Neo Muyanga
Neo Muyanga (19**-). Composer for theatre, film and television.
Contents
Biography
Born in Soweto.
Training
He studied the Italian madrigal tradition with choral maestro, Piero Poclen, in Trieste, Italy.
Career in music
He writes and performs music for plays, and composes chorus songs and has a variety of works for chamber and large ensembles.
He also tours widely as musician and solo performer.
In the mid 1990s he co-founded the acoustic pop duo, BLK Sonshine with Masauko Chipembere, garnering a following throughout Southern Africa and Internationally.
In 2008 they also co-founded the Pan African Space Station with Chimurenga's publishing editor, Ntone Edjabe, as a continually evolving host of cutting-edge Pan African music and sound art on the internet and across stages in Cape Town and other parts of the globe.
For more on his musical career, see his website at http://www.neosong.net/
Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
Besides being an award-winning composer and musical performer, he is a Magnet Theatre Trustee. His theatre-related work for them includes the musical scores for Rain in a Dead Man's Footprints (2004/5), The Fire Raisers (2004), Voices Made Night (2001/2/12/13), Every Year, Every Day, I Am Walking (2006 – present), Cargo (2007), Mother to Mother (2009) and I Turned Away and She Was Gone.
In 2012 his first operetta, The Flower of Shembe, opened in Cape Town at Artscape and played in Johannesburg at the Dance Factory.
He has also composed music for contemporary dance productions (e.g. for the Jazzart Dance Theatre and Remix Dance Company) as well as for film (e.g. Craig Foster and Damon Foster's Cosmic Africa) and for television (e.g. Architecture of Fear by Nicky Newman).
Awards, etc
Sources
http://www.neosong.net/biography.html
Business Day, 27 February 2007.
Cape Argus, 1 September 2009.
Go to ESAT Bibliography
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