Jazz it out

Tembisa born and Alexandra raised trumpeter Mbuso Shongwe has a lot of passion for music. He can also play cornet and keys. The 24 year old is very dedicated, hardworking, looking for opportunities and growth in everything he does. “I enjoy listening to music, reading books, learning new things, gardening and travelling”, he told Jazz It Out.

His parents used to play music when they took him to school. “My mom and dad love listening to music. My mom used to sing in a school choir and my late grandfather played the guitar”, going down memory lane. He must have been 6 years old when he witnessed his grandfather play the strings. Even when just walking down the street, he would always be singing which increased his love for music.

Trumpeter Mbuso Shongwe. Picture by AO Photography

When Mbuso was at Grade 4, he began attending South African Music Education Music Trust (SAMET) classes at MC Weiler Primary School. He learnt the basics of reading music, growing his love even further. “SAMET made a huge contribution and nurtured my talent to what it is today”, he said. Even though he participated in some sporting codes, there’s no single one where he excelled. He still laughs when recalling an incident where he scored an own goal playing for the school’s soccer team which was coached by his uncle.

At SAMET, he attended recorder, marimba and trumpet lessons. While enjoying the trumpet, he began appreciating the saxophone as well. Initially, he found the trumpet a hard instrument to play. “I really loved the sound of the tenor saxophone. It’s very dark, warm and very present”, he said. His attempt to join the saxophone class did not succeed as it was full and was left with no choice but to continue playing trumpet. Unfortunately, SAMET was shut down after two years but this did not discourage the young and ambitious learner from continuing his pursuit to become a musician.

In 2015, he joined the Moses Molelekwa Arts Foundation which was founded by Jerry “Monk” Molelekwa, a man he has a lot of admiration for. “He was a great mentor and really contributed a lot to my playing. He did not only teach us about music, but also taught us about life in general and to be closer to God”, he remembers. When he began his lessons at the Arts Foundation, his favourite musicians included Nduduzo Makhathini, Marcus Wyatt, Tutu Puoane, Clifford Brown, Freddie Hubbard, Christian Scott, Sisonke Xonti, John Coltrane and Benjamin Jephta.

Waiting to see what lies ahead with his career. Picture by The Modern African

Mbuso reconnected with his childhood friend and saxophonist Ofentse Sebola at the Arts Foundation. Their friendship became much stronger. “He was the person I would talk to whenever I was not feeling well. Ofentse is now more than a friend, he is a brother who always help me find my way when I am lost”, he explained. The duo also went to study music at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). Mbuso is doing his final year of the National Diploma in Performing Arts at the Pretoria based institution.

He considers himself extremely fortunate to be lectured by trumpeter Ndabo Zulu and saxophonist Thami Mahlangu. “When I listen to Ndabo and how he expresses his music, I can hear that it is very deep and culturally strong. Thami’s playing is very soulful, he adds a lot of emotions to it. They both inspire me a lot”, expressing his appreciation for his mentors. He attributes the warm relationship between lecturers and students as one of the reasons TUT has produced very good musicians.

Mbuso once shared a room with Ofentse where the latter had a home studio equipment. While the saxophonist was away most weekends, the trumpeter would teach himself how to use Logic Pro and started recording his own ideas. The result of that experiment led to the recording and release of his single “Inevitable Feeling” where he worked with his friend Thato AKA Phonikz. “It happened one evening that I played these very good sounding chords on piano, and I loved how they made me feel. I then added a melody, harmony, sound effects and bass line to make it a complete song”, recalling that beautiful experience.

He was excited to be featured in “Is it Hope in his eyes”, a tune from Ofentse’s debut album “H.O.P.E” (Holding On to Positive Expectations). One of the things he finds strange is how some Jazz enthusiasts associate the genre as music played and recorded by old people. “Jazz is the basic foundation of all genres I believe. People who listen to House, Hip-Hop, RnB are listening to what was derived from Jazz”, he explained. For him, to understand and value Jazz is a precious gift he treasures.

Among his achievements is an opportunity he was accorded to play for the South African Youth Orchestra with Marcus Wyatt and Zoë Modiga in 2016. “I was filled with excitement and joy knowing I was playing with artists I listen to and get inspiration from”, he recalls with excitement. In 2017, he participated in the Makhanda Jazz Festival and got to be part of the Jazz ensemble tutored by Brian Thusi. In 2018, he did a live recording with RnB singer Ndivhuwo Elaine Mukheli and played with Tressor in a Hugh Masekela Festival held at The Market Theatre.

His future plans included exploring other genres and show his versatility through releasing at least two or three albums which are not strictly Jazz. “I also wish to teach young musicians about Jazz at an early age so that they get familiar with its sound and style”, he said. Mbuso enjoys reading about investing, business and history. “I love travelling and cars. Sometimes I often visit car dealerships to look at the latest models they have”, he said. His Facebook account is Mbuso Shingle. Follow him on Instagram @makwande.sa and X @Mbuso Shongwe14.