Trombonist, vocalist, composer, arranger, producer and voice over artist Siya Makuzeni is no stranger to the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz Festival. What is different about this year’s edition is that she will be leading her own ensemble, something Jazz enthusiasts will be excited to hear. Her big band will include Sphelelo Mazibuko, Dalisu Ndlazi, Bokani Dyer, Sydney Mavundla, Mthunzi Mvubu, Steven Sokuyeka and Robin Fassie to mention but a few.

She is one of the most sought after artists who excels in what she does. “I’m a very fundamental human at heart. I value life and humankind, the principles of our connection”, she told Jazz It Out. Siya is a homebody who prefers to be surrounded by fur animals, enjoys cooking, gardening, crafting or simply making music in the studio, then the jet-setting her life normally demands. She also likes to be outdoors connecting with nature doing hiking, visiting museums, theatres, landmarks, and spending time with her son Uko.

Her father had a massive vinyl collection that spanned from Rock and Pop elements: Midnight Oil, Queen, Rolling Stones, Dire Straits, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Grace Jones, Tears for Fears to more soulful and hereditary nuances: Earth, Wind & Fire, Barry White, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Anita Baker, Quincy Jones, Sankomota, Miriam Makeba, Bayete and Brenda Fassie. “My mother was an educator but only got into music once I was in university, garnering a Bachelor of Music and became a leading choir conductor at her school bringing consecutive trophies at regional choir competitions”, she said.

Trombonist and vocalist Siya Makuzeni. Picture supplied

Siya picked up the trombone in 1997 while attending Stirling High School in East London. She had been playing the recorder since primary school and carried it over to her high school ensemble. It was at her then teacher’s insistence that she auditioned for the school’s Jazz big band, a programme that is still up and running and to which she owes that fateful day of auditioning. “That is the day the trombone chose me. I fell in love with the instrument, its mechanism, tone and it helped me further shape and hone my compositional ear”, going down memory lane.

Through her participation in the school’s big band, she got to understand her role in the section holistically: horn arrangement, learning how to work as a unit within the big band, and unearthing the variant quips and influences from so many composers of Jazz, including South African Jazz composers. Throughout high school, Siya attended the National Youth Jazz Festival in Makhanda (then called Grahamstown), an annual programme aimed at allowing the country’s Jazz students to participate and audition for the festival’s topmost band selections – the National School’s Big Band, the National Youth Big Band, and ultimately the National Youth Jazz Band. She was consecutively selected for all three categories and also recorded with the National Youth Jazz Band in 2001.

Besides the Jazz she was exposed to at high school, she enjoyed different genres and had a myriad of choices. “I liked everything I heard from Aretha Franklin, Shirley Caesar, Tony Bennett, Whitney Houston, and Michael Jackson”, she said. But the musicians that stood out for her were Björk, Tori Amos, Nirvana, Green Day, and The Smashing Pumpkins. Her choices further stretched to Hip Hop heads like De La Soul, DMX, Wu-Tang Clan, The Roots, Onyx, Bahamadia, The Lady of Rage, Rah Digga, as well as RnB favourites like Zhané, SWV, Mary J. Blidge, Aaliyah, D’Angelo, Music Soulchild and Bilal.

In the first contest she participated in, she was a Jazz vocalist. Picture supplied

After matriculating, Siya went to study towards a B Music at Rhodes University, where she also took up Drama. A year later, she decided to transfer to a more specialized field and enrolled at the Pretoria Technikon (now Tshwane University of Technology) where she studied towards a B Music Jazz Degree. “It was a warm and supportive space among us students”, she recalls. Her close friends included Mzamo Bhengu, Monde Msutwana, Bucco Xaba, Tshepo Monareng, Nathi Maphumulo, Mnqobi Mdabe and Hannah Foster.

