Sifiso Magaye

BIO

PROFILE OF SIFISO “MNUMZANE” MAGAYE

Sifiso “Mnumzane” Magaye is a Jazz, Soul and Afrojazz who hail from the South Coast of KwaZulu
Natal, Izingolweni. He fell in love with music at a very young age when he was still a primary school learner in a Roman Catholic boarding school. There, he started performing as a solo act on the school’s Friday evening concerts. He writing his music for these performances and was coined a
humorous performer of the school because of his endearing lyrics. He was later recruited to join the school/ church choir which was such an accomplishment since the school and the church choir were made up of learners from secondary phase as the school was a combined school starting from Grade 4 to Grade 12. He joined several groups singing both as a leadas well as a backing vocalist. It was in 2008 when he was recruited to join the professional ranks of the music industry doing backing vocals for budding Durban based jazz singers. This introduced him to both the Bat Centre and Ukusa (UKZN music outreach), where he then enrolled to study Jazz voice, Music theory, Music
composition and music business. Jazz struck and went right under his skin. He has been likened to
the great jazz vocalist, Kurt Elling, in the way he delivers the songs on stage. One could undoubtedly
feel a theatre background in the way he tells stories through song. Behind him, stands a very skillful team of instrument players that complement his singing in a harmonious way.

The band is as follows:
 Pianist and Music Director - Sibonelo Nxumalo
 Second Keys player - Siphesihle Nene
 Lead Guitarist - Cebo Ngema
 Bass Guitarist - Blessing Thwala
 Drummer - Senzo Ngcobo

To tailor make his performances, he does enlist the services of other musicians required by the
needs of that specific performance.

Events and Venues performed in:

The Durban ICC
 Wild Coast Sun Casino in Port Edward
 Durban International Blues Festival
 Durban International Convention Centre
 Artist’s Lives Matter Concert
 PLC Beach Festival
 Poetry Meets Jazz
 Hlengimpilo School Awards in Ballito
 Durban City Hall
 The Playhouse Company
 The Bat Centre
 The Wahooz restaurant at the Durban South Beach
 Zacks restaurant on Blues Tuesday nights
 Café La Plage – as a resident singer for a year
 Azar Restaurant
 Protea Hotel by Marriott Karridene Beach

Sifiso ‘Mnumzane’ is a versatile performer who has done acting and contemporary dancing; he
brings these elements into his performance all the time which makes his performances engaging for
the audiences.

Sifiso Mnumzane Magaye is an Africa jazz vocalist based in Durban. He started his musical career as a backing vocalist for a number Durban based artist from different genre's. This exposure can be traced vividly in his singing as he weaves himself seamlessly through styles.

Even though he is now an independent solo artist, he still a lot of vocal sessions in and as well out of studio. He has kept his door wide open for collaborations which he regards as a crucial endeavor to the growth of an artist and to broadening one's horizon.