Tshivenda traditional and reggae musician Dasco Mahn has bounced back, spitting fire. His last release, "Volume 2 Afrika," was in 2022, and while he took a break from the studio, he did not stop performing his music. The musician from Vondwe, outside Thohoyandou, whose full name is Mbulaheni Leonard Mulaudzi, released his latest single, "Thi Mufuni Zwone," in March 2024 but could not launch it officially because of financial constraints.
This past Saturday, he took advantage of a live interview granted by SABC's Phalaphala FM to launch the single officially. Together with his friends, he played the new single as well as other tracks that will be combined into a full album to be released soon.
That Dasco Mahn was destined to be a top musician is no mystery. He was born into a family where music was a daily staple. He did not have to go far to study music, learning from the best teachers: his parents.
"My father, Mr Gerson Ratshalingwa Mulaudzi, is a very talented guitar and mbila player, and he would play it all the time. When he was tired and out of the house, I would pick up the guitar and strum it until I heard his voice coming back home," he remembers.
His late mother, Mukatshelwa Mudangawe Luruli Mulaudzi, was a great malende dancer. "I learnt a lot from my parents, and I will always be indebted to them. They are my inspiration, and I am what I am today because of them," he said.
Dasco added that the year ahead looked bright for him and that everything seemed to be going according to plan. "My plans seem to unfold one step at a time. I told myself that I would release a single as part of my long-term project for a full album. Now that the single is out and well received by my fans, an album will soon follow," he said.