Asanda Msaki Mvana, the angel-voiced songstress

The first time I heard Asanda sing, I was blown away. I was immediately transported back to my younger days when I would listen to the soulful melodies of Joan Armatrading and Tracy Chapman. I hadn’t heard such deep, beautiful vocals for many years, but there in front of me, with nothing but a guitar, was a woman who stirred something way down deep inside of me and one who, in my opinion, would have been quite at home playing to a packed-out crowd at the FNB Stadium. After her performance I went and introduced myself, to tell her just how much I had enjoyed her show and was immediately drawn to her calming presence and moreover, her modesty.

East London born Asanda Msaki Mvana (nee Lusaseni) is an independent singer/songwriter who is no stranger to the music scene, having been performing for many years around the country, focusing on it fully after a stint in both Law and Art.

For somebody who has never had any formal vocal coaching, Asanda nails it naturally with the voice of an angel, a sound that is as soothing as a balm. Her lyrics speak of life, of hope – the title track from her EP ‘Nal’ithemba’ (which translates to ‘Harbouring Hope’) affirm the faith she possesses:

Dawn is breaking the sleep of the ones that are harbouring hope

Nal’ithemba

Nalo, naliya

Dear Wind, carry me now, beyond the limits of fear

This hope anchors my soul

The sea has spoken I believe

I’m alive in the promise made for the deep of the sea

Asanda’s business and creative movement, ‘One ShuShu Day’ is “a dreamer’s statement of hope” and has played a vital role for her for many years. As well as being a registered business and acting as the record label for her recently released ‘Nal’ithemba’, One ShuShu Day is also an online presence. Via her Facebook page, Asanda has formed a group which has a sense of community, people who follow and support her work and with whom she retains regular contact. It also acts as a multi-arts space where others can go to be inspired – Asanda believes that kids in particular need to be inspired from a young age.

With both parents being teachers, it would seem almost natural that one would follow suit but Asanda’s passions as a child primarily involved Sports, particularly Tennis and Hockey. Throughout her schooling however, she discovered that a passion for Arts was developing and she began drawing and writing, keeping sketchbooks of her work. She struck up a friendship with her English teacher in Cathcart who would sneak her great novels and poetry. Ever creative, she then became very involved with her school, painting backdrops for plays and designing Matric Farewell gowns.

When Asanda went to Varsity she studied Law but it was short-lived as she realised it wasn’t what she wanted.  Having no formal training she did not know what she wanted to do.  Her interest and confidence in Visual Arts grew however and soon she put together a portfolio and began studying VA at NMMU in Port Elizabeth. Not happy with her choice, Asanda returned home to East London and got a job as a Graphic Designer.  She enrolled into College and finished off an Art and Design course and completed a Darkroom Photography Introductory course. Asanda flourished at College and quit her graphic design job, concentrating on her studies full-time. It was at this point that her parents accepted her dream and her father offered to fund a Fine Art Degree at Rhodes, which included a compulsory one year’s placement in Leeds in the UK, a wonderful period for Asanda.

Throughout all of Asanda’s studies however, there was the undeniable fact that she had a God-given talent for songwriting and performing. As somebody who has always been fascinated with song and hearing voices combine in harmony, Asanda says that it has always been a natural thing to make music with whichever group of friends she was around at the time and that her friendships always evolved into bands. She has been involved in a wide variety of different bands and projects: in 2005, Asanda sang for a brass-heavy jazz band in Port Elizabeth; in 2008 she was involved in The Patience, an East London-based alternative rock group; the same year she did some work with an electro-experimental band Johnny Cradle in Cape Town; in 2009 she was in a guitar and vocal duo, Kate and I, in Grahamstown; during her spell in Leeds in 2011 she was one half of a cover duo called Friend of a Friend; while in the UK she also played with multi-instrumentalist Richard Omrod covering mainly South African Jazz songs and then in 2011 in Grahamstown she formed the band named after her business, One ShuShu Day, where she wrote and performed all her own songs.

In 2012, Asanda was selected from hundreds of applicants to attend a music school in North Carolina in the USA and, through enormous support and encouragement, raised the much-needed funds required through a special fundraising show. At the 18 Inch Journey Music School, Asanda met creative people from all over the world and spent a wonderful two months teaching and learning from others and most importantly, sharing views and being part of an extraordinary musical community.

Back on South African soil, Asanda set about putting together a collection of some of the songs she had written and, after a corporate gig at the IDC in East London and a chance meeting, she was offered a grant from the Corporate Social Responsibility Budget, one which funded ‘Nali’themba’, Asanda’s 2013 released EP. Asanda showcased her EP with a launch at The Guild Theatre in October and the response was overwhelming. Asanda says of the release:

“I chose to release an EP because I thought it was a good way for me to learn about my audience, my music and the financial implications of releasing music. I also wanted it to serve as an introduction to who Msaki is and the music that I make. A lot of my favourite musicians started out by releasing EP’s and that has worked well. It’s like a writing passage, a test to see how I would do, should I release an album.”

The launch at The Guild Theatre, Msaki and Friends, referred to the range of people Asanda was working with, including senior lecturers from the Fort Hare Music School. Asanda believes in sharing the stage and creating a platform for other talents, evident with two other opening acts on the night of the launch.

Asanda has featured on many radio stations prior to and since the release of her EP, including Wild Coast FM, Power FM, East Coast Radio and a TV appearance on eTV’s Sunrise show last September. Her EP is selling rapidly with tours around the Transkei getting her name out there and showcasing her enormous talent. Asanda has been invited to play at The Rose Theatre in Hogsback and another tour is already being finalised which she hopes will include Grahamstown, Port Elizabeth, Jeffrey’s Bay and Plettenberg Bay. She has also applied to perform at this year’s Grahamstown Festival which, she says, has a music scene like no other. Asanda believes that validation from home is very important and says that she is committed to performing as much as possible in the Eastern Cape.

“There is a terrible misconception that as a performing artist you should be performing in Johannesburg to be validated, but for me, performing at home is really important right now.”

Asanda is currently busy with her debut album, set for release in August.  She will be recording with “musicians that I respect, in a way that honours their artistry and gives us all a safe space to create.” Featuring eleven or twelve tracks, it is guaranteed to be another beautiful offering from this amazing songstress.

Exciting times for an incredibly talented lady who deserves to have her name and music recognised worldwide. We hope that “one shushu day” (one bright and hot day), this will happen…

If you are interested in purchasing Asanda’s ‘Nal’ithemba’ EP, you can do so via Music Mix, Eastern Cape Visual Arts Centre or by emailing One ShuShu Day. Order your copy today, I promise it will be a purchase that you won’t regret…