Amanda Mankayi bounces back
Afro-pop/soul star Amanda Mankayi is back in the game. Mankayi returns to the industry after a break due to personal turmoil, including losing both her parents.
Now based in East London, the singer and composer has dropped a single, Ndawo Yam.
The mother of two is pleased to be back, saying it has been a long journey of healing.
Mankayi, 35, who is carving her own niche sound, debuted in 2016, a year after her brother, Nathi Mankayi, took SA by storm with Buyelekhaya.
She said her new single, Ndawo Yam, was inspired by her recent growth period.
“From 2019 to December 2021 was a difficult time. There was a lot that happened in a short time. I was not gigging and things were hard; I even lost my parents.
“The song is about my pain and what I have been through in the past three years.
“I lost my dad and while he was being buried in Joburg, my mother
died. I still remember that I was going home and on my way I was speaking to her. When I got home I was shocked that my mother had just passed on. I never got to speak to her again. Her death was sudden because she was not sick.
“The healing part has been difficult. I have realised it is a journey. You can never finish mourning. Some days are better than others.
“It is not easy to forget people who were part of your life.” Mankayi defined her style as Afro-pop/soul fused with different styles, including gospel.
“The music on my single was arranged and produced by Fundile Dlamini and Tsepo Moloi. The vocal arrangements were done by me.” The songbird’s everyday life is infused with sound. “Normally, I write songs almost every day, and I am inspired by different situations depending on the mood.
“My songs reflect what is happening to me and around me at a certain time.
“Many people know I have been doing music for the longest time. I started doing music before Nathi started.
“Music lovers have welcomed me with open arms.
“I’m lucky to have never received negative comments or be compared with Nathi.
“Even my single received a positive response from music lovers who are streaming it.
“The single is a buildup to my full album, which will drop before the end of the year.
“For the album, I will feature other artists, including Amanda Black, Nomfundo Moh and Vusi Nova.
She said she and her brother received their musical genes from both the maternal and paternal sides of the family.
“When it comes to composing and singing, my grandmother was a great composer.
“When we were young, we used to listen to her singing new songs that we had never heard before.
“My father played in a band in Maclear, Eastern Cape.” This is where she grew up. “In Maclear I was an active child who played sport and sang in choirs.