It’s all good and well to be able to sing, act or draw, but to be certified as a master in a specific field is no small feat.
That is what musical maestro Mandisi Dyantyis has been able to achieve with his Master’s degree in music, and he could not be happier.
He speaks to Drum about his graduation from the University of Cape Town and he says the qualification is not just a piece of paper.
“I cannot emphasize the importance of education enough. First and foremost, for us black people, education is power. There is power in studying. We cannot be happy just with one thing, you must always be willing to learn, and you will see the fruits of your labour.
“I am very proud of my achievement. What education does for you is that it also gives you language and the ability to articulate what God has blessed you with naturally. You cannot just tell a pianist to play du du du du, and be unable to articulate what key you want it in. In IsiXhosa we say ilifa lezidenge lityiwa ngaba hlakaniphileyo, loosely translated to mean that you may have the gift, but if you do not work at it, others will benefit from it more than you do."
In a country that is often dominated by one sound at time, Mandisi says artists should not find themselves under pressure to conform.
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“Right now, the vibe is piano, but that does not mean we should be trying to force things. Let the piano people to do piano and you must stick to your own sound.
“Another thing that is hot right now is AI and it is good, but it can never be original. AI can only make music ‘in the style of’ and personally, as someone who is passionate about music and my craft, I would like to be the ‘of’ part of the equation. All of these things are just templates, and cannot be compared the natural, God-given creativity that humans have. Hence people who create are few and far between.”
For Mandisi, music is more than a few notes pulled together.
“Music is a good photo. It is an audio representation of a time. Those who lived in that time may be nostalgic about it and those who didn’t, can appreciate it.”
He goes on to reference the melody of any Sophiatown related from the 80s or 90s.
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“For black people who lived through that time, such songs will take them to that place and their memories will come flooding back. Then for young people who have only watched movies and read books about the time, they will get an appreciation of what was the sound of that time.
“I have always said I do not just want to conform to rearranging songs. I also want to contribute to the culture.”
And now he is experiencing his contribution to the culture in real time, as people relate to his music and they use it as the soundtrack to their lives.
“It’s wild for me. For people to be referencing my music in their daily lives feels like something I cannot begin to describe.
If he could speak to his younger self, a little boy living in a modest Gqeberha house, often sleeping on the floor in the lounge or kitchen and sharing the house with multiple relatives, Mandisi says he would validate him.
“Not just the younger version of me. I would like to speak to other kids that look like me and have similar experiences. I’d say the dream you see is it. Do not doubt it. There are a lot of things that you cannot control, but control what your can and go for those dreams. Your dreams are valid.”
