Obert Tshabalala (Tshaka) was born 53 years ago in Sogwala area (Lower-Gwelo) and currently resides in Mkoba 5 and is a fine singer endowed with yodeling skills that can cause the audience to recall their past and typical Ndebele songs sang in the mediaeval. Below are excerpts from a recent interview with Caven Masuku.
Q. TELL ME IN SHORT: WHO IS TSHABALALA?
A. My full name is Obert Tshabalala and was born in Lower- Gwelo in 1953, under chief Sogwala. Currently, my family is in Zhombe together with other Qaphela Voice sound member’s.
Q.HOW MANY ARE YOU AND WHAT ARE THE NAME OF YOUR GROUP MAMBERS?
A. We are a group of 9 members. Am the leader myself: Obert Tshaka Tshabalala, in addition they is Elliot Tshabalala, Shadreck Maphosa, Ziphandele Moyo, Clay Ngwenya, Paul Jogwe, Mkhululi Tshabalala, Nkosana Mpofu and Smart Tshuma.
Q. WHEN DID YOU START SINGIN?
A. Yes thank you so much! Well I started singing when I was a boy but began getting serious in 1980, when I had to sing for ZAPU PF. Those were the day’s when I was in Bulawayo and singing was for political purposes which could move people to action.
Q.EVERY TALENT HAS AN INSPIRATION AND IN YOUR CASE, WHO INSPIRED YOU?
A. Actually they are so many people who inspired me to sing Imbube songs. My brother Misheck Tsane and Gerode Tsane are my aspirators especially in 1970, during war time there were countless occasions where they sang with me. Amabhubesi and Ihawu Lesizwe from South Africa are the other groups among to be mentioned that inspired me.
Q.FROM YOUR PERCEPTION WHAT IS IMBUBE MUSIC?
A. Imbube music is typical Ndebele songs that are sang using pure voice that has no mix with guitars or piano’s. This genre of music was sung in the past for political and social gatherings like wedding’s and meeting, when presiding over some issues in the community.
Q.WHAT KNOWLEDGE ABOUT LIFE IN GENERAL DOES YOUR GENRE OF MUSIC IMPART TO THE COMMUNITY?
A. Imbube music imparts knowledge about the past, present and the future. It focuses on peoples problems that can be either political, social or entertainment. This type of music acts as a medicine that cleanses away evil spirits and perfect the society way of keeping up living standards.
Q.DOES YOUR MUSIC PROMOTES THE EXPERIENCES OF THE AUDIENCE?
A. Yes it does of course in various ways. It brands and blends knowledge and incites both the singer and the audience to share the feelings and to be in the same footing.
Q.ARE YOU GETTING ANY SUPPORT FROM NATIONAL ARTS COUNCIL OF ZIMBABWE (NACZ)
A. Not really, but we are happy that they are making us famous and this in turn creates opportunities to mix with other singers. We would like to thank the previous ruling party of Zimbabwe, ZANU PF for the assistance they offered us sometime ago. They donated T-Shirts and other which amounted to a complete uniform kit for our group.NACZ assist us through Chibuku Road Fame, where we get awards for competing. But this has ceased for the past three years and by then we used to rehearse in places like Bulawayo, Mutare, Masvingo and Harare.
Q. HAVE YOU SHOWCASED EVER SINCE YOU STARTED SINGING?
A. Yeah! We have been moving around especially the entire Zhombe area. We have toured all schools in Zhombe and part of Lower-Gwelo like Dimbamiwa for the past three years.
Q . HOW TRUE IS THE ASSERTION THAT MUSIC IS ASSOCIATED WITH CULTURE?
A. That is very true in every sense. Like the Imbube music, as we sing we dance inquzu and sing in IsiNdebele proverbs and idioms, we whistle and ululate. At the moment we are looking for the traditional costume and will be happy if we find a helper. Basically all these reflect cultural aspects.
Q. WHAT ADVISE CAN YOU SHARE WITH OTHER ARTIST WHO ARE INTO SINGING LIKE YOU?
A. Youngster’s should dedicate themselves to their effort and unite. They should support each other and ovoid petty jealousy. This will elevate their zeal and make the UMthwakazi (nation) proud of their culture. They should not despise the traditional type of music in favour of Western Music. Our music is rich with local language adages, proverbs and idioms that can be used to chastise and castigate the bad conduct of the community members. Youngsters should use their voices to sing without instruments, since this at times can tarnish their quality voice.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Is Zimbabwe offering practical education?
