Acolly Mandiza drops another big one

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RnB and Afro Pop artist Acolly Mandiza has just released another full-length album, titled Makhelwane.

The album consists of 15 awesome tracks, including Makhelwane (title track), Kha Ende, Ni songo tuwa, Matodzi, Angelinah, and Hunger (Fura).

“The album was inspired by people who always interfere in other people’s business,” he said. “That is why it is called Makhelwane, which means ‘neighbour’, but a bad one in this case. This album fits everywhere.”

Acolly Mandiza has worked with giants in the music industry such as Romeo ThaGreatwhite, Mazwale, Bomo, Vendaboy Poet, Thora Thora, RG Ronewa (bass guitarist), Terror (lead guitarist) and Mutshidzi Luvhengo (pianist).

His previous three albums, Ndi vhona mini, Elelwani, and Khokhonya did very well. In 2019 he won the Limpopo Music Awards (Lima) in the Best Tshivenda Single category. He also won Best Afro Pop Award in the Front Seat Recognition Awards in 2019.

“In 2020, I was nominated in two categories, Best Producer of the Year and Best Afro-soul Award at the Tshivenda Music Awards (Tshima),” he said. “Even though I didn’t win, I’m happy that I earned those nominations.”

This talented artist, born Nthatheni Ndivhuwo and residing at Ha-Muraga, is ascending the ladder in the music industry with tremendous speed, and the reason is evident when one listens to the quality of his songs and looks at the recognition he gets. He is a producer, songwriter and performer who discovered his singing talent when he was still in primary school. His cousin had taught him to play the guitar and he honed his skills by continuing to practise.

“Now that we celebrated Fathers’ Day, I feel honoured to name my father as the person who had shaped the man that I have become,” he said. His father is the legendary musician, Vho-Elvis Mandiza, and he bought Acolly Mandiza his first guitar.

Mandiza encourages aspiring young artists to work hard because, he says, making it in the music industry is not easy.  “You need dedication to establish yourself. Just make sure that you go to school and obtain a qualification or two in other career fields apart from music too. You must always have something to fall back on, should music not work out for you.”

Mandiza’s album can be bought from most online digital stores, such as Deezer, Apple Store, Google Play, and Spotify.

He is available on Facebook (Accolly Mandiza Music), WhatsApp (079 053 9194), Instagram (acolly_mandiza), Twitter (@acollymandiza), and can be reached on Tel 068 175 4335.

By: Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.