Daisy Mangwato

Daisy “Mama Dee” Mangwato (born Daisy Mashianoke Mangwato in 1986), hails from Sekhukhune, Limpopo Province, and currently resides in Pretoria. She is a singer, guitarist, composer, music teacher and a co-founder and a project manager of Jazz Camp for Female instrumentalists -Mamelodi (JCFI-Mamelodi), an organisation that provides women from disadvantaged areas with skills in music, drama, dance, visual art and poetry.

Music runs in her through ancestral traces of her grandmother and grandfather who both played Sepedi traditional instruments (Lekope and Setontolo). She grew up listening to R&B and pop and was introduced to Jazz at the Centre for Cultural Advancement (CAFCA). Her style of music is influenced by her childhood - Sepedi traditional music Kiba and Leboa/ Makgakgasa. In 2005-2007 she enrolled at CMC, a Jazz music college, majoring in vocals. In the same year she enrolled at CAFCA “a school she calls home” based in Mamelodi/Pretoria. She took piano and later moved to guitar taught by the legendary guitarist Moss Mogale. Daisy has performed mostly with CAFCA Music Ensemble locally and internationally. In 2008 she performed in Beijing China at the FIFA World cup build up gala dinner, Cultural exchange project in De VAK Art centre in Delft, Netherlands, 2009 Molde Jazz festival in Norway, The Orbit with Moss Mogale Unit,2019 JCFI Youth meets Legends Winter festival and Mosadi-SADI female festival with JCFI ALL Female Big band. In 2017 she was a JEN conference Panellist, in 2019 performance/ guitar facilitator at Botswana international Jazz day. Through her musical journey she shared stage with prominent musicians, guitarist Moss Mogale and Bheki Khosa, Double Bassist Jesse Mogale, Tutu Puoane, Madosini, Mthwakazi.