Bonelela Mavuso

Bonelela Mavuso is a jazz pianist and composer who searches for an honest expression in music. With harmonic curiosity and critical awareness, he develops musical narratives that unfold as a result of both deliberate searching and chance discovery.

He was born in the Kingdom of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), in a town called Manzini. Born into a pastoral family his first contact with music was through the church, particularly hymns (emahubo). He started playing the piano from the age of 6 and throughout his upbringing he played primarily in church (as per his dues as a son of a minister) and performing at various school events with his friends who were also passionate about music. In 2016, he went to Central Johannesburg College to study jazz performance but later transferred to Rhodes University and obtained his Bachelor of Music (Cum Laude) in 2021. He currently holds a Masters in jazz performance and composition - a short-composition portfolio that was based on the rhythmic and musical elements derived from various types of dances from and looked to include indigenous knowledge and performance practice into the compositions (Rhodes University).

Throughout his academic career he has been involved in several projects covering multiple musical genres such as Jazz, Gospel, Maskandi, Afro Pop and Choral music. This includes Masicule, a mass choir annual concert that is made up of different schools in Makhanda. This is where he earned the opportunity to work with the late Sibongile Khumalo (2018), Vusi Mahlasela (2019), Nomfundo Xaluva (2020), Sibongile Mngoma (2022), Dumza Maswana (2023) and Zoë Modiga (2024). The Prophet & The Carpenter Concert series in 2018 and 2019 which provided him with the opportunity to play for renowned Gospel artists such as Mabongi Mabaso, Sicelo Moya and Praise Smo. In 2018 he also played with legendary Maskandi artist Nkunz’ Emdaka. In 2019 he was one of the accompanists for the Rhodes Drama Department Play: Pitso ea Linonyana. In the same year he was also the accompanist for the Trinity Tenors (Sibusiso Mkhize & Sisa Nomana) at the National Arts Festival in Makhanda. In 2022's National Arts Festival, he performed with Makhanda’s very own Nombasa Maqoko, a production which won a bronze Standard Bank Ovation award in the Fringe program. In 2023, he also performed with Nombasa Maqoko and Asakhe Cuntsulana’s production ‘Eh Letha’.

In addition to his summarised musical career and studies, he was also a Music Teacher at Access Music Project for 2 years (2019-2020), a music academy in Joza, a township in Makhanda/Grahamstown. This is where he got to teach and mentor young aspiring musicians with the dream to pursue music professionally. Since 2021, he’s been tutoring and lecturing at Rhodes University. He’s currently a lecturer in Jazz Studies at the University of Fort Hare.