A 16-year-old boy from Holy Cross High School in Mthatha has once again made the Eastern Cape proud, after scoring gold for the second time, in the South African Schools music Eastern Cape competition, held in East London.
Kwakhanya Gwadiso, who struck a chord and poured his heart out with his golden voice, is set to represent the Eastern Cape in the National SACSE music competition in Johannesburg in August.
The tenor titan defeated all the schools in OR Tambo Inland and the Wild Coast for two consecutive years, with his first victory in 2023.
Kwakhanya said he grew up singing along to songs from the Ncandweni Christ Ambassadors and Joyous Celebration.
“I discovered my love for music at the tender age of five years.
“I would take empty deodorant roll-ons or sprays and make them my microphone as I sang along with Ncandweni Christ Ambassadors and Joyous Celebration.
“That is when my music journey started.
“My mother and grandmother would always tolerate the noise I made and never complained because they knew what I loved.
“As an Anglican, I would come back from church, take my granny’s hymn books and start singing all the mass hymns.”
Reflecting on the competition, the youngster said: “After my performance, I had so much doubt that I never believed in myself.
“But after winning, the doubt was gone, and I felt so relieved. I was so happy in a way I cannot really explain.
“It feels good but at the same time challenging. People are always expecting what they know whenever you ascend the stage.
“Relief is the first thing. The second one is disbelief. The third one is then excitement and realising that I have done it again.
“The last one is thinking of what mistakes they have noted down in the score sheets.”
Kwakhanya said he was thrilled by the support he received from family, friends, vocal coaches and everyone who had been there for him.
“Many people have been there for me. My mom, Thandokazi Dosini, my dad Caswell Dosini, Nwabisa Nomfulana, my teacher Mr Gobingca who has made sacrifices for me.
“My grandmother, Mrs Jompolo, who would make me rehearse even in the house and make sure I sing to win, and lastly Ms Magqashela who introduced me to SASCE and coached me alongside Mr Gobingca in every aspect of music and drama.
“All these people were always there for me, and all equally contributed to my success,” Kwakhanya said.
Holy Cross High School music director and Kwakhanya’s vocal coach, Mkhanyiseli Gobingca, said: “To me this is a dream come true.
“Kwakhanya was a revelation of the things that I have been praying for, so that is how huge this is to me.
“Reflecting to the hardships I encountered when I started music at Holy Cross, Kwakhanya’s achievement was a [hallelujah] moment, where I said God, how did it happen, but I knew it is His doings.”
He said this victory was close to his heart as someone who was raised by a single parent and had found music as his refuge, and that had driven him to help other children.
“I grew up in Ngangelizwe in Mthatha, raised by a single parent who was a [hawker] and I found refuge in music.
“I told myself that music is going to change my life and I want youngsters from disadvantaged backgrounds to see God through me, because music is one of the underrated subjects in schools.
“As a result of music, we saw learners changing into better people, as some were into substances.
“Some of them today are top learners because when I started the choir, I started it with learners that were labelled as [nobody] by the community, but today Holy Cross changed because of those kids.
“Even in the assembly there is discipline, because they now unite through the singing, something which we are not used to,” he said.
Gobingca said that despite the challenges they faced, they still conquered, and his faith drove him to where they are today.
“I believed in Kwakhanya when no-one believed in him, when no-one saw that there is something within this child, I was there. All in all, it took my faith to believe in him.
“Because if you could see us behind the scenes, you would drop out, because sometimes we would struggle with basic things such as food, melodica, recorders to improve the children.
“I urge the Eastern Cape department of education to support music in schools.
“Kwakhanya has written his book that will never be erased,” he said.
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