Muhammad Dawjee is a South African saxophonist, composer, researcher & educator from the indian apartheid group-area, Laudium, on the western outskirts of Pretoria. He sees improvisation as a research process and has collaborated with Dr Abdullah Ibrahim, Andile Yenana and Mandla Mlangeni. In 2015, he co founded the indo-jazz trio ‘Kinsmen’, served as a resident member of the pan-Afrikan septet iPhupho L’ka Biko and toured internationally with the experimental performance-art ensemble The Brother Moves On (TBMO). From 2019-2021, he co-led Unit 19: The Act of Service, a design research unit unpacking relations between ideology, mythology and space in (post-)apartheid South African cities at the Graduate School of Architecture (GSA), University of Johannesburg. Since 2022, he’s been obsessed with water and rivers as vibratory archives of collective memory. His interactive installation, spectres of //khamis sa: a listening well, was exhibited in the Oscillations – Cape Town-Berlin group exhibition at the Akademie der Künste in Berlin in May 2024. Muhammad lives in Johannesburg with his wife and their child who is two years old.
UK Jazz News: What is the best advice you received about balancing/juggling parenthood and career?
Muhammad Dawjee: I can’t say I received advice from anyone in particular that helped me understand how significant becoming a parent would be, but some things that stuck with me (and these are not particular to being a musician parent, I don’t think) are:
- Enjoy the process, before you know it – they’re all grown up and you forgot to take it easy, enjoy and observe the process,
- Try to include your kids in what you do (my dad did this with me – I remember being involved in his work from an early age and loving it because I learned a lot about the world and spent a lot of time with him).
UKJN: What information or advice do you wish you’d received but didn’t (and had to learn through trial and error or on the go)?
MD: The nature of your practice will change: how you hear, imagine and create will evolve – this might feel like you can’t practice your craft anymore, but what feels like a block is only temporary – there’s a very deep wellspring of creativity and imagination that awaits you as a parent because you’ll be in the presence of an incredibly inspired, creative and curious person for the next while.
UKJN: Your top tip(s) for other parents in jazz:
MD: I see parenthood as a gig. The music never ends and it’s all in the music. As a family we’re constantly sharing space and finding ways to support each other’s journey through life. At times we we might struggle to listen, might tire of hearing each other, or we might feel a little self-conscious of our own contribution, but as long as we remain patient ourselves and with each other and respectful of the ‘music’ i.e. the love – it will carry us and we’ll carry each other. Musicking together is a powerful metaphor for the love we have for each other as people. Musicians performing together experience an especially spiritual bond, but this spirituality exists beyond music itself, as a perpetual musical experience of life – between kin.
UKJN: Travel/gigging/tour-with-child advice. This can be gear or gadget-related, or pertain to approach/what to do/what not to do:
MD: I haven’t yet had the privilege of travelling/touring with my child.
UKJN: What is one way that figures or structures in the jazz industry could better support parents who are working jazz musicians?
MD: Well, in South Africa we’d first need to talk about structure in the Jazz industry in general before diving into how it could support parents in particular. I know of many established musicians, far more qualified and experienced than I, who are also parents in South Africa so I’ll answer briefly. There is little to no support here, not from any established body, workers union or governmental institution. We do however have a strong community of musicians here, with many tributaries, and I’ve personally seen people look out for each other’s kids on a sound-check and at gigs. Our scene is incredibly loving and engaged – partly because I think we know we only have each other to depend on, this is a tough reality, but has also made us resilient. I hope that we’ll be able to lean into our parenthood more as artists and as fathers in particular and not feel ashamed of the responsibility and personal sacrifice that it comes with. I still feel a slight stigma/shame regarding how I approach my work and family commitments, especially among men who relegate the responsibility of childcare to women and commit themselves solely to earning the bread.
UKJN: What has surprised you about becoming a parent and remaining engaged with your professional activities and ambitions?
MD: Since becoming a parent I’ve wasted far less time and energy hanging at gigs, trying to get into the good books of certain people or trying to be seen on the scene – and despite doing this – my roster has been healthier than before and I get more calls for the work I want to be doing than I did when I was trying so hard to be everywhere. Though initially scary, having less time to practice has made the practice more meaningful and focused and having less time to hang out on the scene has made my choices about what gigs or jams I attend more intentional. This intentionality and slowness permeates almost every decision I make and I feel in some ways it’s made me a more considerate performer. Hana (our daughter) has taught me to slow down, to listen and to think more carefully before responding. She’s also taught me about subtext, about body language and non-verbal communication. As an improvising musician, presence, slowness and intentionality are difficult things to master and I’m grateful for the daily practice of attentiveness and care.
UKJN: What boundaries have you set for yourself as a parent in jazz (could be related to travel/touring, riders, personal parameters, child care decisions, etc.)?
MD: When the gig is done, I rest. This rule applies whether I’m playing in my hometown, on a short regional tour or abroad. Though afterparties and hangs can be alluring – the late night is for those who can afford to sacrifice the day and unfortunately, I can no longer. I rest seriously, to return back home with the same energy that I left. I do this out of respect for my partner and the sacrifices she makes to hold the house together while I’m away. If the parenting team is healthy, then parenting is healthy and our baby is happy, and this is most important.
Muhammad is currently working on an album with his trio recorded at Dyer Tribe Studios outside Pretoria. He is also a current University of Johannesburg Artist in Residence (Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture) working on a research-based sound art installation considering the sonic landscape of Johannesburg and its relationship to South African Jazz that will be exhibited later in 2025.
(*) Parents in Jazz was started (first as ‘Mothers In Jazz’) by vocalist Nicky Schrire in August 2022. The initiative aims to create an online resource for jazz industry professionals with children, those contemplating parenthood, and jazz industry figures who work with and hire musicians who are parents. The insight of the musicians and administrators interviewed for this series provides valuable emotional, philosophical and logistical information and support that is easily accessible to all. “Parents In Jazz” shines a light on the very specific role of being both a parent and a performing jazz musician or jazz arts professional.
