Ayanda Mzaca is an esteemed music scholar, custodian of music, and founder of Saccharine Radio. His mother listened to a lot of Jazz while pregnant with him. He also recalls listening to the sounds of Jazz played by his mother at a young age. “From my earliest memories, I recall hearing music in the background and Jazz was always there”, he told Jazz It Out. It was only in high school that he planted his feet firmly on the ground of melody and made it his mission to find the best sounds and immerse himself with them.

The taxis he boarded when he was at high school played artists such as Hugh Masekela, Abdullah Ibrahim, Nduduzo Makhathini, Zim Ngqawana, Sibongile Khumalo, and many more. “I was fortunate to listen to artists like Bokani Dyer and Benjamin Jeptha in the early years of their career”, he said. As a young high school learner, he also listened to Deep House, Soulful House, RnB and Hip Hop. “At the time, I was into DukeSoul, Black Coffee, Citizen Deep, Vini Da Vinci, Brent Faiyaz, Daniel Caesar, Jordan Rakei, M3CCA, Jabs CPT, Teoriah, Oshun and many more”, he added.

By the time he got to varsity in 2017, he was knee deep in music, always looking for new gems. “I was spending more time in my archives than my schoolbooks. But it paid off because music became my fuel to study”, with a chuckle. He created a playlist of his favourite songs for his personal enjoyment. People took a liking to it and started sharing it with friends and family. Those individuals he got to interact with often asked him to reveal names of artists whose music he curated. By 2019, his playlist had stretched to over 1500 songs which surprised him upon discovery.

Ayanda Mzaca. Picture supplied

Ayanda began to scrutinize his playlist and realized that the songs, although related, had different tones. He decided to group the songs based on moods and feelings they evoked, creating playlists based on those moods. That process led to what is now five subgenres of Saccharine Radio in 2022. The first three subgenres are “ambedo”, “moledro” and “midding” and all these represent Hip Hop with Jazz influences with “ambedo” being the grammy version, “moledro” the contemporary Hip Hop and “midding” having the 90s Hip Hop influence mixed with some Jazz. The fourth and fifth subgenres are “chrysalism” and “xeno” which represent the main Jazz volumes and contemporary RnB with some Jazz influences respectively.

One thing he never anticipated was how well received Saccharine would be. “I never intended on it being what it is right now”, he said. Initially, sharing the music always served as a form of release for him. When people took a liking to it, it dawned on him that maybe his purpose was to share and spread the genre of Jazz as a custodian. Through all the collaborations he has done and people he worked with, he always felt the timing was perfect. The name Saccharine came from a song by M3CCA titled “Saccharine” from her debut album “Fruittape”. It was one of the first songs he fell in love with during transition from high school to varsity.

He confesses his love for storytelling and believes music plays an important role in narrating such stories. “I try my best to tell these stories through my curation”, he said. These subgenres gave birth to the playlist listeners of Saccharine Radio hear today through “Avant Garden” with Siphosethu, “Subdued Grime” with Linden, “Lonely Are the Brave” with Fikile, “Saccharine Tapes” with Boity and “Jazz Volume” with Nomonde. “Since those early days of our formation, we have released 60 playlists across all subgenres with over 1000 songs”, reflecting on the journey he has travelled.

Saccharine Radio

The team always work hard in meticulously compiling songs for their audience. In addition to sharing their playlists, they have organized events where they hold listening sessions in a relaxed atmosphere. “We had the first ever Saccharine Radio event in March 2024 at Mamakashaka in Johannesburg. The next two events were held at Hue Café, Durban in October and December 2024”, he said. They are working on hosting more similar events throughout the country. In the long run, they want to grow an audience of appreciators with a good taste in music. He undoubtedly has an ear for sound.

In some circles, Jazz is often perceived as a genre that appeals exclusively to old people. “I think we can help demystify this myth. There are so many young listeners that have an ear for Jazz. Platforms such as Saccharine Radio can really push the genre to more young listeners”, he explained. Great music is often best enjoyed when a group of likeminded individuals show its appreciation through social media platforms, streaming and sessions where it is played for the sole purpose of sharing.

Ayanda’s favourite musicians include Sibusiso Mash Mashiloane, Thandi Ntuli, Siyabonga Mthembu, Kujenga, Spha Mdlalose, Gabi Motuba, Mpumi Dhlamini, Sisonke Xonti, Andile Yenana, Tumi Mogorosi, Siya Makuzeni, Equal Spirits, Robert Glasper, Immanuel Wilkins, Alfa Mist, Marquis Hill, Meshell Ndegeocello, Shabaka Hutchings, Zara McFarlane, Ancient Infinity Orchestra, and Matthew Halsall. His hobbies are attending Jazz shows, theatre, rugby and soccer matches, listening to music and visiting art galleries. Saccharine Radio is available through linktr.ee/apple, Apple Music and Spotify. Follow him @ayandamzaca on Instagram and X. Follow Saccharine Radio @officialsaccharine on Instagram.