Jazz it out

Music has always kept her family very close.  Her parents sang together in a church choir before they started dating.  Twenty eight years later, their daughter is studying towards a Bachelor of Arts in Music at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).  She thinks Jazz and Gospel are not too different from each other and these two genres can be fused.

Vocalist Sindiswa Motha comes from a musical family. The 21 year old devout Christian hails from Nhlazatje, Elukwatini in Mpumalanga Province.  At primary school, she would sing, recite poems and deliver speeches. “Those were carefree moments I used to make”, she told Jazz It Out.  High school years were about things that were expressive, storytelling and electrifying.  One her favourites songs were “Rise Up” and “City Burns” by Andra Dray.  “Genesis” by Dua Lipa was her ringtone for a few years.

Vocalist Sindiswa Motha

Even though she didn’t know what career to pursue beyond high school, she recalls writing ‘Sindiswa for Music’ in her matric baseball jacket, which did not surprise her school mates.  Wearing the same jacket two years after leaving high school, her mother asked how she knew things would turn that way.  The journey to studying music was not as smooth as she had predicted.  Her first choice was medicine followed by music.

In 2021, she applied to study medicine in Russia through that country’s embassy.  Exiting news of her acceptance soon turned into a disappointment. That dream became impossible due to lack of funds.  “I thought I had it all figured out”, recalling that difficult period.  Her very supportive family played a very important role in dealing with the situation which she has since put behind her.  The next thing was to consider her second career option.

Later that year, she saw a friend posting videos of himself at a music school playing songs that sounded old.  It turned out that her friend was playing Jazz which was very foreign to this young woman who grew up only exposed to singing choral and Gospel music.  In 2022, Sindiswa went to Music Academy of Gauteng in Benoni, which was founded by trumpeter Johnny Mekoa, who studied at UKZN under Professor Darius Brubeck.  “At first I didn’t understand the way they played, the way they sang and why they wrote their music in papers when they could just listen to the audio and get the gist of it”, with a chuckle.

Doing what she loves

By April, Jazz began to sound different and she fell in love with the genre which became a revelation.  She recalls sitting in her room in winter listening to Billie Holiday singing “God bless the child”, the very first Jazz standard she learned.  The listening also included an album “Afternoon in Paris” by John Lewis, “Cosmic Light” by Thandi Ntuli and many other Jazz tunes.  By this time, she was drawn closer and closer to the genre that never made sense initially.  Sindiswa is very grateful for the music lessons at Music Academy of Gauteng.

Her journey to learn more about the genre saw her enrolling at UKZN where she is studying towards a B Music degree.  “I’m excited to discover how far I can go with Jazz, how I can use it, manipulate it, stretch it, perform it and so forth.  Sight reading, technique, vocal warmups, eight hour practices, are disciplines that I never grew up with.  But they are never impossible to achieve”, with a sense of optimism and confidence.

Sindiswa thinks Gospel and Jazz are not worlds apart, but there are differences. “The advantage of playing or singing Gospel, especially from a very young age is gaining the ability to hear, play or sing instantly without referring to any script.  The repertoire always changes during the church service.  You develop flexibility subconsciously”, she said.  “Jazz on the other hand can be theoretical.  You are likely to refer to what the score sheet reads every now and then, depending on your level of growth”, she added.

This young musician finds the history of Howard College impeccable.  “I really feel honoured to be part of this institution.  I am using all the facilities and help I can get to better my craft”, she said.  Despite the amount of Jazz she is learning, she will never part ways with Gospel.  “My calling is the ministry.  So yes, my sound is Gospel according to Jazz”, she added.  She recalls doing a live performance of “God bless the child” (the first standard she heard) with German musician and composer Patrick Bebelaar while studying at Music Academy of Gauteng.

At UKZN, she is always excited to find herself in the same class with people who started playing an instrument and singing at a very young age.  “It takes one to understand, be patient with themselves and put in the work”, she asserted.  Her closest friend at the Durban based campus is fellow vocalist Zibusiso Mathe, whose voice she describes as angelic.  They both know that what they are doing at present which determines what the future has in store for their careers.  Through her music, Sindiswa wants to tell a story that everyone will find a reason to listen to.

She loves outdoor activities, working out and sports in general.  “I used to play netball in the past and now find it hard to make time for it.  Lately I’ve been watching a lot of football because of my brother’s influence.  He has convinced me to support Liverpool. I guess I will never walk alone.  I am looking forward to cycling by the coast every now and then”, she concluded.  Thandi Ntuli, Bokani Dyer, Bheki Mseleku, Titi Luzipo, Samara Joy, Jazzmeia Horn, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Dianne Reeves are her favourite musicians.