His disability does not hold him back

PHYSICALLY challenged musician Lazarus Magana never allowed rejection to stop him from pursuing his dream.

Magana now owns Cripza Production, a recording company that gives disabled artists a platform.

Though the local industry rejected him because he is disabled, Magana says he is not bitter.

"My company is aimed at proving that disabled people have a lot of talent," he explains.

"The local music industry does not want to accept people who are disabled," Mangena says. "I heard Babsey Mlangeni complaining that the industry does not accept people like us, irrespective of our talent. They just don't see our talent."

The man who hails from Dennilton in Mpumalanga says he hopes, through his recording company, to empower especially youths who are neglected.

"I want to give youths an opportunity to record music and showcase their talent," he says. "Disabled people are talented and we cannot all be receptionists. People think we are pushovers, not people who have talent."

Magana, who wants to see the recording company grow, says the biggest challenge is a lack of funds.

"We need money to run the company, make CDs and master other things. I am grateful to people like Junior Sokhela, who offers his engineering services for free and Keith Mokoena, who does not charge us for using his studio.".

Magana's recording company has recorded artists such as Killa G, an Afro-pop artist.

H is passion for music started at a young age. After he completed his matric, Magana says, he focused on music, but he was never given a chance.