USipho Gumede – Inkakha yesiginci esikhulumayo
KULELI lizwe laseNingizimu Afrika akekho ongathi akayazi inkakha yesiginci esibhodlayo (bass) esiwungqambothi olwedlula zonke iziginci zalolu hlobo. Ayikho ibhendi enkulu okwakuthi uma iqopha ingaceli usizo lwale nkakha. Lapha sikhuluma ngoMnu uSipho Gumede owazalelwa eMkhumbane, Kwa-Kito, eThekwini. Abaningi bathi ukudlala kwakhe isiginci ngendlela ecokeme kanje kwenziwa yikho kanye ukuhlala kwakhe eMkhumbane ngaphambi ngokuya KwaMashu. Kusukela kwasebuncaneni bakhe okaYeyeye watshengisa uthando lwakhe lomculo ezidlalela isiginci sakhe sethini ayezakhele sona. Yikho kanye lokhu kukhulela eMkhumbane okwamenza wavuleleka ezinhlobeni eziningi zomculo kwaze kwagcina ngokuthi akhonze lowo wohlobo lwejazz yakuleli. Wagcina esewudlala ngesiginci sokwebolekwa.
Eneminyaka eyi-16 wahlabana nomdlalisiginci sejazz u-Cyril Magubane. Lokhu kwaba okokuqala ukuthi azithole eselalela futhi edlala umculo wenkakha uWes Montgomery. Wazikhulisa njalo ekudlaleni isiginci se-bass nokwagcina ngokuthi azithole eseqashwa eqenjini le-Jazz Revellers.
Ngemva kweminyaka emibili wathuthela eGoli njengabo bonke abaculi ababefuna amadlelo aluhlaza. EGoli lapha wazithola esehlangana nabanye abaculi abaphambili endaweni eyayaziwa ngeDorkay House, isemgwaqeni u-Eloff. Lapho wasebenza noDennis Mpale, uCocky Tlhotlhalemaje kanye noDick Khoza, owayeseke wasebenza naye ngaphambilini.
Akuphelanga sikhathi uGumede wazithola esesebenza nobaba wemidlalo yeshashalazi kuleli uGibson Kente. Emva kwalokhu wazithola yena nabanye abaculi sebehlangana bakha iqembu labo iRoots. Lapha kwakuboshelwe uJabu Nkosi, uBarney Rachabane, uDuke Makasi, uDennis Mpale noEnoch Mtlelane. Ngeshwa-ke iRoots ayizange ihlale isikhathi eside nokwathi uma ihlakazeka uGumede ngokuhlanganyela noBheki Mseleku bahlanganisa iqembu leSpirits Rejoice, nelalidlala umculo wejazz oxubile.
Ngenxa yothando lwakhe lomculo wasekhaya, uGumede waqhubeka nokuzama ukuhlanganisa umculo weSintu kanye nejazz. Umphumela walokhu kwaba ukuhlangana ngonyaka we-1982 noKhaya Mahlangu, umdlalizigubhu uMabi Gabriel Thobejane, bakha iqembu leSakhile, nokuyiqembu lapho uGumede akwazi ukuhlanganisa lo mculo wejazz ayehlala ephupha ngawo. Yilo leliqembu elamakhela igama elikhulu emculweni wakuleli – izifiso zakhe zase zifezekile!
U-Gumede uke waqopha nezinkakha ezifana nomdlali waseMelika uTimmy Thomas, kanye noKippie Moeketsi, Stimela, Margaret Singane, Abdullah Ibrahim, Winston Mankunku noBrenda Fassie.
Ngonyaka we-1985 uGumede waphumelela ukuqopha icwecwe lakhe lokuqala iFaces and Places, nelashisa kakhulu izikhotha. Lokhu kwalandelwa ukuqopha nezinkakha zakuleli uCaiphus Semenya, uHugh Masekela, uLetta Mbulu noJonas Gwangwa.
