BY PHUMZILE NDLOVU
MALKERNS – “It’s one of the best performances I have had this year.”
These words were echoed by local saxophonist Zwile Bhembe after sharing the stage with South African singer, rapper, and actor Sjava, born Jabulani Hadebe, on Saturday (August 3, 2024) at the sixth edition of the Standard Bank Luju Food and Lifestyle Festival.
Zwile made an appearance on stage at 10:55pm and played his saxophone while Sjava was singing the song titled ‘Lwavitha lasephela inkhandlela.’ He encouraged Zwile a few times to go on a high note and said, “Khuphuka lapho.” After their performances, Sjava said he received a Direct Message (DM) from the local saxophonist who asked to perform with him. He said that he was worried because they hadn’t practiced prior and shared that he was concerned if Zwile would deliver. “He said we were laughing in the car, wondering about the performance, and he did deliver. He is a man you can trust,” said Sjava.
When reached for comment, the local saxophonist shared with this publication that after the performance he was hoping for the best. He said, “I’m thrilled about how the performance turned out; it’s one of the best I’ve had this year. The experience taught me a lot, and I believe this could mark the beginning of a continued collaboration with Sjava, whether in recording or future performances. This experience also underscores the importance of expanding networking efforts for artists, as it can significantly enhance their careers,” shared Bhembe.
It is worth mentioning that Zwile also performed with Sisonke Kollektiv, a local group of 21 artists, on the first day of the festival on Friday and gave a thrilling performance.
The award-winning saxophonist has performed on many local and international stages; he also performed at His Majesty III Garden party in April, which was held at Lozitha Mandvulo Hall. He has performed for corporate events and has his own one-man show, which was also a success.
Bhembe, who was born in Manzini, is a teacher by profession and has shared that he enjoys working with the youth.
