Billy Monama

Billy Monama is a versatile musician from South Africa who is renowned for his skills as a guitarist, composer, bandleader, author, arranger, producer, and educator. He founded The Grazroots Project and is known for his South African Jazz music, though he transcends musical styles, to label him a jazz musician would be to limit his world. He discovered his love for music through the guitar in 1997 and to date he still strumming.

A sought-after guitarist, Monama has worked with artists including Themba Mkhize, Abdullah Ibrahim, Andile Yenana, Sibongile Khumalo, Victor Ntoni, Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse, Mbongeni Ngema, Dorothy Masuku, Abigail Kubeka, collaborative performance with Dave Koz, Denise Jannah and many others. As a bandleader and recording artist, Monama has performed at the prestigious festivals and conducted masterclasses and workshop at most of all the music institution in South Africa.

In 2016, Billy and Andy Innes released their album Brothers, a collection of original pieces written and arranged for the acoustic guitar in traditional styles. In October 2017, Monama released his debut album Rebounce. In 2020, released tutorial videos Introduction to South African Guitar Styles Vol.1 consisting demonstration of guitar styles of playing from Maskanda, Mbaqanga, Kwela, African Jazz and xiTsonga.

In 2022, Monama published his first tutorial book tutorial book – Introduction to South African Guitar Styles Vol.1 – “Five Decades of Ukuvamba” (1930s – 1980s).

The University of Southern California, Los Angeles and Northern Texas presented Monama with the Distinguished Lecture certificate for contributing knowledge, wisdom, and exemplary teaching to the 2022 International Collegiate Guitar Ensemble Festival.

In 2022, Monama curated and produced first South African Music Education Colloquium that seeks to advance the curriculum in schools, “Let our curriculum sing the African Song”. He presented a case study of the economic landscape of South African music in the cultural and creative industry at the South African Cultural Observatory 4th International Conference.
For more read, www.billymonama.co.za