Zimbabwe is one of the most respected countries not only in the Southern region but in Africa as a whole in term of educating its people. But the big question which everyone would want to ask is whether our education is a catalyst in turning the fortunes of the economic turn-around program.
Though the education system has commendably churned out academics of high caliber. It is the system’s re-oriented towards encouraging initiative and problem solving skills that has been in doubt. The current education system creates a job seeking mentality in individuals as they endeavor to be employed in the formal sector. Most graduates from various higher learning institutions are jobless and lack the drive to start their own business venture as employers. The challenge has been for graduates to use skills acquired from college to start self help projects and business enterprises.
Likewise there is need for the additional of” new impetus on the philosophy of educational sector for self reliance. Graduates should be incited to work hard, intelligently, with discipline and integrity”, says Pious Mnkandla. He added graduates should not be overwhelmed by today’s problems in finding lasting solutions for self-empowerment.
It is through education that individuals acquire suitable skills and knowledge to explore problems. They should not be caught unaware in the pool of mediocrity. All aspects under study have to be thoroughly dealt with both in theory and practice. This is supported by Plato’s philosophy of faith which say’: “ That we shall be better and brave and less helpless if we think that we ought to acquire, than we should have been if we indulged in the idle fancy that we do not know…” When I asked the public to comment on how practical our universities education is, this is was the response:
“Our education is too theoretic and lacks practice. Universities should be furnished with enough resources to equip students with practical skills and knowledge”, said Njabulo Ndlovu.
“It is disheartening to find that graduates are in despair and their hopes are fading thereby failing to prosper”. Education is a tool to unlock our minds and sharpen our thinking capacity and learned ones should pray for beauty of their inwards souls and the outward to be at one”, said Tinovonga Mabika. Mabika added:”Just like Socrates the graduates may be viewed as the wise and wealthy, and may have such in quantities of gold as temperate person as they are”.
It has been suggested that Africans have a syndrome of always looking forward to being employed instead of creating employment for themselves. This has remained true despite assurances from various top officials from several institutions’ of higher learning around Zimbabwe claiming that they have impressed on their students to become job creators and not job seekers in order to make money and advance economically.
Though the education system has commendably churned out academics of high caliber. It is the system’s re-oriented towards encouraging initiative and problem solving skills that has been in doubt. The current education system creates a job seeking mentality in individuals as they endeavor to be employed in the formal sector. Most graduates from various higher learning institutions are jobless and lack the drive to start their own business venture as employers. The challenge has been for graduates to use skills acquired from college to start self help projects and business enterprises.
Likewise there is need for the additional of” new impetus on the philosophy of educational sector for self reliance. Graduates should be incited to work hard, intelligently, with discipline and integrity”, says Pious Mnkandla. He added graduates should not be overwhelmed by today’s problems in finding lasting solutions for self-empowerment.
It is through education that individuals acquire suitable skills and knowledge to explore problems. They should not be caught unaware in the pool of mediocrity. All aspects under study have to be thoroughly dealt with both in theory and practice. This is supported by Plato’s philosophy of faith which say’: “ That we shall be better and brave and less helpless if we think that we ought to acquire, than we should have been if we indulged in the idle fancy that we do not know…” When I asked the public to comment on how practical our universities education is, this is was the response:
“Our education is too theoretic and lacks practice. Universities should be furnished with enough resources to equip students with practical skills and knowledge”, said Njabulo Ndlovu.
“It is disheartening to find that graduates are in despair and their hopes are fading thereby failing to prosper”. Education is a tool to unlock our minds and sharpen our thinking capacity and learned ones should pray for beauty of their inwards souls and the outward to be at one”, said Tinovonga Mabika. Mabika added:”Just like Socrates the graduates may be viewed as the wise and wealthy, and may have such in quantities of gold as temperate person as they are”.
It has been suggested that Africans have a syndrome of always looking forward to being employed instead of creating employment for themselves. This has remained true despite assurances from various top officials from several institutions’ of higher learning around Zimbabwe claiming that they have impressed on their students to become job creators and not job seekers in order to make money and advance economically.
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