My Music Is a Blend Of Different Cultures I’m Exposed To – Suzi Eises

Windhoek-born Suzi Eises is an absolute marvel with an alto saxophone.

Eises, who was raised at Oranjemund, where she started school at Oranjemund Private School, took a keen interest in the saxophone when she attended a boarding school in South Africa.

“I started playing the saxophone when I was 16. I attended Rustenburg Girls’ High School for five years, so I lived in Cape Town during that time and that is where I fell in with the saxophone,” Eises explains. “I was heavily inspired by the pupils at my school. I went to an all-girls school that had a jazz band. Before that, at Oranjemund, I played piano and keyboard, and I also sang a bit of classical music.”

She asked the jazz band director if she could join, and was told she could as long as she bought a saxophone. That’s when she started taking lessons with the band director.

“’The jazz band at my school inspired me a lot, and so did events like the Grahamstown Jazz Festival. I attended it one year and was deeply inspired by the international and South African jazz musicians performing there,” she says.

“That was the moment I knew this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I was completely drawn to the music. So my journey started with piano, keyboard and classical singing, and then shifted fully to the alto saxophone.”

The music star, who has released one self-titled album to date, says she chose the name as an introduction to who she is and the kind of music she enjoys.

“My music is heavily inspired by South African sounds since I learned to play the saxophone there and have always loved South African music. Growing up in Namibia, there has always been a strong connection to southern African music, and my parents also listened to it.”

She says the United States inspired her love for contemporary jazz, while Namibia also plays a role in her music. Her song ‘Moving’ reflects a Namibian style.

“In short, my music is a blend of my travels, experiences and the different cultures I’ve been exposed to,” she notes.

Apart from jazz, Eises says she was exposed to artists such as Celine Dion, Elton John and Lucky Dube, whom her mother listened to.

Her dad enjoyed jazz, which she only realised later.

“I also grew up listening to Bob Marley, and like many children at the time, we watched MTV a lot and explored music on our own. So my musical background is quite diverse,” the saxophonist says.

Eises cannot clearly remember her first big gig, but she does remembers her first public performance.

“It was on World Music Day in Windhoek, around June 2011,” she says. “I remember the crowd and the feeling … It was one of my very first performances, and a very special moment for me.”

The musician is planning to release new music in the second half of the year. She is currently inspired by amapiano and three-step, as well as other African sounds. She says she is excited to create new material in that space.

“I recently attended the Love Jazz Cruise over the Easter weekend in April. I had the opportunity to perform with a Cape Town band,” she says.

“We rehearsed the day before, and they performed some of my original Namibian compositions from my album. I also performed some popular songs with them.”

She says it was a beautiful experience for her to hear her music interpreted in a slightly different way, very close to her style, but with a unique Cape Town influence.

“It was really special for me to see more or less 2 600 people on a large MSC Opera cruise ship appreciating my music. Many of them were new to me and didn’t know who I was, so I’m very grateful for the opportunity that Camissa Solutions gave me to perform for a new audience,” she notes

She says she wants people to remember her as someone who made them feel good when she performs.

She adds that in the future, she would love to give back as much as she can through the income she earns from music.

Unknown to many people Eises says that music was not the only thing she did, adding that she was very active growing up.

She did a lot of swimming in primary school and she also sang classical music and played piano and keyboard.

In high school she was involved in dramatic arts, and she was also active in sport.

Eises is a two-time music award winner. She won best newcomer and album of the year at the 2018 Namibian Annual Music Awards.

Married and a mother of two, she says every day starts differently for her because she is self-employed.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.