Iqembu iSankomota nobunye bama-Afrika
Umlando weqembu leSankomota mude kakhulu kanti uhlanganisa amazwe amabili okuyiNingizimu Afrika neLesotho. Liqale ngonyaka we-1975 laziwa ngokuthi i-Uhuru, kanti umbango wegama neqembu lensizwa yaseJamaica uMichael Rose iBlack Uhuru kwenza ukuthi bacabangisise nokwaphoqa ukuba baguqule igama bese bezibiza ngeSankomota. Lokhu akubanga lula neze ngoba igama i-Uhuru labe selaziwa kakhulu ngeminyaka yowe-1970. Abalandeli balo baseLesotho naseNingizimu Afrika babenganeli ubumnandi bomculo onomgqumo weSankomota nohambisana nomdanso.
Wonke amalungu aleli qembu kusuka kubaculi kuze kube kubashayizinsimbi babesezingeni eliphezulu kwabakwenzayo. Lalakhiwe ngoFrank Leepa owayedlala isiginci aphinde acule phambili abuye ahlele aqambe namaculo; uMoss Nkofu umdlalizigubhu; uBlack Jesus kumapercussion; uMoruti Selate noTshepo Tshola becula phambili babuye baqambe; uPitso Sera adlale isiginci kanti uPeter Schneider nguye owayemeneja iqembu kwaze kwaba unyaka we-1979.
Ngokusho komunye owayeyilungu uFrank Leepa, igama iSankomota lasuselwa eqhaweni lomPedi elaphila ngezikhathi sokubusa kweNgonyama Moshoeshoe. Iqembu lathatha leli gama ngenhloso yokulenza umfanekiso wobunye nobumbano lwezizwe zama-Afrika. Lokhu kufakazelwa nawumculo owawudlala iSankomota owaxuba isiZulu, isiPedi nesiSotho. Lo mculo wawuhlanganisa izinhlobo zomculo wombhaqanga, ireggae nokucishe kube ijazz. Kanti umculo walo bekuwumculo womyalezo othinta imizwa nomphefumulo.
Izwi likaFrank Leepa ekuhlanganisweni komculo weSankomota lilekelelwa isihosha sikaTshepo Tshola kwakwenza umculo waleli qembu uthokozise kakhulu. Ngonyaka we-1991 uTsepo Tshola walishiya leli qembu eseyoziculela yedwana nokwalikhinyabeza kakhulu iqembu. Yize kunjalo laqhubeka iqembu ngaphansi kukaLeepa, uBlack Jesus, uBudhaza Mapefane, noMoss Nkofo owayengomunye wabasunguli beSankomota.
Ngonyaka we-1996 leli qembu lambozwa ifu elimnyama ngenkathi engozini yemoto liyodlala eKapa lishiywa ngabanye bamalungu alo. Umuntu ongumthandi womculo wase-Afrika akawuvali umlomo ngezingoma ezimtoti zeSankomota ezitholokala kumacwecwe alo iqembu okubalwa iSankomota (1983) iThe Writing’s On The Wall (1989), i-Exploration – A New Phase (1991), iDreams Do Come True (1991), i-After The Storm (1993), iFrankly Speaking (2001), iBest Of Sankomota (1981-1991) kanye neThe Best Of Tsepo Tshola & Sankomota.
Leli cwecwe lokuqala iSankomota laqoshelwa khona kanye eLesotho ngonyaka we-1983 ngosizo lweLloyd Ross’ Shifty Mobile Studios. Icwecwe iFrankly Speaking labe lifake nomculi ongasekho uNana Coyote. Icwecwe i-After the Storm ilona elathandwa kakhulu ngenxa yezingoma zalo ezihlabahlosile.
Namanje umculo weSankomota uma udlalwa uvusa inkumbulo nosinga yize abaholi balo abaningi sebadlula emhlabeni. Kanti uTshepo ongowokuzalwa eLesotho yena wakhula emndenini womculo nalapho abazali bakhe babehamba phambili emculweni wamakhwaya. Uke wacula nenkakha yomculo wejazz kuleli uHugh Masekela ehamba naye amazwe omhlaba. Ingalesi sikhathi lapho ahlangana khona noJulian Bahula, umculi wakuleli osezinze eLondon. Lokhu kwenza ukuthi iqembu le Sankomota lithuthele eNgilandi nokwenza ukuthi bazinze khona kusukela ngonyaka we-1985 kuya kowe-1989.
Njengoba sisenyangeni ebungaza izwekazi lase-Afrika kubalulekile ukuthi sikhumbule amaqhawe namaqhawekazi ethu kwezobuciko ayiklama kudala le ndima yokuba kube nobambiswano emazweni ase-Afrika nokutshengisa ukuthi ubumbano ngokwenhlalo (social cohesion) ezobuciko kade zayiqala ingakamataniswa nangamali. Osekusele ukuthi iminyango yezobuciko iqinise ukulekelela abaculi abakuqhakambisayo ukusebenzisana kwezizwe zase-Afrika kanye nezikhungo ezihlela imikhankaso engobunye be-Afrika.
Okubalulekile ukuqiniseka ukuthi abengabadi bayakuqiniseka ukusebenzisana futhi kufukulwe kakhulu okuyigugu lethu nokungathi lokhu kwesekwe kakhulu nangezinsiza ezinkulu uma ngempela sifuna zibuye emasisweni.