Singer and broadcaster Dumza Maswana on living out his late grandmother’s dream [VIDEO]

Someone once said a grandmother is “a little bit parent, a little bit teacher, and a little bit best friend”.

Singer and broadcaster Dumza Maswana has experienced these three facets in his late grandmother whom he adored. 

“My grandmother passed away 10 years ago and she never got to see me on stage. She’s the first person I would think of when something great happens,” Maswana told The Citizen.

As a best friend, his grandmother was the one who put him on authentically good music and shared her love for radio station uMhlobo Wenene with him.

As a parent, she raised him to be an independent thinker who can surmount anything he puts his mind to.

“From when I was young she was raising me to be independent and be anything I want to be; she was hoping I’d be a teacher,” averred the singer.

And like a teacher, she gave him honest critique about how he should sing in his native isiXhosa language instead of belting out English ditties.

 “I remember when I released my first album in 2009, I did a song Ithamsanqa and other isiXhosa songs and she loved them, and she told me straight that my English songs weren’t nice. Makes me laugh every time but she has a point that would realise later in life, shared Maswana.

Maswana spoke to this publication ahead of his show, Ingoma Emgqubeni at Untitled Basement in Johannesburg.

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The isiXhosa songbook

He said Ingoma Emgqubeni is a deep reflection on the old Xhosa songbook that he grew up listening to and ultimately chanting to from my grandmother’s house, where he had his first music-making encounter.

“The songbook has been kept through memory and now echoes in the open as a sentimental gesture to those who taught us how to sing. In essence, this work acknowledges that ingoma is a communal practice that accounts for all voices. This work is an invitation to all to come as one to chant and dance,” expressed Maswana.

Maswana is one of the leading figures when it comes to the preservation and promotion of the isiXhosa language.

At a recent Gala dinner in East London, Maswana invited respected retired isiXhosa newsreader, Noxolo Grootboom to be a speaker, This made sense because of their shared appreciation of the language.

“Mam’Noxolo Grootboom is such an icon, her humility is out of this world,” said Maswana.

“We spoke about our love for isiXhosa, our beautiful culture and how we can promote and preserve it. I’ve always loved her but to sit with her was amazing. She said some words to me that will be in my heart forever” said Maswana adding that he didn’t think Grootboom knew who he was.

“I didn’t even know she knew who I was, realising that she’s a fan of my work and she knows it really humbled me.”

For his show at Untitled Basement Maswana, he wants to give Xhosa expats who reside around Joburg a sense of home away from home.

“I stayed here for 15 years before moving back home. When I was here I realised that there are a lot of people who’ve been here for a long time because of work, they spend three weeks back home, and by coming here I bring home to them,” he said.

Maswana said he’ll be performing songs they can sing along easily with, bringing their uncles and grandmothers, childhood memories and other beautiful memories from home.

“The main thing for me is that we should always remember who we are. So when they’re coming to my show they’re actually visiting home.”

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Umhlobo Wenene FM

Maswana hosts Uncuthu Lomculo WeJAZZ show on Umhlobo Wenene FM. “When I started, I had the knowledge of the genre but wasn’t great at presenting it, but they were very patient with me until I found my voice,” said the singer with a thick bass voice.

Grateful for the opportunity from the management, Maswana said being a recording artist while simultaneously being a contributor in the media has made him privy to how the media space operates.

“The greatest benefit is that I get to study the genre, learn from the audience, discover the sound and people behind it,” he said.

“The access I have to creators is something I don’t take for granted. Working with legends Siphiwo Magoda and Zolani Bongco, who always give feedback, is also a blessing for me.”

Maswana is currently in studio recording his next album which will feature an orchestra.  He will give audiences a taste of what’s to come at the show on Sunday.

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