“Live is the last real thing”: Manana enters a warmer era

Manana is entering a new chapter that sounds warmer, feels more human and leans heavily into the honesty of live music. In conversation about his upcoming album and tour, the artist opens up about creative restlessness, trusting instinct and why the stage remains the most truthful place where an artist can exist. At the heart of the new body of work is a noticeable shift in process.

Where previous projects leaned more towards electronically produced loops and studio-heavy construction, this album was built from the ground up, with people in the room. Live instruments. Live decisions.

Live energy. “We added a lot more of the band’s contributions this time,” Manana explains. “It was less about programming and more about playing.” The choice wasn’t so much strategic as it was instinctive.

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Over the past few years, Manana found himself gravitating toward artists whose work felt textured, lived-in and musically expansive. The pull slowly shaped his own sound. “It’s a taste preference,” he says plainly.

“This is probably what I wanted to be doing anyway.” That instinct is backed by a solid musical foundation. Manana studied jazz performance at the University of Cape Town, an experience he admits wasn’t what he expected at the time. The programme leaned heavily towards theory and history, rather than contemporary practice.

It challenged him. In hindsight, he recognises how deeply it informs the work he’s making now. The discipline, the understanding of structure and the respect for musical lineage quietly underpin his songwriting and arrangements.

Collaboration remains central to the process. While Manana is keeping some feature details under wraps, he confirms that there are new collaborators in the mix alongside long-time creative partners. Sonically, the album lives within the broad discipline of R&B but pinning it down beyond that feels unnecessary.

“Genre specifics are tough now,” he says. Thematically, the album explores contrast. Love, heartbreak and introspection form the emotional core but the real concept lies in the tension between perception and reality.

The curated image versus the lived experience. The idea extends beyond the music into the visual rollout, which Manana describes as intentionally lighthearted and slightly mocking. The album came together quicker than expected.

What was meant to be a year-long break after his last project turned into a six-month creative sprint. “Boredom quickly gave way to inspiration and once the momentum hit, I followed it” he says about creating the new record. “Compared to my previous, more long-form and conceptually dense release, this project is shorter and more straight to the point.” Later this year, the project will be brought to life on stage. With a growing catalogue, Manana’s live shows are expanding too, longer sets, medley-style arrangements and richer musical textures.

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