Music runs in his veins.
He might have not known it when he was younger but looking back now, all the signs were there.
When his father bought a keyboard because he wanted to learn how to play it, that is where it all started. While his father waited for his colleagues to teach him, a young Sipho Msiza went ahead and taught himself.
After school, he would rush back home to steal the keyboard and play around with the notes before his father came back from work.
Within no time, he had gotten the hang of it. One day, he got carried away and was caught in the act.
Instead of being scolded as expected, his teacher father who was impressed by his playing he officially gave him the musical instrument.
“I was enjoying it too much that I overdid it one day. The next thing, he found me with it. I was scared that I was going to get beaten that day. Little did I know that was the day I was told ‘so you can play this thing, then keep it’,” he tells Drum.
Since those primary school days, the musician affectionately known as Dr Moruti has gone on to soar in music, adding guitar and drums to the list of instruments he now plays.
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In high school, he became a problem child for always having a music book to study in class instead of prescribed textbooks, even though he was merely capitalising on free periods at Central high school in Soshanguve.
“It even got me in trouble with the principal. I was told that I needed to do schoolwork and that I could focus on the music books only at home.”
Even with this love for music discovered at an early age, Sipho studied mechanical engineering, which he finished earlier than expected and proceeded to then study IT at a college in Lynwood, Pretoria.
After moving in with his friend who lived closer to school and was studying sound engineering, the driven Sipho got to learn more about music through his friend.
“I used to go with him to his class sessions. That’s where I learned about a program called Cakewalk. He was using Fruity Loops and Cubase 3 though and I also learned those. It was easy for me to program because I had already known how to play a keyboard,” he says.
With the basics he had learned, he taught himself further.
Mechanical engineering came knocking on his door though and snatched him from his IT qualification when Nissan offered him employment. Within two years of working, he bought full studio equipment and started recording songs.
“I remember the first song I recorded was a Hip Hop song followed by a Jazz song and an Afro Pop song. I then got into Afro sound which I pushed for a very long time until I met Rhythmic Elements members. That’s when I ventured into house now, [particularly] dance which was different.”
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His breakthrough came shortly after when Rhythmic Elements released the Lesson Number One song in 2009.
Released on the first day of the year, the song set a high music standard for the whole year.
The very same year, their other hit single 2 by 2 won the MTN Record Of The Year award at the South African Music Awards.
“That is the song that opened a lot of doors for me. I remember we recorded it in less than two hours, performed it on the same day at Morula Sun [Casino in Mabopane] and people loved it. Many followed after that.
“To date though, the biggest song I’ve done is Collide by Lady Zamar,” he adds.
Having worked with too many artists in the music industry, Sipho loses count as he tries to recall every one of them but makes mention of Black Motion, Donald, Zakes Bantwini, Kabelo ‘Bouga2shoes’ Mabalane, Holly Rey, DJ Buckz, Simmy and Sun-El Musician.
A memorable project he’s worked on though is Hugh Masekela’s tribute song which SBAC 1’s Live Amp called him up for.
“They asked me to do a Stimela tribute song. On the song was Sjava, Emtee, Kwesta, Vusi Nova, Afrotraction so I’ve worked with a lot of people.”
This year, Dr Moruti made the decision to finally work on something more personal and closer to home.
Dedicating it to his “miracle babies”, he made an album titled The Heirs That I Breed.
“My first born was born at five months, two weeks and she was the size of this cellphone so it was a miracle from God. I never thought she’d survive and be alive to date. She’ll be 15 years old on 25 December. The second one who’s a baby has the same story but at least he was much older; seven months. The third one is the only one who came after full nine months, and I think she’s the one that might become a musician.
“The reason why I did the album for them is because I wanted them to have their own [musical] asset [from me]. I registered them a publishing company which means whatever money this album will make, I’m not taking anything, it goes to them. It’s their inheritance,” the proud father adds.
With the Afro Tech dance album that has 90% Gospel lyrics, Sipho intends to leave a legacy for his children.
