Asibaphakamise abesifazane bethu kwezobuciko
Embonini yezobuciko bambalwa abangamazi uThembi Mtshali, uGcina Mhlophe noLeleti Khumalo
LABA ngabesifazane besifundazwe saKwaZulu-Natal ababeke hhayi elikaMthaniya nje kuphela phezulu kodwa iNingizimu Afrika yonkana. Lokhu kuphephezelisa ifulegi lesifundazwe sethu phezulu baqale ukukwenza ngezikhathi ezinzima lingakakhululeki elakuleli. Umbuzo-ke uthi kungani singababoni benikezwa ukwesekwa bokuthi baqhubeke nalo msebenzi omuhle kangaka wokuthekelisa ngolwazi lwabo entsheni yethu enomdlandla nefuna ukuzakhela igama nomsebenzi kwezokulingisa? Uma ubheka emazweni aphesheya ikakhulukazi e-Europe zonke izingqalabutho zakhona zinezabelo zemali ezivela eminyangweni kahulumeni womasipala nezifunda. Ngale ndlela zikwazi ukwenza imisebenzi yazo minyaka yonke ngaphandle kokuyoshukusha amabhentshi zimfonyoze nezigqoko ziyoncenga usizo. Thina-ke kungani singenalo uhlelo lwamaLiving Legends ethu okwenza imisebenzi yawo ibe ngehlomulisa intsha ekulo mkhakha?
Ungubani uThembi Mtshali?
UThembi Mtshali-Jones ungumlingisi, umculi nombhali wemidlalo yeshashalazi owaduma kakhulu ngokulingisa uThoko emdlalweni wethelevishini iSgudi Snayisi ngowe-1986 kuya kowe-1992. Waziwa kakhulu futhi elingisa uHazel Dube kuStokvel yeSABC 2 kusukeka ngonyaka wezi- 2003 kuya kowezi-2012. Ubonakele futhi kuLeague of Glory yeM-NET ngowezi-2010 elingisa u-Andiswa Sigcawu. UThembi Mtshali ungumsinsi wokuzimilela eThekwini, eMkhumbane, wakhulela kwaMashu lapho aqala khona ngokucula wadlulela nasekulingiseni. Ngowezi-2009 wamukeliswa yidolobha leTheku ngokuhlanganyela neHhovisi likahulumeni wesifunda ngendondo ye-EThekwini Living Legend. Uke wafundisa eGalluadette University, eWashington ngowe-1998, nase-University yaseLouisville ngowezi-2004 lapho waze wahlonishwa yiMeya yedolobha ngobuzwe baleli dolobha. Uhlonishiwe futhi naseKentucky waze wabizwa ngeHonorary Kentucky Colonel. Njengomculi usebenze noMiriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, Abdullah Ibrahim, Sipho Gumede, African Jazz Pioneers, noDizzy Gillepsie. EWashington waculela uMengameli wokuqala wentando yeningi kuleli UDokotela Nelson Mandela ngesikhathi ebungaza iminyaka yama-80 obudala bukhoma kuCable News Network (CNN). Yizwi lakhe futhi elisemculweni wefilimu i-Animal Farm eyakhiqizwa abakwaSony ngowezi-2004 neyaholela ekutheni aklonyeliswe ngendondo yama SAMA ngawo lonyaka.
Ikhono likaThembi Mtshali lavunjululwa wuMnu uWelcome Msomi nalapho adlala khona iminyaka ku-Umabatha okwathi emva kwalokho wabe esejoyina iMusical Ipi Tombi, lapho ayedlala khona indawo ephambili kaMama Tembu. Uzungeze umhlaba wonke waze wadlala eWest End (London) naseBroadway (okuyiphupho lanoma imuphi umlingisi weshashalazi).
Emafilimini anohlonze useke wadlala kuMapantsula (eyahlonzwa njengevelele eFrance kuCannes International Film Festival, 1988), In My Country, Cape of Good Hope, The Wooden Camera neThemba. Le ngqalabutho yakithi ngoNtulikazi iklonyeliswe ngeLifetime Achievement Awards kuSimon Mabhunu Sabela Film Awards.
