Family confirms legendary jazz musician Musa Manzini to be laid to rest next to his mother. Musa Manzini, a legendary jazz musician, will today be buried in his hometown of Richards Bay on the KwaZulu Natal (KZN) coast next to his mother. Following rumors that Manzini’s ex-wife Shaheeda Manzini and her son Yusuf Manzini were preparing to file an urgent judicial interdict to have him buried in Cape Town as a Muslim, his family made this announcement. At Johannesburg’s Helen Joseph Hospital, Manzini succumbed to a deadly seizure on Monday morning.
According to rumors, Manzini’s ex-wife and son did not want him to be buried in KZN since they have a letter pertaining to his request to be buried in an Islamic way. ZiMoja has seen a portion of a letter purportedly written and signed by Manzini, in which he expressed his desire to be buried according to Islamic rites.
“It is my will that upon my death that I will be buried in an Islamic burial. It is my specific wish that any of my family members who may direct that I be buried in the Christian manner be overruled,” the letter reads.
On November 24, 2011, the letter was signed in Randburg in front of witnesses Sindiso Ndebele and Anthea Joan Denton. According to reports, Manzini’s son Yusuf, daughter Fatima, aunts Ridwan and Pat, older sister Ntombi, nephew Muzi, and niece Zintle are among those who support the proposal to bury Manzini in Cape Town. Shaheeda further stated on her Facebook page that Manzini’s cousin Floyd Malinga and sister Thembisile are adamant that he be buried in accordance with Christian principles.
A family member who did want to give ZiMoja his name said: “You know what, I have said so much about this and we would like to mourn in peace. We are no longer commenting on those allegations.”
Manzini was renowned for his superb bass playing skill. His father, who resided in Cape Town, made the decision to send him there in 1985 for his high school and university education.
He began playing the guitar as a hobby during his senior year of high school, but soon became addicted. He was awarded the Professor Peter Klatzow Award for composition and orchestration in 1995 while attending the University of Cape Town.
“After graduating with a BMus degree, Musa spent three years as a part-time lecturer at UCT instructing electric and acoustic basses, jazz theory and improvisation to bridge course students. At the same time he performed and recorded as a session musician around the country with many musicians. He performed and recorded many songs with artists such as Rene MacLean, Winston “Mankunku” Ngozi, Vusi Khumalo, Jimmy Dludlu, Jonathan Butler, Gavin Minter, Nhlanhla Magagula, Kevin Gibson, Mark Goliath, Judith Sephuma, Sipho Mabuse, Elvin Dyers, Menyatso Mathole, Selaelo Selota, Joe McBride, UCT Jazz Orchestra and many other musicians popular during Jazz artists.
Manzini became famous in 2018 after he underwent an awake craniotomy during which the doctors excised the tumor while he played his guitar. In 2006, Manzini underwent his initial hospitalization for a malignant brain tumor.
“Subsequent to the surgery, he had five more craniotomies… epilepsy and seizures are common complications of craniotomy,” the family statement reads.
