A rock, a humble person, a straight talker, a mother and a friend, are just some of the words used to describe the late jazz singer Sylvia Mdunyelwa.
The 75-year-old jazz icon from Langa died in hospital on Friday 25 August after a short illness. Born Sylvia Ncediwe Mdunyelwa in Langa in 1948, she began her music journey in the 1970s. Through her soothing voice, she quickly made a name for herself before working with some of Cape Town and the country’s leading jazz singers.
Among others, she worked with the Ngcukana brothers (Ezra and Duke), Winston Mankunku Ngozi, Nick Carter and Merton Barrow.
Sylvia is well known for her song “Lakutshona Ilanga” from her album African Diva, released in 1998.
Sylvia’s son Banzi Tema described her mother as a people’s person. He said his mother had a unique voice that touched everyone. She labelled her mother’s death as “a deep wound to the family that will never heal. “She was a rock. She was not only mom to us but to the nation as a whole. She loved what she was doing. Even though she was famous, she never forgot her roots. She was a conservative person. That is what she taught us the most to not forget who we are,” said Tema adding that she was a unifier in the family. However, he stated that Sylvia was disciplined but not harsh. She left behind three children and seven grandchildren.
Well-known traditional artist and UCT academic, also from Langa, Dizu Plaatjies described Mdunyelwa as a legendary musician. He said he knew her for 55 years.
“I knew her a long time ago. She was a friend of my eldest sister. She was in the industry for such a long time. She started working in the industry with the renowned jazz musician Victor Ntoni. She went to theUnited States of America to study music. She didn’t wake up and sing, she studied it,” said Plaatjies.
He stated that Mdunyelwa loved working with young people and toured the whole world. “I think her last performance was in March this year at Guga Sthebe. I had visitors from Germany. Then I took them to Guga Sthebe where we were performing. She was among the audience but she stood up and got onto the stage and performed,” he explained.
Plaatjies described Mdunyelwa as a humble and straightforward person.
One of the upcoming jazz artists Linomtha Mngcwengi said she was inspired by Mdunyelwa in the industry. She said she had a good relationship with the late singer and her entire family.
“Her children call me the last born. They treat me as one of the family members. When I started my career mama Slyvia asked me to do piano classes at St Francis in Langa and but I didn’t do that because I was staying in Khayelitsha which was a bit of a distance. I still regret that. She used to say to me she sees her in me when I perform,” she stated.
Linomtha said every time she had a concert she used to drop a ticket at Mdunyelwa’s house to ensure that she got it.
“I used to reserve a place for mama Sylvia on the front row also that she can see me. Even when I saw that she was sick, I thought she would recover. It never crossed my mind that she would die,” she explained. She added that Mdunyelwa dedicated her life to the entertainment industry.
Linomtha said Mdunyelwa was not only a singer but also an actress. Her memorial service will be held at Langa High School from 17:00 to 20:00 today (31 August) and she will be laid to rest in Langa on Saturday 2 September.