Andile Yenana

Andile Yenana is a jazz pianist born in King Williams Town, Eastern Cape. He went to St Francis College in Marianne Hill KZN and Zingisa Seminary in Mthatha. His tertiary education commenced at Fort Hare University and the University of Natal from where he graduated in 1995 with Bachelors of Music (Jazz Studies).

Andile Yenana worked as a session musician, producer and composer of his own music, culminating in two studio recordings from Sheer Sounds. First album also garnered five nominations for SAMA 2006. He also won best producer for Best Traditional Jazz Album “ Abantwana be Africa:” by Winston Mankunku Ngozi. The Best South African Music Album by Suthukazi Arosi “Ubuntu”. Andile scored music for documentary movie called Shouting Silent by Xoliswa Sithole and was a Standard Bank Young Artist Award Winner for Jazz 2005. He premiered his work at the Grahamstown Arts Festival that year.

He was involved in teaching basic improvisation as part of the jazz curriculum offered to students at the Youth Jazz Festival Grahamstown (Makhanda). Andile was part of a band, Voice, comprising of Herbie Tsoaeli; Marcus Wyatt; Sidney Mnisi; Lulu Gontsana and later Morabo Morejele. These are some of the most influencial jazz musicians who helped create the beginnings of the modern South African Jazz sound we hear today. The band Voice has two studio recordings and has undertaken numerous tours both locally and abroad.