The talented musician Manelisiwe Hawley hails from uMlazi, Durban. She was raised in a Christian background and her first experience of gospel music came through her mother’s sisters, who were gospel singers. It was that environment, coupled with a fervent desire to know more about God, that led Manelisiwe to heed her calling to be a musician from a tender age. This would see her become a member of various gospel groups and eventually decide to leave Durban for Johannesburg to pursue her calling at a higher level.