Both Sides | McCoy Mrubata: The Sound That Found Him | 6 August 2026
Before the saxophone, McCoy Mrubata imagined himself as a boxer and visual artist. Then, during 1976, a friend left behind a penny whistle. In this episode of Both Sides, Randall Abrahams follows that unexpected beginning through the family record collections that trained McCoy’s ear, his first professional performances, failed auditions and the changing music industry that pushed him from flute to saxophone.
The conversation moves from long-tone exercises and finding an original sound to touring abroad during apartheid, professional discipline, artificial intelligence and the many musicians McCoy later recognised as his teachers. It is a story about the difference between being discovered and becoming ready, and what it takes to sound like yourself when imitation is always easier.
Catch up on all Both Sides episodes here: https://www.enca.com/both-sides-podcast
Chapter List
(00:00) Before Music Found McCoy Mrubata
(02:25) The Family And Neighbourhood That Trained His Ear
(04:28) The Penny Whistle That Changed Everything
(06:26) Becoming A Working Musician At Eighteen
(08:27) Failure, Auditions And Learning The Standards
(10:22) Why The Music Industry Forced Him To Adapt
(12:14) The Long Search For His Own Sound
(13:56) Finding Creative Freedom In Johannesburg
(27:01) Touring Abroad During Apartheid
(36:59) Leadership, Reliability And Professional Discipline
(39:20) Why AI Cannot Replace Musical Craft
(41:18) The Teachers He Only Understood Years Later
(48:46) McCoy Mrubata’s Advice For Young Musicians
