UPhuzushukela ngumqali wentambo kamaskandi
NAMUHLA sithamunda sakuhasha insizwa yakwaBhengu, “uPhuzushukela mud ‘umlungu mud ‘uzibukwana” nokunguyena owasiqalela ukudlala le ntambo eseyaziwa ngo-masikandi.
Igama lika-masikandi liqhamuka egameni lolimi lwesi-Dutch, elithi “musikant” nokuchaza “i-musician” ngesiNgisi – nokusho umculi. Phela lolu hlobo lwesiginci lwalufike nawo ama-Dutch echwebeni laseThekwini ehamba ngomkhumbi owawuvela e-Holland. Nguye-ke futhi umfoka Bhengu owadumisa lolu hlobo lomculo edlala ngesiginci ngokusipika esesenzele okuyi-bridge ngenhlana kwaphakathi nendawo.
UPhuzushukela waba umculi wokuqala ka-masikandi ukuqopha nokwamenza waduma kakhulu ngalolu hlobo lomculo. Igama lakhe, uJohn “Phuzushukela”Bhengu, kanti udabuka eNkandla, nalapho ayezalwe khona zingama -24 March ngowe-1930. Uthuthele eThekwini ngokuyofuna umsebenzi ngeminyaka ye-1940 ngesikhathi inqubo yobandlululo yabe seyibekwe njengomthetho wezwe. Wazakhela udumo nabalandeli ngokudlala lo mculo emigwaqeni yaseThekwini kanye nasemincintiswaneni nalapho izibukeli zaziba amajaji zibuka ubuchule bomculi okwazi ukuhlanganisa umculo wesintu nesiginci kanye nezihlabo zokuqala iculo, bese kuba ukuzihasha ube ucula. Lokhu kuzihasha okuthola emculweni kamasikandi kwakuyindlela yesintu yokubeka umaka (copyright) ukuze ungantshontsheki. UPhuzushukela-ke wayeyingqwele nengcweti ekwenzeni lokhu nokwamenza waduma futhi wavelela. Lokhu kudlala ngalolu hlobo kwaba ingxenye yokudlala kwakhe umasikandi empilweni yakhe yonke kanye nalabo baculi bakamasikandi abalandela ezinyathelweni zakhe. Yiwo lo mculo owenza uPhuzushukela wehluka. Kanti wake waveza ukuthi ukudlala kwakhe ngale ndlela kwagqugquzelwa ngukubona iqembu lengoma laseMkhomazi lizidlalela ehholo lapho kwakuphuzelwa khona utshwala (eMatsheni) eThekwini, wase yena-ke lesitayela esenza esakhe. (Akumangazi-ke nokubona ukuthi uPhuzekhemisi naye odlala umasikandi ngqo, ungowaseMkhomazi, kanti kwamanye amaculo akhe uze asho athi “ngeyakithi le ngoma” – nokufakazelwa ukuvuma kukaPhuzushukela).
Evakashele eGoli ngonyaka we-1955, uPhuzushukela wahlangana nomkhiqizi womculo u-Cuthbert Mathumba nokunguye owamsiza ekuqopheni icwecwe lakhe lokuqala elithi Ilanga Libalele ngaphansi kwenkampani iTroubadour Records ka David Coplan. Ekwedluleni emhlabeni kukaMathumba ngowe-1968, uPhuzushukela wabe esesebenza nomunye umkhiqizi u-Cambridge Matiwane, nokunguye owamsiza ukuba abe nebhendi emelekelelayo uma ecula. Ngaphansi kwenkampani yeTrutone uPhuzushukela waqopha esezibiza ngegama likaPhuzushukela.
Ngonyaka we-1971 uPhuzushukela wajoyina isitebela iGRC ngaphansi komkhiqizi u-Hamilton Nzimande nalapho umculo wakhe kamasikandi waba nokufaka okusambhaqanga. Lokhu kuhlangana kumculo kamasikandi nombhaqanga nesiginci sebhesi kwenza lo mculo wazwakala ngenye indlela. Nokho yathandwa kakhulu futhi abalaleli nababukeli ikakhulu labo ababesebenza emadolobheni. Akayekanga nokho uPhuzushukela ukugxila entanjeni kamasikandi kanti abadansi bakhe bona babeqephuza ingoma yesintu begqoka futhi ngokwesintu nokwakushiya ababukeli befuna impinda. Elinye lamacwecwe akhe laziwa ngokuthi Sehlule Umkhomazi (1982).
Ngenyanga kaNtulikazi kwajabulisa ukubona umnyango wezamaciko kazwelonke wenze umcimbi wokumhlonipha uPhuzushukela ngeqhaza lakhe elibalulekile lokusiqalela intambo kamasikandi kanye nokuwuthuthukisa lo mculo ongumsinsi wokuzimilela kwelikaMthaniya.
Umbono nokwenza ngalo mculi kamasikandi yikho okusikhiqizele izingwazi zalo mculo ezifana noThwalofu, uPhuzekhemisi, uMfazomnyama, uNganeziyamfisa noKhambalomvaleliso, uMfiliseni, iHhashi eLimhlophe, uBusi Mhlongo, uThembi Mkhwebane, Ingane Zoma, uShwi noMtekhala, nabanye abaningi. Kanti lomculo kamasikandi ungumculo othandwa kakhulu kuleli futhi nothengwa kakhulu – ongenayo nenkinga enkulu yomkokotelo. Osekusele ukuthi lo mculo umakethwe kakhulu phesheya kwezilwandle kanti ubumnandi bawo buze busondeze eduze ngisho abelungu abafana noJohnny Clegg, owaduma kakhulu eshaya noMchunu bezibiza ngeJuluka.
Lo mculo kamasikandi ubambe elikhulu iqhaza ekubekeni indaba njengoba injalo nasekwedluliseni umyalezo ngendlela enesigqi nesisindo ube uthokozisa. Umfo kaBhengu washiyela leli zwe ifa nokungamele lingcoliswe njengoba sekwenza abanye ngokungcofana kuze kuchitheke negazi.