Ungubani uGcina Mhlophe
UNokugcina Elsie Mhlophe waziwa umhlaba wonke njengoNozincwadi, umlweli wenkululeko, umlingisi, unozinkondlo, umbhali nomqondisi. UGcina Mhlophe usephakamisele phezulu iTheku isifundazwe, neNingizimu Afrika yonke njengomxoxi wezindaba ezakhayo neziqhakambisa ubu-Afrika, ikakhulu ekukhuliseni umqondo ezinganeni. Ufaniswa nogogo wesimanje oyibambe ishisa emkhakheni obunganakiwe wawenza wanakwa, eqiniseka ukugcinwa komlando wesizwe njengoba kwakwenzeka emandulo. Waziwa kakhulu futhi ngokuqhakambisa ulimi lwesiZulu njengoba nezincwadi zakhe uyaqikelela ukuthi zibhalwa nangolimi lwesiZulu. Kwezeshashalazi useklonyeliswe kaningi kusukela ngowe-1987 nge-OBIE Award njengomlingisi ophambili kuBorn in the RSA eNew York kanye ne Fringe First Award nge Have You Seen Zandile e-Edinburgh Festival ngowe-1987. Ngowe-1988 wabuye waklonyeliswa nge-Joseph Jefferson Award eChicago neSony Award yomdlalo ophambili iHave You Seen Zandile (BBC Radio Africa). Kwezamafilimu nethelevishini ngowe-1988 waba wumlingisi ophambili kufilimu ka-Anant Singh iPlace Of Weeping, waba umlingisi ophambili kuPalesa, kuSongololo, eyayiqondiswe uMarianne Kaplan waseCanada, uyaziwa kuTraveling Songs kaLindy Wilson nakuPrisoners Of Hope kaDanny Schechter wase-USA.
Uyaziwa futhi ngokuba umethuli we-Art Works neLiteracy Alive kuSABC, Gcina and Friends ngowe-1998, Looking Back, Moving Forward ngowezi-2002 kuSABC Education, njengomethuli weZindala Zombili ngowezi-2005/6 yeSABC Television kanye neSAUDADES, From the One Who Loves You ngowezi-2007. Kusukela ngowe-1987 kuze kube manje usebhale izincwadi ezingaphezulu kweshumi nezinkondlo. Emiklomelweni aseyizuzile kusukela ngowe-1991 kuya kowezi-2011 isibe yi-11 okubalwa i-Bookchat Award ngowe-1994, ngowe-1991 i-NOMA-Awards eqokelwe i-Queen Of The Tortoises, ngowe-1994 Honorary Doctorate for Literature enikwa iLondon Open University (England), ngowe-1998 Honorary Doctorate for Literature enikwa iUniversity of Natal (UKZN), ngo 2004 wanikwa i-Award for Life Time Achievement in Contribution to Traditional Arts, kwathi ngo 2009/2010 wazuza nge-SAMA Award for Songs and Stories of Africa CD, ngo 2010 EThekwini Living Legends Award, kanye Lifetime Achievement Award, Arts and Culture Trust, kwathi ngo-2011 wanikezwa i-Award for Contribution to Arts in Education, nguMnyango WezeMfundo esiFundazweni sakwaZulu-Natal.
Ngokuzayo sizobheka kabanzi iqhaza lentokazi yaKwaMashu uLeleti Khumalo njengengxenye yokuphakamisa abesifazane bethu embonini yezobuciko abenza kahle nabayisibonelo esihle endlini kaMalandela. Phela laba basikhumbuza ngezingqalabutho zakwaZulu ezifana neNkosazane uMkabayi ka Jama, uMthaniya (owazala iSilo u-Senzangakhona), noNandi (unina weSILO sakwa Dukuza).
- UMnu u-Edmund Mhlongo ungumqondisi wezobuciko nomsunguli we-Ekhaya Multi-Arts Centre owenza iziqu zobuDokotela kwezokuPhathwa kwamaBhizinisi eParis School of Business.
