Intambo ihamba negazi
BANINGI abaculi abavele banyamalale nje esikhaleni kuleli. Kuvele kuthule nje, kungaziwa ukuthi bashonephi noma bashonaphi.
Esikhathini esiningi size sibakhumbule ngoba sekuvela ukuthi baxinekile wukugula, noma abasenayo nendibilishi yokuba baziphilise. Angithi lokho kwenzekile ngabaculi abafana noVusi Ximba no-Johny Dimba iningi elikhumbule ukuthi kambe kunabaculi abanjengabo ngoba sekuvela izindaba zokuthi sebelishiyile leli elimagade ahlabayo.
Yingakho kuleli sonto sibone kufanele ukuba sike sithungathe uMadala Kunene. Kunzima ukumthola. UMadala Kunene: Inkosi yomculo wesiZulu ohambisana nesigingci. Uthi ushaya uMaskandi ohehayo oxube izinhlobo eziningi ezehlukene zomculo.
Indlela awenza ngayo umculo wakhe yenza kube nzima ukuba uwuhlonze ukuba uwuhlobo luni.
Ngesikhathi ecula kweminye imicimbi eyayihanjelwe ngulowo owayenguMengameli wakuleli, uNelson Mandela, uMadala wancinza intambo wachazeka uMadiba. “Nguwena futhi? Ngifisa sengathi ngingadlalelwa nguwe umculo kuyo yonke imicimbi engiba kuyo,” washo kanje uMadiba.
Ngithole ukuthi uMadala usanda kubuya e-New York, lapho ebeshaya khona ingoma e-Carnegie Hall ngaphansi kwe-‘Ubuntu: Music and Arts of South Africa’, okungomunye wemicimbi emikhulu yomculo kuleliya doloba laseMelika.
Kuleli dili lomculo, uMadala ubehambisana nezinkunzi zakuleli ezifana no-Hugh Masekela, Dave Matthews, William Kentridge, Andrew Tracey, Vusi Mahlasela, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Abdullah Ibrahim.
UMadala uthi uthole ithuba lokuzilulela izinyawo e-Madison Avenue; etshethe isigingci sakhe. Uthole nethuba lokuncokola nezinkunzi ezifana no-Keanu Reeves.
Kunanamahlebezi-ke okuthi kunefilimu elanda ngempilo yakhe engase iqoshwe maduze nje. Kuthiwa igama lale filimu kungase kube ngelithi: From Cato Manor to Carnegie Hall. Le filimu izobheka umlando wale nkunzi esinciza ukitazeke, ukhumbule kwanhliziyongise.
Isigingci selokhu asidlala kusukela esengumfana omncane esadlala isigingci sokuzakhela.
UMadala wehlelwe yinto enzima ngasekuqaleni konyaka odlule ngesikhathi ehhahhamezwa yizihlwele emcimbini owawusoLundi – kuthiwa izihlwele zase zijahe ukuba kungene iqembu lomculo we-Hip Hop, ngakho zabona kumele adede lo “Madala”. Nokho ku-Ubuntu Festival, uMadala wadlala futhi wajatshulelwa ngabantu ababalelwa ku-25 000. Yebo uzwe kahle: 25 000.
Ngawo unyaka odlule, uke waphinda wayodlala e-Bangkok. Ukuhhahhamezwa kwakhe oLundi kuveza ngokusobala ukuthi bancane abantu bakuleli abazi ngaye noma ngomculo wakhe.
UMadala wazalwa ngo-1951 eMkhumbane. Kulo nyaka uhlanganisa iminyaka engu-68 edla anhlamvana. Unezingane eziyisishiyagalombili. Umculo wangena kuye esemncane kwazise noyise wayengumculi yize engazange afike ezingeni lokuqopha.
Uthi uthando lomculo lwangena esemncane njengoba azakhela isiginci esebenzisa igogogo likatelu, kanti izintambo wayezenza ngamasokisi abesifazane aziwa nge-pantyhose asemadala.
Wayeneminyaka eyisikhombisa ngaleso sikhathi. Kusukela lapho akazange esahlukana nesigingci nomculo.
Umbona ngokumomotheka ukuthi umthinta emanonini uma ukhuluma ngomculo. “Isigingci sami sokuqala ngasenza ngineminyaka eyisikhombisa, ngisizwa wubaba,” usho kanje.
IMpendulo yakhe uma ebuzwa ngobuciko bokudlala isigingci yenza kube lula ukubona ukuthi kungani umculo wakhe usuzitholele imakethe kubantu abathanda umculo ohlukile, nohlanganisa izinhlobo eziningi.
“Akumele uze uzixake kakhulu noma uncinze izintambo eziningi. Dlala ngendlela ehambisana nesimo sangaleso sikhathi. Intambo yami (ayibiza iMadalaline) iveza indlela engizwana nayo nesigingci sami, nokuthi yiziphi izimo esesike sabhekana nazo,” usho kanje.
Uthi isigingci ahlale esitshethe, nesesifana nophawu abonakala ngalo lapho ehamba khona, usebe naso iminyaka engamashumi amabili.
Phakathi kwemicimbi emikhulu aseke wadlala kuyo singabala i-Hazelmere Jazz Festival 2013; Paris Cultural Festival 2013 (e-France); Cape Town City Hall Sessions 2012 (South Africa); Splashy Fen Festival 2011; Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2007; Fort West Village Heritage & Culture Festival 2004 ne-Carnegie Hall – Ubuntu Cultural Festival 2014 (e-New York).