‘Ningajindi Majita’: Kusalilwa ngoRay Phiri
SINGAJINDI Majita. Lomucu kaRaymond Chikapa Enock Ray Phiri neStimela washintsha izinto eNingizimu Afrika wavukuza aboHlanga ukuba bangaliphonsi ithawula ngoba ukuphuma emaketangeni abacindezeli kwase kunuka ekhaleni. Ayikho enye indlela uPhiri neStimela ababengashushumbisa ngayo lo myalezo ngaphandle kokusebenzisa izinhlamvu ezicashile zesitsosti ngoba ezinye izingoma zakhe zase zivaliwe emsakazweni nguHulumeni wobandlululo njengeWhispers In The Deep/Phinda Mzala.
UPhiri ushone ngesikhathi isizwe sisalila ngokudlula emhlabeni kwesishoshovu samalungelo abesifazane ezinyunyaneni nasezindaweni zokusebenzela uNkk u-Emma Mashinini oshone ngoMsombuluko. Umngani wakhe omkhulu abaqala naye ukucula u-Isaac Mnca Mtshali umchaze njengendoda ebingaphumuli ingakahlangani ingoma futhi zonke izingoma aziqamba bezisukela esigamekweni esithile.
elinye ilunguleStimela iVictor Masondo uthe uPhiri ubefunda kakhulu ngomculo ebhala nezincwadi. Uthi ngelinye ilanga bake bamthola esezel engquphazela kodwa esasibambile isigingci ngoba ubeyindoda engalali umculo ungakahlangani. UPhiri wazalelwa eNelspruit osekuyiMbombela ngowezi 1947. Udlule emhlabeni ngoLwesithathu emtholampilo iNelspruit exinwe umdlavuza wamaphaphu. Wakhula evele ewuthanda umculo, waqala ngokudlala isiginci esemncane kakhulu egqugquzelwa uyise ongasekho emhlabeni uKanyama Phiri. Kungaleso sikhathi lapho wafunda khona ukudlala izinsimbi ezihlukene zomculo okuhlanganisa upiyano nezigubhu.
Ngowezi 1962 yilapho azibonakalisa khona uPhiri ngesikhathi esansela iqembu lomculo elalidumile iDark City Sisters eyabe inekhonsathi endaweni eyayaziwa nge Eastern Transvaal ngaleso sikhathi. Wakwazi ukuhlanganisa imali wabe eseyozinza eGoli. EseseseGoli wasungula iqembu lomculo iCannibals. Ngesikhathi iCannibals ihlakazeka uPhiri akaphelanga amandla waphokophela phambili wasungula iStimela. Kuzona zonke izindawo kwakuzwakala kudlala izingoma zeStimela okungangokuba ama albhamu abawakhipha ashaya igolide neplatinum njengeFire, Passion and Ecstasy,Look, Listen and Decide neyasusa umsindo eyayithi People Don’t Talk So Let’s Talk.
Akuzange kuthuse ngesikhathi enye yezingoma zeStimela ezashisa izikhotha iWhispers In The Deep/Phinda Mzala njengoba yayaziwa kakhulu inhlangano yezokusakaza ngaphansi kukaHulumeni omdala wobandlululo wayivala ukuba idlalwe emisakazweni yayo. Kwaba sengathi uHulumeni wamaBhunu usifaka kakhulu amalahle isitimela ngoba sagijima kakhulu kunakuqala nabantu bawuthenga ubuthaphuthaphu umculo waso nengoma eyayivaliwe.
Babe sebelandelisa ngengoma ethi Singajindi Majita, lapho ayenxusa khona abantu bakuleli ukuba bangaliphonsi ithawula. Umculo kaPhiri neStimela babevukuza abantu ngawo bekhuluma nangephupho leNingizimu Afrika ekhululekile. Lesisihosha saba yingxenye yethimba iGraceland Tour eyathatha izinyanga ezili-8 iholwa umculi waseMelika uPaul Simon. Inhloso kaPaul Simon kwabe kungukuvukuza amazwe omhlaba ukuba eseke umzabalazo wokukhulula i-Afrika eyayicendezelwe nokugqugquzela inkulumongxoxo emayelana nokwazisana kwezizwe ngamasiko azo. UPhiri wazuza iGrammy Award ngokubamba iqhaza kulo mkhankaso kaPaul Simon. UMengameli uJacob Zuma wamhlonipha nge-Order Of Ikhamanga ngeqahaza lakhe ekusebenziseni umculo ukuguqula izinto ezweni.
