His international collaborations with DJ Qb Smith (London), "When the Wind Blows" at THE MILL in 2018 with Mandla Mlangeni and Benedikt Reiseng (Bern, Switzerland), and the recently released ‘Equal Spirits’ in April 2024 with Raphael Clarkson (London, UK) bear testament to his work. He traversed the SADC region at events such as Bushfire (Swaziland), King’s Celebration (Lesotho), and in Mozambique. His collaborative work with trumpeter Mandla Mlangeni is documented by releases such as Maputo and Namibia (Oranjemund). Bhekisizwe 2015, Born to Be Black 2017, Oratorio of a Forgotten Youth 2023, which won the Metro FM Best Jazz Album Award of 2024 and later premiered at the Newport Casino Theatre in the United States in December of that year, along with a few shows in New York. All this is released under the Amandla Freedom Ensemble, which featured the Vivacious Voices from Katlehong, a versatile choir from Mnana’s school programs. In 2020, he co-produced a seminal album, ‘uGaba - The Migration,’ with the then Standard Bank Young Artist of the Year, Sisonke Xonti. The release of this album led to great success in written reviews and sold-out shows. Mnana finished off his year by conducting a three-day hybrid webinar under the auspices of Joburg Arts Alive, where he held workshops and premiered his children’s mass, ‘Kosha Mzantsi Choral Blues,’ at the Morris Isaacson Centre for Music in Soweto. Mnana has also been a prominent feature in two of Marcus Wyatt’s livestream projects, primarily with his new trio, ‘Threequency.’ 2021 has been another year of collaboration with bass master Herbie Tsoaeli on the album ‘Voices in Volume: At This Point in Time,’ and ‘Ndiyakudinga’ (live EP) in 2023. Some of his more multi-genre works include collaborations with Deejay Kenzero on ‘Vukani’ in 2023 and an EP with opera mezzo-soprano singer Nomthandazo Solomon titled ‘Ikhambilomoya’ in 2023. Other house music releases are with his project, TheRealMaloya, an innovative producer and bass player whom Mnana first met as a deejay and later mentored. Apart from his YouTube channel, he appears on podcasts released by Kaya FM's jazz masterclass, Kaya TV, and Power FM with Lukhona, as well as The House of Sankofa hosted by Paul Mnisi and Deejay Sbu. Lastly, his upcoming album, to be released later this year, will follow his single ‘iskhalo.’ Music Teacher and Mentor Furthermore, Yonela's work continues to be predominantly with township schools and young students under his mentorship. Some of the projects have been with Vivacious Sounds in Katlehong, Peart Memorial Corps songsters, the Jazz Tag, and Harmonarty Quartet. Mnana continues to teach and work with his students, whom he features at events such as The Oratorio of a Forgotten Youth held at the Market Theatre in January 2023 and in May at Wits the same year, as well as at the Jazz In the Lights Arts Alive Festival in March 2024. He currently serves as the choir director at the Morris Isaacson Centre for Music in Soweto and as a piano and voice teacher, as well as principal composer at Ezibeleni LSEN School in Katlehong, near Alberton City in the East Rand. Yonela Mnana and Benedikt Reising Benedikt Reising was born in the Black Forest and grew up playing baroque sonatas on his recorder while listening to German punk music. Along with the saxophone he discovered jazz and proceeded to study jazz saxophone at the Dresden Conservatory with Friedhelm Schönfeld and at the Bern University of the Arts with Andy Scherrer and Bert Joris. Currently, Benedikt teaches saxophone, organises the international Jazzwerkstatt Bern festival and works as a freelance musician all around the world. He performs in diverse musical constellations ranging from trios up to jazz orchestras and from jazz to hip hop and music for theatre. Benedikt is a member of A Million O Clock, Le Rex and the award-winning band Hildegard Lernt Fliegen, among others. He has performed at prestigious festivals including the Jazzfestival Willisau, Montreux Jazzfestival, Jazznojazz Zürich, Cully Jazz, Jazz Festival Shanghai, Elbjazz Festival, Vilnius Jazz Festival, Freya Jazz Reykjavik and the National Arts Festival in Makanda. South African pianist Yonela Mnana and Swiss saxophonist Benedikt Reising first met in 2018 through The Mill, a Swiss-SA jazz project. Their bond grew during a 2019 tour in Europe. Both are rooted in deep musical traditions and have built international reputations through collaboration and improvisation. Echoes of Marabi reflects their long-standing connection and the ongoing musical exchange between South Africa and Switzerland.