Port Elizabeth musicians Vuyiseka “LoveChild” Maguga, Sizwe Yaze and Ntlantla Swana will show why the Eastern Cape is known as SA’s cradle of jazz at a major national festival in Johannesburg next weekend.
The vocalists – who also all play musical instruments – are three of the four acts a public vote has chosen for the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz festival #Discover stage.
And the selection of Uncuthu The Firm as the fourth act for Saturday September 29 is a further vote for the talent in this province.
Although Uncuthu is based in Pretoria, brothers SinomXhosa Senzo and Sinovuyo Ta-Sebs Yalezo and their cousin, Lulama Lujah Sokoni, are from East London while Ntsindiso Noqhamza is from Bizana.
The a cappella quartet sing afro-pop and afro-soul, occasionally blending in instruments to their Umguyo music sound.
VUYISEKA “LOVECHILD” MAGUGA
LoveChild is a self-taught singer, songwriter and guitarist who only picked up her guitar two year ago.
Since then, however, the 32-year-old Kwazakhele artist’s popularity has soared, with an appearance on television last week another cherry on the cake.
“2018 has been beautiful, I kind of feel like I am dreaming, and that my 10-year plan is coming through this year – it’s an overwhelming feeling,” the sound production student said this week.
After the performance on Afro Cafe last week, for example, messages of support and praise flooded into her inbox, as they did after shows at the National Arts Festival in July and before that on her tour of several cities.
SIZWE YAZE
Yaze, 29, is a composer, songwriter and producer with music deeply rooted in contemporary Afro neo soul jazz. He will be performing with the Sizwe Yaze Band next weekend.
“I studied sound engineering in Cape Town so I honed my skills on the technical side, but I love singing so much, it has been with me forever,” the musical creative said this week.
“I’ve been in the music industry t since birth because my parents and grandparents are in it and I always had a love for song – I used to write songs for my primary school.”
Yaze runs the Bay’s annual Writers’ Indaba which encourages song- and scriptwriters to get their material up on stage, and he plays several instruments, having first picked up a guitar at 12. He is working on an album, Bahlekazi (“Gentlemen”).
NTLANTLA SWANA
At 22 the youngest of the Port Elizabeth trio of rising stars, Swana is a singer with a deep connection to Afro soul and all things contemporary.
Although her family is from East London, she is studying music at NMU and now lives in Richmond Hill. Like LoveChild and Yaze, Swana also plays several musical instruments.
“I am planning to sing a lot of my originals because I need to be out there,” she said of the Joy of Jazz programme. “I’m very excited about it, it seems like such an opportunity.”
Swana said it had been a nerve-wracking procedure to go through to the national stage, as the videos were filmed several months ago.
“We had to post our videos and they chose 32 to be finalists. Then the public had to vote for who they liked and at the end we came out top!”
The three know each other and at times have performed together.
And, as LoveChild says, “I’ve been waiting for this moment to come – we shot the video in May and I’ve been waiting for it since. I’m still overwhelmed by the love.
“It’s hectic but its beautiful and a humbling experience. I can only work harder now.”
Bringing Eastern Cape swag to a national stage
Eastern Cape musicians are bringing their swag to the national stage by taking all four slots for emerging performers at the national Standard Bank Joy of Jazz festival next weekend.
The festival in Sandton, Johannesburg offers a youth talent development programme called #Discover which gives up-and-coming musicians the chance to perform alongside internationally renowned jazz musicians.
“Artists from Port Elizabeth have won the hearts of jazz lovers this year – a remarkable feat,” festival producer Mantwa Chinoamadi said.
Chinoamadi outlined how bands were invited to submit video clips for #Discover showcasing their talent by performing their material.
These clips then were uploaded to the organiser’s social media profiles and the public voted on who would then perform.
Entries numbers more than doubled
This year more than 30 entries were received, double the initial figure registered in its launch year.
“More than 25,000 votes later, we are pleased to announce LoveChild, Ntlaa Swana, Sizwe Yaze – who are all from Port Elizabeth – and Uncuthu The Firm as the winners,” Chinoamadi said.
“They will be performing on their own #Discover development stage right next to the Conga stage where the likes of Buika from Spain, Nairobi Horns from Kenya and Nduduzo Makhathini from South Africa will be performing.”
“It is not only an opportunity for them to rub shoulders with the best of the best in the world of jazz but also to announce themselves to an international audience and win their hearts.”
Other artists on the line-up include Gloria Bosman, Thandi Ntuli, Concord Nkabinde, Mark Fransman, Shane Cooper, Nduduzo Makhathini, Bokani Dyer, Kyle Shepherd and Afrika Mkhize who will be performing with Sydney Mavundla.
She said #Discover was launched four years ago to unearthing “raw jazz talent from anywhere in the country” and give a platform to grow brand and audience reach.

The Joy of Jazz Festival programme runs from September 27 to 29 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg...