Toyota Music Festival: Mandisi Dyantyis
5 October 20:00
The Daisy Jones Bar
Renowned South African musician and producer Mandisi Dyantyis performs at Daisy Jones Bar on 5 October. PHOTO: Ntokozo Khumalo
Shoes were off, sweat was dripping, and all caution was left at the door. Mandisi Dyantyis’s concert felt like a family gathering, with people singing with each other, and to each other.
It was not just a feel-good show, but a concert where people could be in the moment, captured by Dyantyis’s performance. Right before the multi award-winning, composer, arranger, producer and afro-soul-jazz artist took to the small stage in the rustic Daisy Jones Bar, some audience members said to each other, “Get ready to cry and dance.” True to their expectations, that was what happened.
Audience patronage
From the moment the band stepped on stage, members of the audience shouted the names of the different band members and waved at them. There was a sense of excitement surrounding the entire band, not just the Mandisi. The crowd was recognised in turn by the band. Mandisi didn’t just address the audience as a whole; he spoke to individuals. This made the concert feel like a place where everyone’s presence mattered.
Mandisi greeted the audience with his song Umbuliso (greetings) and then moved into other songs where the audience sang every word. He didn’t merely sing to the audience; he sang with them. Using call and response, a style common in African music, his setlist flowed like a conversation.
Pianist Lonwabo Diba Mafani and musician Mandisi Dyantyis perform at the Daisy Jones Bar as part of Woordfees 2024. PHOTO: Ntokozo Khumalo
Feeling the music
Whether it was a sad or happy song, people were on their feet, some with hands on their chests and eyes closed as they sang along with Mandisi’s performance. Although the venue was tightly packed, there was still space for people to dance. At various points, Mandisi led the crowd from the stage, directing them on which dance moves to do, all the while joking with the audience.
All the band members seemed to play from a place of passion. Each instrumentalist played improvised solos. Buddy Wells, the saxophonist, played tunes that made one think of a cool summer evening. There were points where Lonwabo Diba Mafani, the pianist, played the keys with his eyes closed, his fingers moving fluidly over the different notes
The concert was a wholesome event, like old friends catching up and talking about life. The audience danced together, and at one point, even held hands.
Mandisi would occasionally pause to comment on his observations of the audience. It felt like a natural, unpretentious setting, where one could forget oneself and simply enjoy the moment.
Buddy Wells plays the saxophone and Stephen de Souza plays the double bass during Mandisi Dyantyis’ recent Woordfees music festival concert. PHOTO: Ntokozo Khumalo