In 2018, Musa Manzini garnered media attention after he underwent an awake craniotomy operation during which he played the guitar as the medical team removed a brain tumour.
By Staff Reporter
Musa Manzini, a renowned jazz artist and songwriter, who died on Monday, has been described as one of South Africa’s most exceptional jazz artists.
Manzini, who was born in Inanda, Durban, passed away due to a seizure at the Helen Joseph Hospital in Johannesburg.
In 2006, he was hospitalised following the discovery of a malignant brain tumour. Following the first surgical procedure, Manzini underwent five additional craniotomies, three of which were performed to extract the recurring tumour, while the remaining two were conducted to address hydrocephalus, a condition characterised by the accumulation of fluid in the brain. According to doctors, epilepsy and seizures are frequent side effects after craniotomy.
Manzini plays the guitar through brain surgery
In 2018, at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital in Durban, a heart monitor beeped softly in the background as a team of neurosurgeons performed an “awake” craniotomy on Musa Manzini.
An “awake” craniotomy is a type of surgery that requires the patient to be conscious during the procedure so that the surgeons can monitor brain activity in order to avoid damaging any important areas.
During the six-hour operation, Manzini was kept conscious in order to maintain and recover his ability to move his fingers. As a result, he started playing his guitar slowly, choosing a series of notes and gradually progressing towards a melody, while the beeping of the monitors served as background music.
Shortly after the operation, a video of the surgery went viral.
Early life
In 1986, Manzini relocated from Durban to Cape Town to pursue his high school and university education. During his high school years, he began playing the guitar as a leisure activity, but soon developed a strong passion for it.
“I was faced with having to choose between music as a full-time career or becoming a lawyer which is the career my parents had carved for me. At one point, I thought I could be a lawyer who plays the bass,” Manzini once explained.
During his time at the University of Cape Town in 1995, he was bestowed with the Prof Peter Klatzow Award for his exceptional skills in composition and orchestration.
“It was a big challenge coming from the township and being introduced to classical music at tertiary level, having to analyse the music of Bach, Chopin, Mozart, Debussy, Schonberg and other European composers.”
Upon completion of his BMus degree, Musa assumed the role of a part-time lecturer at UCT, where he taught electric and acoustic basses, jazz theory, and improvisation to bridging course students for three years.
His musical journey
Concurrently, he pursued his passion for music by performing and recording as a session musician with renowned artists such as Rene’ MacLean, Jimmy Dludlu, Jonathan Butler, Gavin Minter, Nhlanhla Magagula, Kevin Gibson, Mark Goliath, Judith Sephuma, Winston Ngozi, Sipho Mabuse, Menyatso Mathole, Selaelo Selota, Joe McBride, UCT Jazz Orchestra, and several other notable musicians during that era.
In the year 2000, Manzini made his first musical release, New Reflections, under the label BMG Records Africa. His entry into the film and television industry was facilitated by Mfundi Vundla, who employed him as a studio musician to record series music.
Two years later, his second album, Tributes and Memories, was released by Gallo Jazz, garnering considerable recognition both nationally and internationally. Subsequently, My Bass and Simply Life were released in 2005 and 2006, respectively, by Sheer Sound, with the latter featuring the popular track, Esikhawini.
In 2009, The Best of Musa Manzini was released under Sheer Record, while Trust in Love was released under MME in 2012.
Gwabini,
Zungu,
Geda,
Ncwane, ngankomo yaseMahenyeni,
Nyama kayishi, isha ngababhebhezeli,
Wena owaphuma ngenoni emgodini,
Sengwayo!