Living/Dreaming is a musical and narrative experience by Bennia, performed with a live ensemble. Rooted in reflection, vulnerability, and emotional movement, the show explores the complexities of being human through music, spoken word, and visual storytelling. Structured around four symbolic seasons (spring, winter, autumn, and summer) the performance journeys through moments of becoming, loss, questioning, and renewal. Each chapter carries its own emotional atmosphere, moving between intimacy and expansiveness as Bennia navigates themes of identity, love, grief, memory, faith, and selfhood.

 

The show begins in a space of quiet introspection and gradually unfolds into a layered emotional landscape where sound, narrative, and visual elements work together to mirror the nonlinear nature of healing and growth. Through monologues and live musical performance, the show reflects on the experience of trying to bloom beyond people-pleasing, confronting longing and emotional ache, wrestling with uncertainty, and eventually arriving at a softer, more grounded sense of affirmation. At the centre of the performance is the tension between dreaming and living: who we imagine ourselves to be, who life asks us to become, and what remains in the space between the two. Rather than presenting life as a straight line, the show embraces contradiction, tenderness, and emotional transition, which acknowledges that becoming is often messy, cyclical and unfinished.

 

Accompanied by a rich live soundscape of piano, saxophone, drums, guitar, bass, violin, and voice, Bennia invites audiences into an immersive world that feels both deeply personal and universally familiar. The integration of projected visuals, shifting lighting environments, and intimate staging further deepens the emotional experience, allowing audiences to move through each “season” alongside the performer. Living/Dreaming does not attempt to provide neat conclusions or easy answers. Instead, it creates a space for reflection, a space where audiences can sit with feeling, memory, uncertainty, beauty, and hope. It is an offering for anyone who has ever found themselves caught between who they once were, who they are becoming, and the quiet desire to keep moving forward despite it all.

Lead Artist

Tshegofatso Bennia Makube (Vocalist, Songwriter, Music Arranger, and Composer) 

 

The BAND

Loyiso Mbundwini (Pianist)
Bakoena Rashaga (Electric guitarist)
Sinesipho Geelbooi (Second Keys) 
Dr Elijah Madiba (Bassist & Sound Engineer)
Siyabulela Mfuku (Saxophonist )
Onika Maxakato (Drummer)

 

Creative and Production Team
Nqobani Dabengwa (Creative Director )
Zizipho Ngoqo (Production Assistant)
Kuhle Ngqezana (Sound & Production assistant)
Dr Elijah Madiba (Sound Engineer)

Sello Prince Lebudi (Music Arranger) 

 
All Cover Artwork done by Lithemba Nziweni

Lead Artist 

Tshegofatso Bennia Makube (Vocalist, Artistic Director, Songwriter, Composer) is a PhD Candidate at Rhodes University. Founder of Kgalalelo Creatives and BREATHE, President of Makhanda Kwantu Choir, Lead Facilitator for OUR SELF-CARE wellness programme for a non-profit organisation, Intlantsi Creative Development Project. She is an independent artist (music on all online platforms), composer, vocalist, and advocate for the inclusion of South African Black classical compositions within academic spaces. She is a versatile multidisciplinary artist and has held numerous roles, ranging from vocalist and director to production assistant and audio producer. Tshegofatso’s work is guided by a deep belief that music and art are living archives of the soul. She is deeply committed to using music and the arts as catalysts for healing, empowerment, and social transformation. Through her creative and academic work, she strives to honour African stories, challenge existing narratives, and create spaces where community, culture, and wellness intersect to inspire meaningful change. Although she has collaborated with a wide array of performers at the National Arts Festival over the years, this is her first solo debut.

 

THE BAND 

Loyiso Mbundwini (Pianist), A Rhodes University alumnus in music and sound technology, this Makhanda-based pianist blends a deep passion for creation with a versatile repertoire of jazz and contemporary music.

Bakoena Rashaga (Electric guitarist) is a BSc student majoring in Biochemistry and Microbiology. They are a hardworking and determined individual with a profound passion for scientific discovery. They are deeply committed to academic excellence and the pursuit of practical, hands-on skills. Beyond the lab, they are an accomplished guitarist with a decade of experience, having nurtured a growing talent and love for music since childhood. Driven by a constant desire for self-improvement, they strive to bring their best to every endeavour, personal and professional.

Sinesipho Geelbooi (Second Keys) is a well-rounded musician with a deep love for good music. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Cape Town and is currently pursuing his Master’s. They have worked on a number of projects and had the chance to play alongside big artists like Hotstix, and on projects like Breathe and with Access Music Project in Makhanda.

