Grocott's Mail
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Cue
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
  • Cue Media
    • Cue online
    • Cue Archives
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending
  • SAC and DSG matric class of 1990 donate 64 dresses to Nathaniel Nyaluza for matric farewell
  • Children in the Eastern Cape are not being fed enough at school
  • I-Amazwi isindleke umsitho wokubhiyozela usuku lokungamafa namagugu
  • ‘Oh, the water came today’
  • Eluxolweni Child Youth Care Centre showcases young talent
  • Imvuselelo
  • Local mom wants urgent liver transplant for toddler
  • Explore Makhanda’s African Cuisine
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Grocott's Mail
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Cue
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
  • Cue Media
    • Cue online
    • Cue Archives
Grocott's Mail
You are at:Home»Uncategorized»Grahamstown’s guitar man keeps the music flowing
Uncategorized

Grahamstown’s guitar man keeps the music flowing

Grocott's MailBy Grocott's MailSeptember 15, 2011No Comments3 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

A battered old hat lies at the feet of Zimase Ngesi with some coins sitting in its bowl-like hollow. Wearing a weathered light-brown jacket with faded black trousers and slippers, he sits at the same spot every day and has almost become a part of his surroundings.

Placing himself strategically on the corner of Prince Alfred and Somerset streets, Ngesi gets into his daily routine. With his guitar – perhaps his most prized possession – on his lap, he begins to strum away and sing, in the hope that passers-by who notice might give him something in return for his music.

A battered old hat lies at the feet of Zimase Ngesi with some coins sitting in its bowl-like hollow. Wearing a weathered light-brown jacket with faded black trousers and slippers, he sits at the same spot every day and has almost become a part of his surroundings.

Placing himself strategically on the corner of Prince Alfred and Somerset streets, Ngesi gets into his daily routine. With his guitar – perhaps his most prized possession – on his lap, he begins to strum away and sing, in the hope that passers-by who notice might give him something in return for his music.

His singing voice is soft and mysterious – sort of like he is. Many people see Ngesi day after day – but how many can say that they know the story behind Grahamstown's resident busker? Even while performing he seems slightly shy and unobtrusive – as if he tries to sing in such a way that he won't distract passers-by from their own thoughts as they go about their daily business. He isn't in-your-face, and rather lets his patrons come to him on their own terms.

Ngesi has lived here for 20 years, and although he was born in Port Alfred he decided to make Grahamstown his home, and grace the City of Saints with his presence and his music. Twelve years ago Ngesi's passion for music encouraged him to teach himself how to play the guitar, after which he hoped that he could earn a living from it – which he now does.

The songs he performs are often ones that he writes himself, otherwise he picks up pieces from the television or radio that he likes. He also chooses songs that have a personal meaning for him, but some songs he is just fond of, and endeavours to learn and master them for his and his audience's pleasure.
Ngesi is a humble man, and like a statue you can depend on him to be in the same place every day. Being at his regular spot has not only made him a part of many Grahamstonians' daily lives – he is also a living part of the city.

Previous ArticleKids teach their parents how to plant
Next Article Mayor, speaker and PR councillors: 100-day reportbacks
Grocott's Mail

    Comments are closed.

    Tweets by Grocotts
    Newsletter



    Listen

    The Rhodes University Community Engagement Division has launched Engagement in Action, a new podcast which aims to bring to life some of the many ways in which the University interacts with communities around it. Check it out below.

    Humans of Makhanda

    Humans of Makhanda

    Weather    |     About     |     Advertise     |     Subscribe     |     Contact     |     Support Grocott’s Mail

    © 2023 Maintained by School of Journalism & Media Studies.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.