The Mzansi Jazz Band has been performing on various stages for close on a decade .
Its youngest member is 18 years old.
“We decided to unite their talent to create this band because of our love of music.
“That is where we started this band, based in KwaThema, as we saw that there was a lot of talent but it was scattered across different parts of the township.
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“Bringing everyone together helped us to create something uniform, helped us grow and has increased our knowledge,” says the band’s manager and marketer, Jabulani Zulu.
The band comprises pianist Thabo Baleni, drummer Ntsako Ngobeni, bass guitarist Dumisani Matanga, trumpeter Thabiso Mogotsi and saxophonist/guitarist Shadrack Mbonani.
“After playing together for so long, we now have a lot of experience and are proud of our successes as we are playing at top events with famous local and international stars.
“Some of the latest events we have performed at include the OR Tambo Jazz Festival and the ENYE All White party, amongst others.
“We are also busy preparing to perform at the Afrika Day celebrations, which will be held in Boksburg in May,” says Zulu.
The biggest challenge the band faces is lack of sponsorship and finance.
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Baleni says what they enjoy the most about being in a band is seeing people appreciate their music.
“The financial constraints, however, mean that we have to dig deeper into our own pockets to travel for performances and to buy our own musical instruments.
“And wherever possible, we also borrow instruments from local churches, hence we need the right equipment to meet our standard,” he says.
The band performs at various functions, including parties, weddings and co-operative events.
For more information on the band, contact Zulu on 083 965 5453.
