Louis Armstrong inspires 11-year old to blow her own horn on multiple stages

JOHANNESBURG – At the tender age of four, Nayima Ndlovu’s love and interest for music could not be overlooked. It also comes as no surprise, because she comes from a musical family.

Moreover, she has a tough schedule compared to her peers, as she follows in the footsteps of legendary trumpeter Louis Armstrong – whom she is inspired by.

Ndlovu picked up the brass instrument early in her musical career. The trumpet has three valves used to feel for notes, while the player delicately blows into the mouthpiece to produce sound.

South Africa has spawned some notable trumpeter including Hugh Masekela, Alex van Heerden, Mongezi Feza, Clause Deppa, and Mandla Mlangeni.

Eyewitness News has had the pleasure of talking to 11-year-old rising star Ndlovu, and her mother Dr Lezanne Ndlovu

“My favourite trumpeter is Louis Armstrong, one of the world’s greatest jazz artists. I’ve also recently started listening to a female English trumpeter, Ms Alison Balsom. They play an instrumental part in how I want to grow as a future successful trumpet player,” said the young musician.

Her mother, Dr Ndlovu, noted that the trumpet gave her confidence: “When Nayima attended pre-school, her teacher reported that she was timid but came alive during the music class. She has always been highly intrigued mostly by her musical toys.”

“There is a real freedom when I play and perform in front of a crowd. This is also for me as well as the listener. I chose the trumpet as my voice because my own voice doesn’t measure up to the sound I create through the trumpet,” said Nayima.

The pre-teen was a contestant at the 2023 Hubert van der Spuy National Music competition, a one-of-a-kind competition in South Africa that offers a unique opportunity for children aged 13 years and younger to compete against their peers from across the nation.

“The sound of the trumpet is majestic, virtuosic, jazzy, mournful and a celebration. It allows me to express myself in different ways, whether I’m happy or sad. When my mother played a piece by Louis Armstrong I knew that the trumpet was for me,” said the musician.

She also graced the stage at the Combined Choir Festival with Richard Cock in Johannesburg with a captivating two-day solo performance. Junior school choirs from eight schools across Johannesburg come together to perform in this massed choir festival conducted by Richard Cock.

The Roedean School pupil is also one of the 20 junior achievers at the National Eisteddfod of South Africa 2023, and holds the position of the youngest member of the Johannesburg Youth Orchestra.

“From the tender age of four years old, Nayima showed interest in music. She has been surrounded by musicians all her life. Her brother, Manqoba plays the trombone, her uncle Paul is a professional French hornist and all her cousins from Wupperthal play musical instruments. The Moravian Church brass band also sparked her interest in brass instruments,” said Dr Ndlovu.

The youngster said she enjoys Jazz and swing because they are soulful but also enjoys performing classical pieces. In her eyes, all music is very joyous to play. And she tried to strike a balance between school and her music.

“It’s challenging. I work extremely hard and I try and do most of my homework on Mondays, so that I have time to prepare and attend orchestra rehearsals the rest of the week. I also play piano, sing in the choir, drama lessons, sports and robotics. My weeks are very busy for an 11-year-old.”

On how she protects her child’s mental health, Dr Ndlovu said they relied on the partnership and support they have created with her teacher to protect her and help her bounce back when things don’t go as planned.

“Performing on an instrument takes a huge amount of discipline and it’s a big partnership between Nayima, us as parents, and Philip Cox as the teacher. Philip has over twenty years of experience as both a performer, a parent of musical children, and a real surrogate parent of Nayima. Lessons are business time but also the building of a lengthy working relationship.”

Philip Cox is a great trumpet player in his right having played in Porto for Philharmonic do Norte in London with all the major symphony, ballet, and Opera Orchestras. In 2016 Philip was awarded an IMA award for his debut album Top Drawer.

Philip has commissioned seven works for the trumpet as the soloist or as a featured instrument by South African composers, most recently ’25 Goodbyes’ by Cara Stacey.

Dr Ndlovu expressed her reverence for Cox: “Luckily we all have a huge respect and love for each other and the process is a happy place for our child. There is less pressure on performing brilliantly but more on understanding how to respect Nayima’s talent and how this can be a life-changing and life-long interest.

“The notion of perfection is unnecessary at the moment. Pleasure and enjoyment are the driving force. Perfection will result as a consequence of staying true to our intentions.”