Women’s jazz rock music in Margate – South Coast Herald

To close Women’s Month, the Umngqungqo Wabantu Project held a women in jazz and poetry concert on Sunday at Senzi’s in Margate.

The concert featured Johannesburg trombonist Lebogang ‘Mizzbone’ Pangwa and singers such as Noncedo Disane, Nozibusiso Vezi, Nelz Words Shibe and Onke Qwane.

According to Zanele Luhabe, project manager at Umngqungqo Wabantu, the concert was a success.

She said that the founder of the Umngqungqo Wabantu project, Andile Yenana is a professor of music at Esayidi TVET College, Gamalakhe Campus.

Luhabe said Yenana usually invites a jazz artist from Johannesburg to do workshops at the Gamalakhe campus for her students, and then on Saturdays a live performance takes place before the artist leaves the south coast.

She said it was meant to give students real stage exposure and experience.

“Andile Yenana is a master pianist. He is from King Williams Town. He has been in the music industry for over 20 years. He is internationally renowned. The organization organizes jazz sessions and live music events at the Margate Art Museum every few months. It was at the museum that Yenana formed a relationship with the museum director, Siya Sotsu. Sotsu also helps Yenana find venues for these jazz sessions,” she said.

She added that Yenana mainly brings in legendary people who have been in the industry for a long time, saying that for August, they decided to change their tune and bring in a female.

Luhabe said, “Since it’s Woman’s Month, we wanted a woman who will not only teach the students, but also inspire them to use instruments. We looked around, it was a difficult search as there are only a few women playing instruments. We found Lebogang ‘Mizzbone’ Pangwa. Yenana realized that the south coast is rich in different talents, he wants to nurture this talent and give his students a chance to develop their craft in their space without having to travel to Johannesburg to get exposure. It tries to bring the Johannesburg feel to the south coast.

She said that although people did not come in large numbers, they appreciate those who came, adding that the Women’s Month concert was the start of great things to come.

“We’re hoping next time we’ll have an all-female group and we want to make the All Women’s Concert an annual thing, hopefully it grows,” she said.

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