Born and raised in Hanover Park, jazz musician Muneeb Hermans has taken his trumpet and blown himself towards a better life.
Muneeb, who as part of the Muneeb Hermans Quintet released his debut album, One for HP, last year, started from humble beginnings in the minstrel fraternity.
“My upbringing definitely came from the Cape Town minstrels. I belong to a troupe called the Pennsylvanians, which is one of the most historical minstrels troupes of all time,” he says.
Muneeb’s father remains a captain of the troupe to this day.
“He had bought my first trumpet and put me into the music school, which the minstrel troupe was offering. That’s where it all began,” he says, adding that his musical training continued until the guidance of music teacher Ronel Nagfal at Alexander Sinton High.
Realising the trumpet had ignited something inside of him, he decided to study jazz performance at UCT, and from there, he quickly became a rising star in the Cape Town jazz scene, captivating audiences with his soulful melodies.
His talent has already taken him abroad to the UK, France, China, the Seychelles, Spain and America, where he performed at Carnegie Hall.
“Throughout my career, I have shared the stage with jazz luminaries like Caiphus Semenya, Errol Dyers, and Jimmy Dludlu, among others, enriching my musical journey with invaluable experiences,” he says.
Locally, he has performed at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, Makhanda National Youth Jazz Festival and Standard Bank Joy of Jazz Festival.
In 2016, he collaborated with Kinetika Bloco, from the UK, and The Little Giants at The EFG London Jazz Festival, demonstrating his versatility and international appeal.
Three years earlier, he worked with Benjamin Jephta, Marcus Wyatt, and George Werner on the Big Time project, bridging the musical cultures of South Africa and France.
In 2017, he was selected as the trumpeter for the Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Band, under the leadership of Buddy Wells.
One for HP is available on all digital platforms.
“I am proud of where I have grown to, and I would like our younger generation to know that giving up is not an option, and it doesn’t matter where you come from, anybody can make it,” says Muneeb.