Dr Elijah Madiba (Bassist & Sound Engineer) is far more than an academic; he is a visionary architect of cultural preservation. At the International Library of African Music (ILAM), he stands at the vital intersection of history and technology, serving as a master sound engineer, digitisation leader, and a guiding light in Ethnomusicology. With an unwavering commitment to the heartbeat of the continent, Dr Madiba led the monumental ILAM–SAMAP project, breathing new digital life into thousands of irreplaceable recordings. He doesn't just study music; he lives it. A gifted multi-instrumentalist and virtuoso of the musical arts, he is dedicated to ensuring that the echoes of African heritage are never silenced, but instead amplified for generations to come.

Siyabulela Mfuku (Saxophonist), a Makhanda Jazz Saxophonist and Alumnus of Access Music Project, a teacher in his own right, teaching the saxophone to young musicians from around Joza in Makhanda (where he grew up). He has played in bands that have closed for the likes of Zakes Bantwini, he has also played alongside Ntate Sipho Hotstix Mabuse. He is a multi-instrumentalist and a composer, whose style can only be described as boundary-breaking and intentionally soul-capturing. 

 

Onika Maxakato (Drummer) is a South African drummer hailing from East London with nearly a decade of experience performing in bands, live events, and collaborative musical spaces. Beginning with pots and pans before moving on to drums, music has always followed him wherever he goes. Deeply inspired by African rhythms and the spiritual message that music carries, Onika uses his drumming gift as an offering to bring healing, connection, and movement. Grounded in collaboration, creativity, and spiritual expression, he approaches music with intention, humility, and a passion for connecting with people.

 

Creative and Production Team
Nqobani Dabengwa (Creative Director), is a multidisciplinary creative and founder of Echoes of Uhuru, the platform behind Intetho Magazine, a print publication dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices through visual and textual storytelling. Based between Bulawayo and Makhanda, his practice spans creative direction, publishing, performance, and collaborative art-making.

Zizipho Ngoqo (Production Assistant), a 24-year-old young woman born and raised in the small Town of Makhanda where art speaks for itself. She is studying a BA in Communication Studies and Public Administration at the University of South Africa. Zizi am the Alto voice part leader in Makhanda Kwantu Choir as well as the Breathe Project Assistant for the past two years though my journey with the multi-sensory production started 3 years before as a Backing vocalists. I see the world as the Art that raised me, music and poetry paint the beauty of life and my willingness to be part of something great perseve me. I believe in all the kindness and healing the world has to offer and I live to be grateful for the community that builds me as a person and as an artist 

Kuhle Ngqezana (Sound & Production assistant) a multidisciplinary artist, broadcaster, researcher, and director working at the intersection of music, media, and African knowledge systems. His work bridges creative practice and scholarly inquiry, with a strong focus on ethnomusicology, digital storytelling, and cultural preservation. He is the founder of a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting and funding artists in South Africa, advancing access, sustainability, and creative opportunity within the cultural sector.Kuhle is also a distinguished media practitioner and documentary producer. As Head Producer for the International Library of African Music (ILAM) podcast series, he has played a vital role in amplifying Africa’s sonic heritage. His work includes a landmark documentary for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), reflecting his ability to craft narratives with global resonance. A Mellon Scholar and Indigenous Knowledge Systems researcher, he is among the first researchers contributing to what is now known as the HERE Lab, a platform exploring the intersections of sound, identity, and ecology within African contexts. His extensive media career includes leadership roles as Programming Manager at two community radio stations, News Editor at a community broadcaster in Gqeberha, and Producer for SAFM’s Arts Update, demonstrating a sustained commitment to community-centred broadcasting and culturally grounded storytelling. A two-time Ovation Award-winning artist and director, Kuhle has made a significant impact on South Africa’s arts landscape. His work as Video Director for the National Arts Festival’s Masicule, alongside his roles as an Ovation Awards Judge, sound engineer, and deejay, reflects a dynamic practice that bridges creativity, research, and cultural preservation.

 

Sello Prince Lebudi (Pianist & Music arrangements), is a multi-versed individual, born and raised in Mpumalanga, KwaMhlanga. He is currently pursuing an Honours degree in Computer Science while equally dedicating himself to music. Balancing both worlds, his work reflects creative expression, using music as a space to explore emotion, identity, and storytelling.