Gqeberha, Eastern Cape – April 15th 2023, The Boardwalk ICC hosted Umngqungqo performance by Dumza Maswana and his friends, which was nothing short of a spectacular success, drawing in a vibrant and lively audience. Dumza Maswana shared that the dream for this event was indirectly planted in his mind by the words of Zodwa Nqinana when he was just nine years old, and he referred to it as a prophet that had finally come to life. This serves as a reminder of the power of speaking positive words and the impact it can have on a person's life.
Maswana kicked off the event with the Cowan High School choir, led by Miss Mavuso, as they set the tone with the beautiful story of Mambanjwa. The performance was enhanced with the addition of Thandeka Mpinyongo, an uhadi player, who joined Maswana later in his set. As a great storyteller, Maswana gave context to each song he performed to ensure the audience fully understood each song and its background. It was impressive to see how Maswana was able to cater to all his audience, as he not only sang in isiXhosa but also provided context in English about each song and engaged with the crowd in English as the audience included Sotho, Zulu and English fans.
The performance was made even more magical with the collaboration of Cowan High School as backup vocalists, and Nathi Mankayi, a remarkable Xhosa musician and friend of Maswana, who shared his talent with the audience. Maswana's 20-piece orchestra included a talented brass team, strings, drums, and bass, and the popular songs he performed such as Molo, Emihle and Ndineendaba had the audience singing, clapping, and nodding along.
As the evening drew to a close, Zain SA was given the opportunity to showcase his amazing talent. He wowed the crowd with his song Umoya, which carries a strong message about overcoming hate to reach one's dreams. His set also included the song INA IYEZA, a song which Maswana referred to as an eye-opener that revealed to him Zain's incredible musicianship.
Dumza Maswana, who has a radio show called Uncuthu Lomculo WeJazz on a national radio station called Umhlobo Wenene, is truly a master of his craft. He not only performed an unforgettable concert but also served as a reminder of the power of positive words and the importance of dreaming big. Maswana's Umngqungqo performance was a testament to the magic that can happen when one puts their mind to achieving their dreams.