UGumede wazithola esekhiqiza ne-musical show eyaziwa nge Buwa, neyayixoxa ngomlando womculo wakuleli. Lo msebenzi wakhe wahambela eZimbabwe nakwamanye amazwe ase-Afrika. Waze wahambela naphesheya eSweden. Lokhu kwavulela uGumede ithuba lokuthi aye naseMelika nalapho adlala khona noHarry Belafonte kanye noLetta Mbulu.
Ngowe-1987, iSakhile wayivusa futhi uGumede yakwazi ukuhambela amazwe aseSwitzerland, e-Italy, eBritain, eGermany namanye amaningi ase-Afrika. ISakhile yakwazi ukumela leli zwe kwi‘Meeting of the World’ Music Festival eFinland nase Soviet Union (Russia). Ngawo unyaka we-1987, uGumede wazithola esemenyelwa ukuyodlala kwi Montreux Jazz Festival yodumo ehambisana noCaiphus Semenya, uLetta Mbulu noHugh Masekela, kwi African Evening eyayihlanganiswe inkakha kwezomculo u-Quincy Jones. Lapha eNingizimu Afrika uGumede waqhubeka nokubukela phansi imithetho yobandlululo edlala ngenkani kumakhonsathi ayehlanganisa zonke izinhlanga.
Ngonyaka we-1992 waklonyeliswa ngendondo ye OKTV emkhakheni weBest African Fusion Album ecwecweni lakhe iThank you for Listening. Ngowe-1995 waklonyeliswa ngeJohnny Walker Black Label ngeqhaza lakhe elikhulu ekuthuthukisweni komculo wakuleli. Ngowe-1996 wakhipha icwecwe lakhe elithi, 20 Years of My Life. Amanye amacwecwe akhe afaka Ubuntu (Humanity) kanye ne Blues for my Mother, kuyona ayenza ngokuhlanganyela nabaculi abafana noPaul Hanmer, Mandla Masuku noXoli Nkosi. Leli cwecwe ladayisa kakhulu kanti wayeliqophe ngaphansi kwenkampani ye-Sheer Sound.
Ngonyaka we-1999 uGumede wahlangana nomdlali wophiyano waseMelika uJoe McBride bahambela lonke elakuleli nokwalandelwa ukuvela kwakhe lomculi kwicwecwe likaGumede leNew Era, kukhona no-Andy Narell, Wayne DeLano noManny Rodriquez. Uke wadlala futhi uGumede neqembu le The Sheer All Stars, okwakudlala kulo noPaul Hanmer, uMcCoy Mrubata, uErrol Dyers no uFrank Paco. Wake wadlala ngokuhlanganyela futhi ngenkulu impumelelo noPops Mohamed kwi Kalamazoo. Leli cwecwe laze laqokelwa naku South African Music Awards (SAMAs).
Ngonyaka wezi-2000 uGumede wanquma ukubuyela esifundazweni sakhe KwaZulu-Natal, nalapho afundisa khona umculo kubaculi abasafufusa futhi wadlala ezindaweni eziningi emalokishini ekhuthaza abaculi abasebancane. Icwecwe lakhe lokugcina kwabaFrom Me To You nokwathi emva kwalo ngowezi-2004 ehlangene neSakhile baqopha iTogetherness. Ngawo unyaka wezi-2004, icwecwe lakhe leBlues for my Mother ladayisa ukuwedlula wonke! Ukhiqize, waqopha amacwecwe angaphezu kwamashumi amabili kwamanye awo elekelela abanye abaculi.
Ngemva kokwelashwa isikhashana uGumede wadlula emhlabeni ngomhla zingama- 26 kuNtulikazi ngowezi-2004, ngenxa yesifo somdlavuza wamaphaphu. Wayephila nendodakazi yakhe uMantombi kanye nomkakhe uNksz uFikiswa Pupuma, owashada naye ngaphambi kokuthi adlule emhlabeni.
Ukuhamba kukaGumede emhlabeni kwakhuthuza lesi sifundazwe, nokungangatshazwa ukuthi namanje ngabe usabambe elikhulu iqhaza ekuthuthukiseni umculo KwaZulu-Natal. Zolala izinsizwa kosala imisebenzi nezibongo zazo kube yizo ezosala zibadabula!
