Andile Yenana

ABOUT

Andile Yenana is a jazz pianist born in King Williams Town, Eastern Cape. He went to St Francis Col lege in Marianne Hill KZN and Zingisa Seminary in Mthatha. His tertiary education commenced at Fort  Hare University and the University of Natal from where he graduated in 1995 with Bachelors of Music  (Jazz Studies).  

Andile Yenana worked as a session musician, producer and composer of his own music, culminating in two  studio recordings from Sheer Sounds. First album also garnered five nominations for SAMA 2006. He also  won best producer for Best Traditional Jazz Album “ Abantwana be Africa:” by Winston Mankunku Ngozi.  The Best South African Music Album by Suthukazi Arosi “Ubuntu”. Andile scored music for documentary  movie called Shouting Silent by Xoliswa Sithole and was a Standard Bank Young Artist Award Winner for  Jazz 2005. He premiered his work at the Grahamstown Arts Festival that year. Himself and many helped create the beginning of the modern South African Jazz sound.

He was involved in teaching basic improvisation as part  of the jazz curriculum offered to students at the Youth  Jazz Festival Grahamstown (Makhanda). Andile was  part of a band, Voice, comprising of Herbie Tsoaeli;  Marcus Wyatt; Sidney Mnisi; Lulu Gontsana and later  Morabo Morejele.

jazz musicians who helped create the beginnings  of the modern South African Jazz sound we hear today.  The band Voice has two studio recordings and has un dertaken numerous tours both locally and abroad.

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