Fanaza Tsabedze

Fanaza Tsabeze is a Swaziland born artist whose love for music knows no bounds and is a self-taught guitarist. He sings Maskandi music; a music genre unique amongst the Swazi. His love for music began when he was a young boy herding his family’s cattle on the Nkomanzi Mountains. He has been in the music industry for more than a decade but his career took a backseat for more than four years when he was recruited by the Umbutfo Swaziland Defence Forces. He can be counted amongst local artists who have ensured that the country takes pride in its indigenous talent. When he launched his music career, his music drew many locals to like him as an artist whose music is authentically Swazi. His two tracks ‘Maskandi’ and ‘KaLobamba’ shot him to stardom.

Based at Phocweni Barracks, he took a long sabbatical; but he never put his music career on hold but instead, performed for his colleagues in the army. His maiden performance outside the country was when he performed during the Sauti Busara Festival in Zanzibar in 2006.

In July 2012, he collaborated with poet Msandi KaBaba Nxumalo on a music project.

With songs like ‘Lelive Labuya’ and ‘Madvodza ngiyaniyala’, he has built himself a trademark name that he is today, he has been at work writing and composing more songs. In 2014, he released his second album titled ‘Asibambaneni’.