Exploring Manana's musical journey and debut at the CTIJF

Manana’s journey into music didn’t begin with a grand declaration or a lifelong master plan. Instead, it unfolded quietly. As he prepares for his debut at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF), he sits down with IOL to discuss his journey until now.  

Born in the Kingdom of Eswatini, Manana spent his early years there before a pivotal suggestion from his mother altered the course of his life. His mother saw his talent long before anyone else. After a few years of schooling, she encouraged him to audition for the Drakensberg Boys Choir School which would become the beginning of his musical journey. “At the time, it wasn’t a conscious decision to start a journey in music,” he reflects. “It became a subconscious journey into becoming a musician.” 

While the institution laid a strong musical foundation, the challenges he faced extended beyond music. The transition into South Africa came with a cultural hurdle that tested him just as much as the rigorous musical environment. “The music was the easiest part,” he says. “The most difficult part was the language. I had to learn Afrikaans after not knowing a word of it in my life. Being away from home and family was also very tough.” 

Still his persistence paid off. Within a year or two, Manana found his footing not just musically, but personally.  

Like many artists, there’s often a defining release that marks the moment when music shifts from passion to possibility. For Manana, that moment came with his song Distant. “We released a produced version, which people liked,” he explains. “But when the acoustic version came out, that’s when things really picked up. That’s when I started to see that music could actually be a practical way of life for me.” 

 This was a turning point for Manana has he began to believe that a career in music could soon become a possibility instead of just a distant far-fetched dream. Yet, as any artist navigating the modern music industry knows, momentum is rarely linear. 

Manana describes his journey as one of constant highs and low. Moments of validation followed by periods of self-doubt would regularly occur. “It’s a journey of hills and valleys,” he says. “You release music, there’s hype, you feel like you’re doing things right. Then the hype dies down and suddenly you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing.” 

 One of his most uncertain periods came around the age of 23, while he was still studying and performing regularly as part of a band in Cape Town. Though the gigs were consistent (many of them weddings) the bigger picture felt unclear. “I wasn’t sure what the next step was going to be,” he says. “I was asking myself if I’d really be able to make a living off music, or if I needed to start looking elsewhere.” 

 What kept him grounded during those moments was a strong support system which came in the form of educators and family. Studying at the University of Cape Town proved instrumental, particularly through mentorship that extended beyond the classroom. 

“My mentor, who was also one of my lecturers, helped me a lot,” Manana shares. “Family and friends were always affirming and encouraging, and my music educators went the extra mile to make sure I could do it.” 

 Now, Manana is preparing to take another significant step: performing at the CTIJF, one of the continent’s most prestigious music events. His approach to live performance is meticulous, based on respect for the audience. “The biggest thing is catering to the audience at the festival,” he explains. “When you’re given a 30-minute slot, everything has to be timecoded: how long you speak, how many minutes from the first song to the last.” 

For more on Manana and his journey, read our interview below:

The following interview has been lightly edited for context and clarity.

IOL: For people who don’t know your story, where did it all start?

Manana: For those who don’t know, I was born in the Kingdom of Eswatini. After a few years of schooling there, my mother suggested that I audition for the Drakensberg Boys Choir School, so I did. At the time, it obviously wasn’t a conscious decision to start a journey in music. From then on, it was a subconscious journey into becoming a musician.

IOL: Was there ever a moment during that time when music felt difficult?

Manana: Not so much. At a music school like that, they start you from the ground up. The music was the easiest part. The most difficult part was the language. South Africa has a diverse set of languages. I had to learn Afrikaans after not knowing a word of it in my life. Being away from home and family was also very tough. After the first year or two, I began to grasp things more easily.

IOL: As fans, we often associate one song with the moment our favourite artists blew up. For yourself, which song would that be?

Manana: I think that would be the song Distant, which I released a few years ago. We did a produced version, which people liked, but when we released the acoustic version, that’s when things picked up and I started to see that music could be a practical way of life for me. After that, I began to take what I do more seriously.

IOL: During that stage of your life, was there ever a moment when you didn’t want to do music at all? Breaking into the industry can be difficult.

Manana: I always tell people that it’s a journey of hills and valleys. You release music and there’s hype; you feel like you’re doing things right and everything is going well. When the hype dies down, you suddenly feel like you don’t know what you’re doing. The same thing happens when you’re on stage. You see people’s reactions, and as soon as you get off stage, you fall into that same world of comparison, which is often driven by social media.

My biggest crisis was probably when I was turning 23 and still studying. At the time, I was part of a band and we were doing a lot of wedding gigs in Cape Town. I wasn’t sure what the next step was going to be. That was really scary, because I was asking myself whether I’d really be able to make a living off music, or if I needed to start looking elsewhere.

IOL: What kept you grounded during those moments of doubt?

Manana: I had really strong educational support systems. I studied at UCT, and my mentor, who was also one of my lecturers, helped me a lot. Family and friends played their part too, constantly affirming and encouraging me. I always give credit to my music educators because they went the extra mile to make sure that I could do it.

IOL: You’ll be performing at the CTIJF this year. How do you normally prepare for shows?

Manana: The biggest thing is catering to the audience that’s going to be at the festival. For the festivals we’ve done in January, we had 30-minute slots. That means you have to timecode everything — knowing how many seconds you have to talk and how many minutes you have from the first song to the last. The rehearsals we do for a series of gigs help with the arrangements, and per festival, we’ll have an additional rehearsal to timecode everything.