Overcoming

Mandisa Mamba is a young Swati singer, songwriter and model who has given us amazing songs including, ''Love Fiend", "Party" and "Dont Let Me Go" to name a few. She recently perfomed at the MTN Bushfire Digital Festival and she was also part of the "Asibemunye" music video by a number of Eswatini artists during this pandemic. Mandisa was born in Mbabane, then moved to Durban a few years later with her mom. They lived there for a little while as her mom was South African. Mandisa came back to Eswatini after her mom unfortunately passed on and she lived with her dad and siblings. She has four siblings; two beautiful sisters and two handsome brothers. She grew up in Manzini, where she also did her primary education at Sydney Williams Primary School. The first three years of her high school education were at Mbuluzi High School, she then went on to do her grade 11 at WEM and grade 12 at metropolitan college in South Africa. She studied media and journalism at Wits University, then did Public Relations at Limkokwing University. 

Mandisa explains to me that she has always loved music, as a kid she would spend most her days in front of the mirror imitating her favorite artists, but also, back then she never really imagined she could do it; become a real musician like her idols. In 2011 while she was at Wits, someone asked her to join their band and she decided to try it out. Not much came of it though and looking back she now understands it never worked because she was deep in her shell at that time, afraid of being herself. About 3 years later when she was back in Eswatini, the same person reached out (after they had lost touch) and basically asked her to pick up singing again. She decided to do because at the time he reached out, she was on a conscious path to finding her purpose. He sent her a beat, she wrote her first song and never looked back. 

She says she likes to call him her angel because his purpose in her life was to push her into music. God worked through him in helping her find her purpose and place in this world. 

Mandisa continues to tell me how she really fell in love with music and mentions that she grew up in a household of musicians, and music runs in her veins. Her father used to tell her stories of how her first words were in the form of singing, he'd tell her that every morning, as a baby, she would wake up just before he left for work and sing a particular song for him. He influenced them all. Had he lived in a different time or different country (with a little less limitations) he would have allowed himself to be a musician, career wise, "I guess in short, my father is the reason I fell in love with music''. She says.

She goes on to tell me how difficult the lockdown has been for her. ''Its been difficult to be honest. I was sad and depressed for the first three months, I was scared, confused and in a rut''. She says she tried to keep sane by learning new skills, reading, and exercising. Thankfully, she was able to find her feet.

 

Mandisa has started a side small business of her own, in which she sells scented candles and face masks since we still need to keep safe during this pandemic. She says she had the idea to do candles a few days before the pandemic, it actually came to her while she was meditating. At first it came as something she could do for herself, then it quickly changed to a business idea. Having to be in lockdown was a blessing in disguise for her because it gave her the time to focus and learn how to make candles and do her research on the business of candles. Had she have been given this idea in a normal and pandemic free world, she would have not focused so much on it because she would have been too busy chasing her music career. 

The mask idea came about about a few weeks into the pandemic, when she realized that wearing masks might just become the new normal. She spoke to a few people about it but because she was depressed, scared and confused, she wasnt able to carry it through sooner. The good thing is she kept doing her research about it and now that she is emotionally balanced (glory to God), she has been able to bring it to life.

I asked Mandisa on her view to what Eswatini artists and the music industry as a whole can do to survive in these trying times as entertainment is still closed to date and no money is coming in and she simply mentioned that God gave us all so many talents, and this is the best time to figure out what else you are good at and run with it. Every time she thinks or talk about talents, her spirit moves towards the parable of talents, a bible story about the men that were given talents by their master. How the master was mad at the servant that buried his talents and pleased with the one that invested (in) them. She always imagine how unhappy God would be if she didn't bother to try and use the talents and gifts He entrusted her with. She knows that He gives us talents not just for our benefit but more so for those around us, because we are his vessels. So, if we don't try to find another way to serve and glorify God, then we are doing a disservice, not only to our selves but also to those that are meant to benefit from us. 

Mandisa tells me that she is excited to continue to grow as a musician. She is still working on how best to release her album. She doesn't know if it will happen anytime soon but she is choosing to trust the process of life and just go with the flow, allow things to happen in God's time. She is also excited about growing as a business woman, expanding in her candle and clothing businesses. She thinks that this pandemic has showed us all just how life can be so unpredictable, so even though she has plans, she is also now more open to whatever changes that may come. 

She concludes our chat and says that, not so long ago, she had a conversation with Velemseni, that inspired her to be more open to collaborations and not wait for "the right time", so now she is looking forward to working with a lot of artists here at home, some of them being; Velemseni, Yemaa, Zoe genesis, King Terry, Bholoja (just to name a few) and so many more. Eswatini is filled with amazing talent, which is ecxiting. 

 

Intagram: @mandisamamba_sd

Twitter: @MandisaMamba_sd

Facebook: Mandisa Mamba