Biography
Percy Mabandu is a writer, artist and communications professional who works at the intersection of arts, jazz and the media industries.
Mabandu is an artist with an interest in portraiture, figuration and music. This is not too far from his interest in the journalistic profile and interview as a creative format in his work as a writer. Mabandu makes paintings and drawings of real historical figures and fictional characters. These are often iconic musicians and other prominent figures in our culture. The painted portrait, when it works well, allows us to iconise personhood into something symbolic and larger than the sum of a man’s biological and historical facts. This is what interests me. The resulting image, as an icon, has an energy — a life.
Mabandu is an award-winning art journalist whose work has appeared on publications in South Africa and beyond; on titles like City Press, Mail & Guardian, Sunday Times, Rollingstone, Departures Magazine and others. He held positions on broadcast platforms like Tshwane FM, Radio 702, and PowerFM. Mabandu appears regularly on television as art and culture industry commentator on the SABC, ENCA and Newsroom Afrika.
Mabandu is the author of Yakhal’inkomo – Portrait of a Jazz Classic. The book is about the classic jazz 1968 jazz record by the late great Winston Mankunku Ngozi. Mabandu has held various roles as a public relations & communications consultant servicing a myriad of clients like Standard Bank Arts, Apple Music, Absolut One Source Live and others. Mabandu has served as marketing and communications manager for the Joburg Film Festival, media and content consultant for the SB Joy of Jazz, and a Senior Art Specialist at Aspire Art Auctions among others.
Mabandu is the author of Yakhal’inkomo – Portrait of a Jazz Classic. The book is about the classic jazz 1968 jazz record by the late great Winston Mankunku Ngozi. Mabandu has served on the SAMRO Foundation board of directors and the Advisory Board of the French Institute of South African: Friends of IFAS!