Deep voice strikes a chord
Maswana’s Sama nomination proves that baritone can hold its own in popular music
Dumza Maswana is an elegant and classy baritone singer set for a dazzling career.
The musician from Peddie in the Eastern Cape went to bed last Thursday night a happy man after he was announced as a SA Music Awards (Sama) nominee for his latest album Molo. The gesture has finally shone some light on his amazing talent.
“I wasn’t expecting it. There’s a lot of great music coming out of South Africa every day. However, I did think that people would react positively to my project.
“It felt like heaven to get a nomination. I froze for a good 15 minutes,” he says.
Maswana goes up against Nathi Mankayi, Kelly Khumalo, Soul Kulture and Nozipho in the Best African Adult Album category.
“I’m nominated with great artists. What I’m taking is the recognition after putting in a lot of work. My album is a reflection of how I think musically and this nomination validates my attitude that I’m on the right track,” he says.
“Baritone is not that commercial, but I don’t have another voice. It would be awesome to win. Everyone nominated there is equally deserving.”
Molo has exquisite jazz undertones. Maswana left home for Johannesburg in 2006. He got to the city and had to get by on the goodwill of others.
He also had his fair share of exploitation when he was grossly underpaid – earning as little as R300 a show, all because he wanted to sing.
He looks back and says the city was his university of life. Then came the issue of identity. Music has always dictated that the higher notes you hit, the better singer you are. What chance did he stand with his booming bass?
It’s all thanks to the Victor Ntoni repertoire that Maswana settled in his voice and made it work for him.
He says the turning point was when he was part of the Victor Ntoni tribute show where he had to dig deep, excuse the pun, for his voice. “I was blessed to do the Victor Ntoni tribute in 2014 that toured the State Theatre, Market Theatre, Playhouse and Port Elizabeth. I finally got the confidence to pursue my voice and I learned to use it because we have the same range.” He is a different man since the 2009 release of Iphupho Lam. He even says that Molo feels like his debut album.
“In the first album I was not totally Dumza. I was just excited about recording and being heard. I didn’t have a lot to say or an identity, it was not totally me.
“I had to sit down and find my own voice. It was not fashionable to be a baritone; it’s like you can’t sing if you can’t hit those high notes.
“Listening to Isaac Hayes, Barry White, Victor Ntoni helped me find my voice,” he says.
In came Luyanda Madope, who took care of the first two songs, Molo and Nomthandazo, which then set the tone for the album. Other producers were Thembinkosi Banda, Gabriel Stuurman and Sama nominee Nduduzo Makhathini.
He says being in the studio with his dream team was awesome. He had also spent time creating relationships with them over time so that everything could grow organically and not feel forced.
Now with the Sama nomination in the bag, Maswana hopes music lovers would be more curious about him and his music.
mofokengl@sowetan.co.za