The UP Ovuwa Cultural Ensemble is an acclaimed group, recently recognized as the Best Traditional Music Ensemble in Institutions of Higher Learning by the South African Traditional Music Awards (SATMA) in 2024. Serving as the University of Pretoria’s flagship cultural ensemble, and operating under the auspices of the School of the Arts within the Faculty of Humanities, UP Ovuwa presents a vibrant array of African dances and songs, accompanied by diverse Indigenous percussion instruments. Under the direction of Mr. Duda Manamela, the ensemble offers university students a unique opportunity to explore, preserve, and celebrate the rich heritage of African Musical arts and performances.
Mxolisi Duda Manamela – Conductor & Manager
Mxolisi Duda Manamela was born in Cradock, Eastern Cape, South Africa. He is an accomplished alumnus of both the Hartt School of Music and the New England Conservatory in the United States, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music. A multifaceted musician, Mr. Duda Manamela is a singer, vocal coach and teacher, music competition adjudicator, and choral music clinician.
Throughout his time in the United States and now back in South Africa, he has been regularly invited by various music groups to lead and conduct clinics and workshops. As a performer, he has taken on leading tenor roles in several operas, including Don Giovanni, Le Nozze di Figaro, The Magic Flute, Trial by Jury, The Merry Widow, Orpheus in the Underworld, and an abridged performance of Massenet’s Cendrillon.
Now in his fourteenth year as Manager and Artistic Director of the UP Ovuwa Cultural Ensemble at the University of Pretoria, Mr. Duda Manamela continues to shape and inspire the South African music landscape with his talent, leadership, and dedication to the arts.
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