“If you don’t know where you coming from, you will never know where you are going”
Marhoya is a name that he was given by his granny, the full name of the Artist is Nyiko Royal Chauke – a Music guru who composes, produces and plays almost all music instruments but prefer to play a lead guitar.
Marhoya started his music career at an early age, playing bass guitar for the late Majanguza Band – a well known Xitsonga Traditional Music pioneer.
He completed a B.Com degree in 2000 at the University of Johannesburg formally known as Vista University at the Soweto Campus, and has been given an opportunity to serve Articles by Ngubane & CO (CA) SA between 2001 & 2004. He was reporting to Ronald Moyo and Khothamani Vilakazi whom were partners in the Johannesburg Office. He joined SARS in 2004 as an Integrated Auditor dealing with all tax types from PAYE to Business Income Tax. He is currently working for the same organization (SARS) as an Operational Specialist assisting Auditors & Criminals investigators before starting with the investigative audits and criminal cases.
In the music circles, he worked with his brother Buddy Dona and Kenny Bee in 2006 with the assistance of Ike Ngobeni – the former Munghana Lonene FM presenter. When Marhoya released his first album called Matsonga Machangana it was Disco and he was joined by DJ Mkon’wana and the late Sgqebz of Jozi FM where they formed the company called Magwagwaile Music Productions which was loved by masses in the streets of Soweto. The support they were getting was massive and in 2007 he realized that he had a calling for Xitsonga traditional music.
In the late 2009 he was joined by Prince Rhangani who assisted him with the production of his 3rd studio album that was named “Phaphama” and it was well received by masses from Soweto to Malamulele. In 2011, Marhoya Chauke, DJ Mkon’wana of Jozi FM, Joe Shirimani, Prince Rhangani and Benny Mayengani formed a Group called “Bangoni Bandawu” which won the Munghana Lonene FM Music Award for Best Disco song for the very same year. The album also did very well and that was the time when they gave birth to Xitsonga Traditional “Ndzhumba” Music which translates Drum in the Xitsonga language of South Africa.
In 2012 Marhoya Chauke and other Artists formed a band called “Swibi Swa Ndhuma” which brought good music to our ears with their well-known song “Midrand aminge lungi Maseve“, led by Marhoya Chauke. The song was also featured in Marhoya Chauke’s album which was released the following year – 2013. The Group got recognition and were invited to be the resident band that played live at the Munghana Lonene FM Music Awards which were held in Tzaneen that very same year. The band was perfoming songs of the popular music legends such as Dr Thomas Hasani Chauke, Xitsonga Disco King Penny Penny, “Ray chikapa” Phiri of Stimela, George Maluleke, the late Minister Collins Chabane (may his soul Rest In Peace) as well as Obed Ngobeni who received the Posthumas Award in 2012.
In 2014, with the assistance of Evans Mabasa & Solomon “Chicco” Tshabalala, Marhoya has done an album called “Vafana vale kaya part 6”. The album which packs 10 tracks, which all can play for more decades due to the quality of the songs, the album had tracks such as “Vafana Vale Kaya”, “Solomoni Magazine”, “Chancha”, “Maseve” and “Xinombhela” which was the title track of the album.
Towards the end of the year 2014, with the assistance of Nyiko Evans Sithole & Solomoni “Chicco” Tshabalala his homeboy, they formed another group called “Matsatsantsa a Limpopo” which brought the heat at Munghana Lonene FM in December of the very same year. In the group there was his former “Swibi Swa Ndhuma” band member Savvana Ngobeni – the son of the late Obed Ngobeni and his friend Given Mun’wanati. In their album there is 10 tracks accompanied by hit tracks such as “Mbuti Yi Khungiwile”, “Manghenile Matsatsantsa”, “Byala” and “N’wamatsotsosela” which was the title track of the album.
In 2015 Marhoya managed to release his first album under his own Record Label called Marhoya Music Productions which was formed in 2013 around May. His latest album, a second album under his new home early this year was released under his own Record Label. The album is titled “Dyandza Na Ndzalo“, it is available at all music stores nationwide, tracks to look for in the album include “Xibelengwane”, “Sign Language”, “Msangwa”, “Vafana vale kaya (Part 1) remix” and “Dyandza na Ndzalo” which is a title song of the album. He is currently working on a DVD that will be launched very soon and will also include a number of hit songs previously danced to by the masses of both Gauteng and Limpopo province.
In 2020 and 2021, Marhoya released his albums under his own label called MaRhoya Music Productions, and in the albums there are hits tracks like “Tihosi”, “A swi ni fanele“, “Nyiko ya Vahlengwe” and “Ncindzu makukula kule” which was title song of the album.
In 2022, Marhoya released another album under his own label and the album had hit tracks like “Vafana va le kaya“, “Vaka Chauke” featuring Dj Ghapu and Chauke va Swinyeletani, “Vana va mina” and “Xifongo” which was the title song of the album. The album was produced by Madida Shigombe, the younger brother of Evans “Mabevan” Mabasa.
This year, 2024, Marhoya Chauke will release a single titled ‘Fill Up The Tables‘ featuring Simefree on the 21st March.
These are the words of Marhoya Chauke:
“Culture defines us, it’s our roots, a society without culture is nothing but just like a dog without a tail, unable to catch a rabbit because of failing to turn at an immediate effect. We therefore deem it fit to revisit such means of socializing with other cultures at our beautiful provinces (Limpopo, Gauteng, NW and Mpumalanga)”.
Marhoya Chauke is currently in the studio with the new band rehearsing all songs recorded from 2006 to date in preparation of the live Video shoot that will be lauched in the YouTube Channel of Marhoya Chauke.
