“I think music is a spiritual experience, and I think as VuDu we’re really moving into that space,” said Sisanda Myataza lead vocalist of a band called VuDu. The band are the winners of the 2016 espYoungLegends talent search, meaning that they’ll be performing at the free community concert at the Cape Town Jazz Festival Wednesday evening and at the main show this weekend.
She recently changed her performance name to Sunda because she feels that when she’s on the stage she isn’t just the Sisanda that you’d meet on the street, she’s a different animal altogether. “Also, when you spell my name it’s S.u.n.d.a, and the first bit is for sun. And what is sun? Sun is light-giving and sun is energy. And that’s what I am on stage.”
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Sunda is always online looking for opportunities to advance her career. One of her dream stages to play on has always been the Cape Town Jazz Festival. When she saw that there was an opportunity to perform there, she suggested to her band mates that they enter. “I never in my wildest dreams thought we could win, or even make the top five,” she said.
“So we were really thrilled when we made the top five. And then I was called to their offices because I was told that I had to attend an interview.”
Thinking she still had to sell the band, she got dressed up and prepared to woo the interviewers. When she got there, there was no need for all of this as it was revealed that they had actually won. “I promise you I burst into tears because I could not believe it. It’s that moment when your wildest dreams come true, I felt like I won the lotto.”
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It was an incredible moment for her and her band.
Sunda recently flew down to Port Elizabeth to play a gig there along with her band mates. She’s based in Cape Town while the rest of the band is based in P.E, so they made sure to make the most of this opportunity and rehearse for the show.
For today’s set at the free community concert, they’ve tailored the show to accommodate for an audience that may not be familiar with their music, “We’re gonna keep it fresh and funky but also with a VuDu twist,” she said.
“And then on Friday we’re gonna be ourselves. We’re gonna use that opportunity to let people know who VuDu really is. So we’re gonna bring some of our experimental pieces and some of our pieces that we wrote a few years ago. So you’re gonna understand who VuDu really is if you come on the 31st.”
Sisanda ' Sunda' Myataza. Picture: Caroline Hogg
Since coming together in 2009, VuDu have released two EP’s, Birth of a New Sound and Better Late than Never. These projects are a fusion of traditional and African jazz with urban contemporary genres.
After the fest, Sunda believes a full length album will probably be the next step for the band. There’s songs which they left off their E.P’s that she says they’ll consider fleshing out, as well as possibly writing more music for the album.
VuDu will be performing on the Moses Molelekwa stage at 19:00 on Friday.