November 11, 2003
By Jonews Reporter
DESPITE his young age, 20 year-old Manaka holds his own on the page and the stage having shared the bill with such legendaries as Don Mattera, Mutabaruka, Keorapetse Kgositsile, Lesego Rampolokeng, Ursula Rucker, Saul Williams, Stacy Ann Chin, Roger Bon air Agard and Benjamin Zephania.
Manaka has been a featured poet at the Urban Voices International Spoken Word Festival for the past three years. He has performed for former president Nelson Mandela at the opening of a primary school in Freedom Park and for President Thabo Mbeki at the SABC studios in a programme called 'In Conversation with the President'.
He is a proud and vocal member of the powerful Soul To Mouth Spoken Word Collective and has performed widely in Johannesburg and in Lugano, Switzerland.
Manaka is a fresh talent whose roots in the creative arts run as deep as his wisdom and insight in his writings. He is the eldest son of African dance specialist, choreographer and educator Nomsa Manaka and the late playwright, poet, painter, sculptor and drummer Matsemela Manaka.
This is Manaka's first collection, but it is only the first step in what promises to be a prolific literary career. If Only was published by Mothobi Mutluoatse with funding from the Eskom Foundation, and is available at Yfm Shop in The Zone, Rosebank for R80 or at Mac's performances.
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