Nathi Mankayi on why he doesn't speak English

The musician is authentically himself 

By  | Jun 22, 2020, 01:44 PM  | Nathi Mankayi  | Drama

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Nathi Mankayi pulls a Leonel Messi

Nathi Mankayi is one of the most respected musicians in this part of the world, the entertainer who was in prison for a couple of years has managed to turn his life around after his release from jail and since then, he has released three successful albums. 

Nathi who usually just speaks IsiXhosa explained why he does not speak English during an interview with Tshisa Live, "People will never not love because they don't understand the language you speak. They hardly ever care about that. So when I got into the industry‚ I immediately decided that I was not going to pretend to be someone I am not." he explained. 

He then went on to explain that although he only speaks his home language, he can understand English, "I grew up in a place where we spoke isiXhosa. Yes‚ I was taught English at school but I speak isiXhosa. It is who I am. So I couldn't get here and let go of the Mankayi that I am just because I was now on TV or radio."


Main image credit: zkhiphani.co.za

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