Legendary jazz musician Musa Manzini will be laid to rest next to his mother in his home town of Richards Bay, north coast of KwaZulu Natal (KZN) tomorrow. This was announced by his family after reports suggested that Manzini's ex-wife Shaheeda Manzini and her son Yusuf Manzini were planning to file an urgent court interdict to have him buried in Cape Town as a Muslim. Manzini passed away on Monday morning at Helen Joseph Hospital in Johannesburg, after suffering a fatal seizure. "It is with a heavy heart that we announce the death of celebrated jazz musician Musa Manzini," a statement from the family read.
MUSLIM BURIAL
It's reported that Manzini's ex-wife and son did not want him buried in KZN on the grounds that they have a letter about the request he made for him to be buried in an Islamic way. ZiMoja has seen an extract of a letter that is alleged to have been signed by Manzini where he stated that he wished to be given an Islamic burial. "It is my will that upon my death that I will be buried in an Islamic burial. It is my specific wish that any of my family members who may direct that I be buried in the Christian manner be overruled," the letter reads. The letter was signed in Randburg on November 24, 2011, in front of witnesses Sindiso Ndebele and Anthea Joan Denton. Some of the people that are said to be in favour of the motion to bury Manzini in Cape Town are his son Yusuf, daughter Fatima and his aunts Ridwan and Pat, his older sister Ntombi, nephew Muzi and niece Zintle. Shaheeda also mentioned through her Facebook page that Manzini's sister Thembisile and cousin Floyd Malinga are adamant he should be buried according to Christian rights. A family member who did want to give ZiMoja his name said: "You know what, I have said so much about this and we would like to mourn in peace. We are no longer commenting on those allegations."
EXCEPTIONAL SKILLS
Manzini was known for his exceptional skill as a bass player. In 1985, his father who was living in Cape Town,decided to take him to the city for high school and university studies.
It was in his high school days that he first picked up the guitar just as a hobby, but he was hooked on it ever since. In 1995, while at the University of Cape Town, he received the Professor Peter Klatzow Award for composition and orchestration. "After graduating with a BMus degree, Musa spent three years as a part-time lecturer at UCT instructing electric and acoustic basses, jazz theory and improvisation to bridge course students. At the same time he performed and recorded as a session musician around the country with many musicians. He performed and recorded many songs with artists such as Rene MacLean, Winston "Mankunku" Ngozi, Vusi Khumalo, Jimmy Dludlu, Jonathan Butler, Gavin Minter, Nhlanhla Magagula, Kevin Gibson, Mark Goliath, Judith Sephuma, Sipho Mabuse, Elvin Dyers, Menyatso Mathole, Selaelo Selota, Joe McBride, UCT Jazz Orchestra and many other musicians popular during Jazz artists.
PLAYING THE GUITAR THROUGH BRAIN SURGERY
Manzini made headlines in 2018 after he underwent an awake craniotomy, where he played his guitar while the surgeons removed the tumour. Manzini was first hospitalised with a malignant brain tumour in 2006. "Subsequent to the surgery, he had five more craniotomies... epilepsy and seizures are common complications of craniotomy," the family statement reads.
