The Old Diocesan Issue 13 - Magazine - Page 37
ENTERTAINMENT
Kyeezi Siyengo and Morgan Newman are two ODs who entered
radio through different doors – their respective love for music
and sport. Years later, they find themselves behind the same
microphones at Good Hope FM, helping Cape Town think,
laugh and find its way home. By Mike Wright
T
here was a time when
radio was the thing.
A magical wireless
box in the corner of
the room that allowed
you to connect with a presenter
many miles away, sharing stories
and songs invisibly through the air.
As time went on, more and more
of these magical boxes appeared
in the world – but with screens –
and the novelty of those invisible
airwaves began to wear off.
Still, even in our modern age,
and despite all our televisions
and computers and smartphones,
radio has a unifying power that
brings countless people together.
Every day, thousands of radio
presenters around the world
arrive at their stations, switch
on their microphones and go
live, connecting to millions
of people at once.
Among those presenters, two
are from Bishops, and they’re
doing just that right here in Cape
Town on The Great Drive, which is
on air every weekday from 3pm to
6pm, attracting tens of thousands
of listeners per show. I tracked
down Khanya “Kyeezi” Siyengo
(2006W) and Morgan Newman
(2003W) and put them in front
of the mic for a change.
Kyeezi: Music, greatness and
figuring stuff out together
“The dream was to become
a professional basketball player.
That didn’t work out, but there was
always a love for music. I genuinely
believe that music is the soundtrack
to my life. I have a song attached to
every amazing moment and every
sad moment. That love for music
put me in a position where I felt
I could enter the media space,
and become a narrator of music.
“I started at UCT Radio, doing
a music-focused show, before
making it to Good Hope FM.
Radio took time to learn. I did
community radio, graveyard shifts
and a lot of shows where there
weren’t many people listening.
That gave me the freedom to make
mistakes, fix them and refine my
craft. To a certain degree, I enjoyed
being the guy nobody was listening
to. I could get down to what the
craft was really about. Now I’ve
“Radio has
shown me
how a career
needs to be
built moment
by moment.”
– Kyeezi
Siyengo
THE OLD DIOCESAN | 33
