Mlungisi Gegana

Jazz aficionados across the country have been sitting up and listening to the sounds of Mlungisi Gegana as a DOUBLE & ELECTRIC BASSIST, a band leader, music composer, music arranger, music producer and a session musician. He is widely versed in south African music idiom and has collaborated with some of the finest jazz musicians in South Africa. Gegana’s combos have graced stages of South Africa’s major jazz festivals and premier live music venues. 

I have performed with South African and international musicians on local and global stages including Sweden, France, Norway, Algeria, Namibia, Mozambique, Lesotho, Zambia, Zimbabwe. The most memorable of all my performances was with Zim Ngqawana at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Netherland and a saxophonist from an America leading jazz fusion band called Yellow Jackets by the name of Bob Mintzer at Sun City Super Bowl as a backing musician.

I have been featured on gospel, pop, African traditional music, contemporary and mainstream jazz albums as a session bass player. I often experiment with cross culture cross-genre and cross generational music from the young and old, and I’m rooted in African jazz tradition.

I am originally from the historical jazz hub of Queenstown, in the Eastern Cape, which has produced the the world renown names in music such as Victor Madoda Ndlazilwana, Mongezi Feza, Margaret (Singana) Mcingana, Stompie Mavi, Pat Matshikiza, Madoda Bobelo, Desmond and Madoda Malothana, Nonzwakazi Nguna, Nomuntu Kapa and many more. 

“One Step Forward” – aptly titled for this hard working musician who has spent years in pursuing of a record deal. Starting in 1972 at the age of 11 years old, he picked up a three string guitar made from a 5 litre oil can in his home town Queenstown in the Eastern Cape.

In 1986 he realized his passion for jazz was starting to form in his heart, and parked up his bag and headed for Cape Town. It was here where he began to perform with his own music and led his own band. 

Eventually Mlungisi came to Johannesburg, It didn’t take him long at all. Playing at Kippie’s Jazz Club on, he was spotted by a record company executive who spend the night phoning his colleagues, and the rest is history. Mlungisi went to the studio with the best in the recording industry - Louis Mhlanga, Godfrey Mgcina, Andile Yenana, Vusi Khumalo.

1991 

Studied at MAPP School Of Music for two year jazz diploma. From there he went on a national tour with a cover band called Black Slave for two years.

1997

His first international stage appearance was in Sweden with a band called Tau ea Mastekga who’s leader wrote a song for Paul Simon “Boy In The Bubble” from the album “Graceland”. 

1998

Enrolled at UCT College Of Music in jazz performance.

2000 

He came to Johannesburg where he met Khaya Mahlangu and played with him around jazz clubs and corporate gigs until they did a 13 part jazz series called “Bejazzled”. They backed the likes of Jonas Gwangwa, Steve Dyer, Zim Ngqawana, Suthukazi Arosi, and many others.

2001

He went to the North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland with Zim Ngqawana, and did numerous recording session with various artists.

2004 

Released his debut album, One Step Forward, recorded with artists like Thandiswa Mazwai, and toured to France with his band.

2005

Bassist on Bob Mintzer's big band at Sun City Super Bowl.

Bassist on Mzantsi salute O.R Tambo and a member of 18 piece band directed by the lengedary Victor Ntoni called The South African 20th Century Choral Composers Concert.

2007

Mlungisi Gegana in association with Mmino ( South Africa Norwegian Music Corporation) conducted music workshops in Queenstown

2008.

Invited by Italia - Mozambique to perform with my Quartet in Maputo.

2009

Perform at Pan African Cultural Festival in Algeria with a project called Vivid Afrika.

Invited to collaborate with various musicians, poets at Afrika History Week in Oslo Norway.

2013

I’ve lead an international Quintet at the Standard Bank Joy Of Jazz festival that paid tribute to a South African Basssit by the name of Johnny Dyani, who died in exile in 1986

Just finished recording my second solo album independently.

2014

My second album “I AM WHO AM I” got released under Mlugee Music, the company I own.

2017

Is the year I did a mini tour of the Eastern Cape with my Joburg based Jazz Trio, the tour started at Coco C venue in Bloemfontein before moving to Queens Casino/Hotel (Queenstown), Velvet Lounge (East London) and Steve Biko Centre (Ginsburg).

2018

On the 5th June I started the Mlungisi Music Academy, an initiative that is formed to develop the community of Mlungisi Township, especially the youth, which also gave birth to the Sounds And Rhythms Music Association. The Mlungisi Music Academy offers music lessons from Theory Of Music, Piano, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Drums and Music Techni In 2020 both M.M.A and SARMA teamed up with International Library Of African Music on a research about the history of music in Queenstown, we visited family of all the veterans that are still alive and the families of those that have passed on.

2023

In September 2023 I have ensemble some of the best jazz musicians in the country to record my 3rd album. This project speaks about the Time And Space that creative people uses to create more work.  

              DISCOGRAPHY

ALBUM ARTIST

1) FACE THE MUSIC McCOY  MRUBATA

2) BA UTLWILE TLOKWE SEHUNE

3) LINDA KEKANA I’M AN AFRICAN

4) VIVID AFRIKA VIVID AFRIKA

5) KULTURATION McCOY MRUBATA and WESSEL VAN RENSBERG

6) ZABALAZA THANDISWA MAZWAI

7) BRA SKAP VOL. 1 McCOY MRUBATA

8) FACE THE MUSIC McCOY MRUBATA

9) TO AFRIKA RONALD SNJDER(Holland)

10) SIVILE CAMAGWINI

11) KUDUMELA LINDA KEKANA .

12) SO MUCH MORE BRENDA MNTAMBO

13) BIRD TRIBUTE BIRDIE MBOWENI

14) IN HONOUR UNATHI NKAYI

15) VIVID AFRIKA VIVID AFRIKA

16) THE LIGHT OF DAY DAVE RAYNOLDS & FRIENDS

17) GLORIA BOSMAN THULA NGWANAKA (an album of south African lullabies)

18) RETSI PULE

For more information, please contact Mlungisi Gegana on 072 514 9480 or [email protected]