Monde Mkhizwana

Monde Mkhizwana is a drummer, composer, arranger, music producer, and ethnomusicologist. He was born in New Castle, South Africa, in 1982. His mother noticed his interest in music and fascination with Michael Jackson at the age of six. She bought him cassette tapes of the artist, which kept Monde entertained and intrigued for months.

While in his teens, Monde, along with his childhood friends, would participate in sports and talent shows at community youth clubs in Soweto. This is where he gained notoriety for his music and leadership abilities.

When he was 17 years old, he decided to pursue music full-time with the support of his parents and enrolled at the National School of Arts. As a result, he was able to immerse himself in his passion for music. In addition, he was able to gain access to resources such as musical instruments, recording studios, and fellow artists, which were critical to his development.

Following his high school graduation, he continued his education at Durban Institute of Technology. There, he studied jazz and popular music with fellow musicians such as Zakes Bantwini, Nduduzo Makhathini and Prine Bulo, to name a few. During his studies at The University of KwaZulu Natal, he was supervised by renowned pianist Neil Gonzalves, flamenco guitarist Demi Fernandes, and jazz pianist Susan Barry.

Former high school friends approached Monde about becoming a drummer for Kwani Experience, an internationally touring, most famous unknown band. For Monde, this would be a life-changing experience. Over the course of seven years, the band performed at festivals and shared stages with artists including Freshly Ground, Thandiswa Mazwai, BLKJKS, HHP, and Pops Mohammed, among others. One of the band's highlights was performing at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

His experience in composing music for broadcast and radio commercials has led him to work with major advertising companies such as The Odd Number, Ogilvy, Draft FCB, TBWA, AVATAR, and Life Design Films. He founded and manages a music production facility called Wonga Music, and has collaborated with major brands including Facebook, Game Stores, MTN, VODACOM, and McDonalds.