Amaciko awahlale eqikelela impilo yawo ngokugcwele
NJENGOBA sesifike sedlula kuMfumfu okuyinyanga eyaziwa njengeyokuqwashisa ngomdlavuza ikakhulu webele kubalulekile ukukhumbula iqhawekazi lomculo wesintu uBusi Mhlongo.
Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi baningi abesifazane asebehaqwe yilo mdlavuza ogcina sewusabalele umzimba wonke uma ungaqashiwe. Amaciko ethu kumele aqwashiswe ngalokhu kanye nobumqoka bokuzixilonga njalo. Ngisho nabesilisa kumele nabo bazixilonge njengoba kusanda kuvela ukuthi uBra Hugh Masekela naye uxinwe umdlavuza ohlasela abesilisa esithweni sabo sobudoda! Sekungumlando ukuthi noBra Ray Phiri wedlula ngenxa yawo umdlavuza owabe sewusabalele emaphashini. UBusi Mhlongo naye owakhe waqala ebeleni wasabalala yonke indawo ngisho nasezwini ayeziphilisa ngalo. Kubalulekile abaculi bethu besintu kebabhale amaculo axwayisa ngalolu bhubhane oselungenela abeNgabadi.
Uzithole esesePortugal ehambe ngelaseMozambique ne-Angola ehambisana neqembu iConjunto Juan Paulo. Ilapho abona khona izibukeli zijabulela umculo ngezilimi ezehlukene zase-Angola kanye nesiPutukezi. Wacelwa naye ukucula amaculo akhe. Ilapho avuleka khona amehlo ebona ukuthi ngempela umculo awunamngcele kwazise eNingizimu Afrika abaculi abaningi babecula kakhulu ngesiNgisi ukuze baqashwe.
UBusi Mhlongo uqale ukuvakashela eLondon ngeminyaka yowe-1970 lapho aqophe khona neqembu lababesekudingisweni baseNingizimu Afrika oDudu Pukwana, uJulian Bahula, uLucky Ranku no-Osibisa. Emuva kwalokho uzithole esedlala indawo ephambili emdlalweni weshashalazi waseCanada obizwa nge ‘Reefer Gladness’. Ugcine esehlala isikhathi esiningi kwelaseHolland nebhendi yakhe iThwasa. Uke futhi wadlala noWinston Mankunku Ngozi eBlue Note, eThekwini lapho kwasweleka khona nendawo yokuma.
Elekelelwa iqembu laseGambia elaziwa nge-Ifang Bondi, washiya izibukeli zifuna impinda ku-African Roots Festival, e-Amsterdam nokwalandelwa ukudlaliswa ndawonye no-Salif Keita noManu Dibango ku-African Music Festival Delft ngowe-1989. Ngowe- 1993 uBusi Mhlongo waqopha icwecwe lakhe lokuqala elithi ‘Babhemu’ ngaphansi kwenkampani yamaDashi iMunich, ngaphambi kokubuyela eThekwini nalapho ebesefundisa khona intsha ukudansa nokucula ngolimi lwesiZulu.
Ngonyaka wezi-1995 wasebenza nenkampani ye-M.E.L.T 2000. Wajikeleza noSipho Gumede bedlala kuGrahamstown Arts Festival ebambisene noMadala Kunene nokwalandelwa ukuhambela e-London Africa Centre ekhonsathini le-Outernational Meltdown. Uke waqopha noSipho Gumede icwecwe elithi ‘Ubuntu – Humanity’ (BW084), waqopha noMadala Kunene icwecwe i‘Kon’ko Man’ (BW058) kanye nelikaMax Laesser elithi “Between”. Emuva kokucula noHugh Masekela ku-Africa 95 Gala Concert eLondon, wajikeleza elase-Europe ebashiya befuna impinda. Kwathi emuva kwalokho waqopha icwecwe lakhe i-‘Urban Zulu’ nelakhiqizwa uWill Mowat (wodumo lweSoul to Soul, iDaude ne-Angelique Kidjo) – nelaqoshwa ezindaweni ezehlukene eThekwini, eGoli, eParis kanye naseSussex. Leli cwecwe lakhe i-Urban Zulu walibhala ngokuhlanganyela noMkhalelwa ‘Spector’ Ngwazi noThembi ‘Ntshebe’ Ngcobo kanti lalinabaculi Umfazi Omnyama noMphendukelwa Mkhize.
Umshayizigubhu uBrice Wassy waseCameroon wandiziselwa ukuzoqopha noBusi Mhlongo eNingizimu Afrika. Abanye abaculi ababandakanywa kuleli cwecwe kubalwa labo ababezinze eParis oHilaire Penda, uNoel Ekwabi, umshayizigubhu waseSenegal kanye noSydney Thiam, uJack Djeyim nomdlali weKora uMoussa Kanoute. Ekuculeni kwakhe konkana uBusi Mhlongo wayeqiniseka ukuthi umculo wakhe unesigqi sikaMaskandi yize umculo wakhe ubuxube umbaqanga, amarabi nezinye izinhlobo zomculo okwakwenza umculo wakhe wehluke kakhulu futhi uthandwe emazweni onkana. Usebenze kakhulu futhi noDkt uPhilip Tabane, uMabe Thobejane, kanye noRobert “Doc” Mthalane. Amanye amacwecwe akhe adumayo kwaba Indiza kanye neFreedom.
Ngonyaka wezi-2000, uBusi Mhlongo waklonyeliswa ngeFNB South African Music Award njengomculi wesifazane ovelele, kanye nasecwecweni elikhethekile lesimanje e-Afrika kanye necwecwe eliphambili jikelele. Uke futhi wahlonishwa ngeKORA Award.
Inhlangano yokusakaza kuleli yake yamenzela iBenefit Concert ukubungaza usuku lwakhe lokuzalwa nokukhokhela izimali zemishanguzo yakhe nesibhedlela exinwe isifo somdlavuza nokuyisona esagcina simthathile. Zingama-30 kuNhlaba wezi-2010 inkampani yeNgwenyama Holdings ephethwe uMntwana waseSwazini uPrince Makhosini “Omari” Dlamini wenza iTribute Concert to Busi Mhlongo eyenzelwa ePlayhouse.
UBusi wabonakala nasemidlalweni yeshashalazi kaGibson Kente iThe Jazz Prophet and Liefa edlala indawo ephambili ngenxa yekhono lakhe lokucula kanye nasengqayini kaBertha Egnos iDingaka nasemidlalweni ka-Alfred Herbert i-African Jazz ne-African Follies. Wedlule emhlabeni zili-15 kuNhlangulana ngowezi-2010 ethathwa isifo somdlavuza esalashwa.
