Echoes of Marabi - Live at Ganesh - featuring Yonela Mnana and Benedikt Reising.

Echoes of Marabi

Echoes of Marabi weaves South Africa's rich musical heritage, particularly the vibrant Marabi style, with contemporary influences from Johannesburg to Bern. At its heart is the duo Mnana Reising—Yonela Mnana (piano, vocals) and Benedikt Reising (saxophone, bass clarinet)—joined by vocal trio The Soultees, whose harmonies evoke South Africa’s legendary choral traditions. This project bridges cultures, reimagining Marabi’s infectious rhythms and spirit, creating a living dialogue between past and present, tradition and innovation. Echoes of Marabi is a celebration of exchange, resilience, and artistic connection.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdvewnEYJ2U

In depth:

One of the longest lasting relationships with South African jazz, has been that with Switzerland.

Musicians from both countries connecting over years has led to many beautiful collaborations.

The latest project is an astoundingly beautiful and unique duo album titled Echoes of Marabi, a

project featuring South African pianist Yonela Mnana and Swiss saxophonist Benedikt Reising.

It is an album that celebrates their connection and friendship. They are joined by the dynamic

voices of the Soultee Sisters from Katlehong. The album is due for release in September 2025

on XJAZZ.

Reising is no stranger to the South African music landscape, having been part of several

projects and tours there and Mnana is well established as a pianist, known for his powerful

voice and compositions. The duo first met via South African trumpeter Mandla Mlangeni, while

touring in 2018 with a Swiss-SA project called The Mill. The pair's relationship was strengthened

upon promoting that album in Europe in 2019 when both Mnana and Reising were based in

Bern. They spent a lot of time together and shared musical ideas that they were passionate

about.

The Covid19 pandemic delayed things and in 2023, Mnana once again reignited the idea to

work together. “Yonela called me again and said, ‘Hey, everybody is traveling again. And let's

start working together again. And I said, ‘that would be beautiful’,”says Reising. Mnana

suggested the idea to play as a duo, and while Reising was in South Africa in May last year

playing with the ‘A Million O’Clock’ band, another Swiss-SA project, he extended his stay to

explore some ideas. A three-part-harmony group, the Soultee Sisters joined for rehearsals in

Katlehong before the recording was done at the Dyertribe studios just outside of Johannesburg.

Back home, Manana works as a composer and teacher at the Ezibeleni High School in

Katlehong,a township located east of Johannesburg. He worked with three talented opera

singers who he wanted to include on a project and this developed into, The Soultee Sisters. “I

feel that that kind of three-part group follows on the long legacy of the triple harmony that has

always been done by those groups, like by Miriam Makeba and The Skylarks, the Mahotella

Queens and so on. So it's something that is uniquely South African.” Mnana refers to it also

being a play on those black vocal jazz groups from the early 30s and 40s in the U.S like The

Mills Brothers or The Hampton Sisters.

About the recording process Mnana says, “Benedikt came here to my house, in the same way

that I was living in this house. And I felt that at least he's getting to see the true nature of South

Africa. I don't live in the suburbs in that way. He was very humble enough to come to the

township school there in Katlehong and to be in the dust. And to see ordinary people living in

the massive black township there and to be with us.”