The curriculum she realized was designed to make her a truly professional musician. “It was robust enough to help hone one’s craft, particularly from the practical side, towards an advanced understanding of Jazz theory and language”, she said. Aside the Western pedagogical approach, however, they could have learnt a lot more about their own composers and performers in South African Jazz annals. “I think it certainly helped prepare me for my career, but I also attribute my professional experience under mentors such as Themba Mkhize, Zim Ngqawana, Khaya Mahlangu, Winston Mankunku Ngozi and Victor Ntoni to the cross-genre palette I have become as a musician today”, she added.

Music students are always fortunate to perform at gigs to get a practical experience of what they are studying towards. Siya performed with John Davies, Johnny Fourie, Kevin Davidson, and David Lilly who were her lecturers at the time in the institution’s Big Band. She also met Greg Georgiades and Ashish Joshi, who were members of Strings & Skins and featured occasionally with Tidal Waves around Pretoria, and Piet Botha, founder of Jack Hammer Band and was quickly a regular performer with the ensemble. Greg and McCoy Mrubata went on to form Vivid Africa, and have since become family. It was also at the time that she began applying for Jazz competitions, her most accomplished being the Old Mutual Jazz Encounters, where she secured the Regional Finalist (Gauteng) category for Jazz in 2002.

She believes both her instruments compliment each other. Picture supplied

Winning the Old Mutual Jazz Encounters Regional Finalist was quite rewarding for Siya. “It felt good to be recognized, particularly as a Jazz vocalist, for my talent not only as a composer but also a credible, skilled musician overall”, with fond memories. She performed her original compositions at the competition. The contest further fuelled her desire to work towards a real career as a Jazz musician in the industry. In those early years of her career, this creative travelled extensively attending and performing in Italy, which was quite an eye opener giving her a lot of motivation.

Whilst in Italy, Siya was invited by the African, Latin and Asian Film Awards to perform at the festival’s premiere. She was also involved in the Bologna Human Rights Festival, where there was a stage dedicated to South African performers. During during her composition residency at Fabrica in Treviso, 2005, she was invited to Switzerland where she met and performed with Cape Town’s Goema Captains, as well as Feya Faku, who was an artist in Residence at the University of Basel Music Department. She got involved in workshops, which covered everything from Jazz to Indigenous African Music.

When asked how she strikes a balance between the trombone and vocals, she said: “I believe my instruments compliment each other. At times a trombone inspired idea will influence vocal composition and vice versa. So, I’ve learnt to let both my instruments hold my space in my creative process. I don’t have a preference perspective as a result”. Being awarded the Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz in 2016 brought a lot of excitement for the artist. “I was extremely elated. The award allowed me to focus and work on my solo career and further hone my all-round skills. For that I am always grateful”, she said.

Doing the countdown to performance at the festival. Picture supplied

She attributes all her accomplishments in her successful career to years of hard work, sleepless nights touring, and her unwavering belief that as an artist ‘you are only as good as your last gig’. Siya also believes that leaning into her femininity has helped her to make it in this male dominated industry. “I’m a Mother Hen by nature, so my goal is to create a cohesive and supportive environment amongst my peers. I’ve found, unlike my earlier years years in the industry where my reaction was to mostly mirror the masculinity to fit in, this approach affords more communion, more respect and more focus on one’s talents than their gender”, she explained.

The workaholic has previously performed at the SBJOJ in 2016 for her Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz Award. However, this year will be more special as a bandleader. “I’m super excited. I’m looking forward to presenting my big band on such a platform. It’s a great way to share my body of work and present my skills as a composer and arranger with the audience”, already preparing for the event that takes places on Heritage Month in South Africa. She is happy to see more local names on the bill, and she thinks the festival is determined in showcasing diversity and creativity of South African Jazz.

Siya confessed that she does not have favourite musicians, but is truly inspired by Lionel Louke, Marcus Strickland, Esperanza Spalding, George Burton, Themba Mkhize, Afrika Mkhize, Herbie Tsoaeli, Mthunzi Mvubu, Yonela Mnana and ask the offerings from Sisonke Xonti. There is no doubt that those attending her performance will have memories that will linger for a longtime. She is on Instagram, Threads, X @siyamakuzeni and Siya Makuzeni on Facebook.