By Bahle Gama
To Eswatini Poet, Christian Maz, poetry is a calling that he intends to use to heal the world. In an interview, 20-year-old Siphiwokuhle Christian Maziya expressed his passion for the craft which he says is intended to touch upon and comment on daily experiences.
“My craft is very important to me as the intention is to speak to the soul and try to heal people from depression and other life situations which they are faced with,” he said.
He stated that his artistry blends both poetry and music with the intent to evoke a variety of emotions and memories from the audience.
“It means a lot to me. I think I am trying to portray real-life situations faced by people in homes and in general. And the intent is to expose and address those situations for people to be healed, inspired, and encouraged not to give up,” Maziya said.
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He stated that through poetry, he has worked with different organizations and people from within and outside of Eswatini, which he said he does not take lightly.
“I am currently working on a project with NERCHA and have recently worked with Eswatini Mobile. The corporates have been engaging me and giving me a platform to grow and showcase my skills, which I am very grateful for,” he said.
In response to how he uncovered this artistry, Maziya stated that it was in high school when he had to do a presentation.
“I was nervous and did not know how I would present or even where to begin, so I opted to be poetic throughout the session and that is how my craft was created. I have never looked back since,” he said.
The Christian-oriented young man says he decided that poetry was a calling because having ventured into the journey, not only his fans have been healed and inspired, but himself as well.
Maziya further mentioned that having grown from Ekasi, he has seen that growth is possible, and for that to happen, one has to relocate.
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“If you want to achieve your goals, work really hard, and don’t be stagnant and be in one place. There are greater opportunities out there for everyone, as long as they are willing to tap into them and take advantage. I believe that it is very important to put God in everything you do, and ensure to invest in oneself because, at the end of the day, you are your own motivator,” said Maziya.
Christian Maz has a Tik Tok following of over 75 000 and 428 000 likes from people all over the world, over 19 000 followers on Facebook, and over 3 000 followers on Instagram.
In October 2022, he hosted a one-man show at Mbabane Theater Club which was reportedly filled up by fans, friends, and family. He has also won several awards in the country including the Poet of the Year award at the 2021 MTN SWAMA Awards and the Social Media Awards in 2021 and 2022 respectively.
In March, he released a trailer of a short film titled Ekhaya on YouTube which he said was intended to be viewed as a promotion for his upcoming album which is set to be both in English and Siswati. The visuals were shot in Mbabane and feature credits from local filmmakers.
