Umnikelo kaBrubeck kwijazz yakuleli uyingqophamlando
Uma uphatha igama likaDarius Brubeck wonke umuntu onothando lomculo ijazz uphakamisa ikhanda alalele. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi isibongo sakwaBrubeck saziwa kakhulu emculweni ijazz kuleli naphesheya kwezilwandle. Kusukela kuyise uDave owaduma umhlaba wonke ngengoma esiyadlalwa ngamaqembu amaningi omculo i ‘Take Five’ kuya kubafowabo uChris odlala itrombone nebass noDan odlala amadrums lona ngumndeni ongeke wawuhlukanisa nejazz. OkukaDarius kuhluka ngokuthi usebenze namaciko amaningi ejazz kuleli engumfundisi womculo e-University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) futhi edlala emakhonsathini amakhulu namaciko avelele kulolu hlobo lomculo.
Empeleni kubaculi bejazz esibethule kule ngosi emasontweni amabili edlule munye babili kubona ongasebenzisananga nomdlali wopiyano uDarius Brubeck. Ngaphezulu kwalokhu uyena owasungula iziqu ezigcwele zomculo ijazz efundisa e-UKZN. Lokhu kufakazelwa yimiklomelo aseyizuzile ekuthuthukiseni ulwazi lwezomculo. Omkhulu kuyo ubizwa nge ‘Outstanding Service to Jazz Education’ awuzuza ngeminyaka yowe-1988, 1992, 1994,1998 owezi-2005 nowezi-2006 kulandelana. Ngowezi-2005 waphinde waklonyeliswa ngeBallagio Project Residency yiRockefeller Foundation njengomqambi wezingoma ovelele. Ngowe-2009 uDarius wadlala nabafowabo kuKennedy Center Gala kuhlonishwa uyise uDave ngendondo iLifetime contribution to American culture.
Uma eyilanda indaba yakhe yokuhambela okokuqala eNingizimu Afrika uDarius uyibeka kanje: ‘Ukufika kwami kokuqala eNingizimu Afrika ngonyaka we-1976 ngangiyingxenye yeqembu lomndeni i-The New Brubeck Quartet elaliholwa wubaba uDave. Emva kwezibhelu zaseSoweto ubaba wafuna ukuvele ashiye phansi konke siphindele phesheya. Kwadingeka anikezwe isiqiniseko sokuthi abazohambela imicimbi yethu njengeqembu bazobe bexubile ngokwezinhlanga. Wakugcizelela nokuthi uzoqoka aboHlanga abazongena ebhendini ukuze kungabi ngabamhlophe bodwa. Nokho izithembiso ezazenziwe azifezekanga ngakho asibange sisakwazi ukudlulela eThekwini sagcina eGoli. Kodwa leso siwombe saba wukuqala kwami ukuzihlanganisa nejazz engiyibiza ngokuthi ngeyaseNingizimu Afrika okudonse iminyaka engama-30,’ kuchaza uDarius.
Ngowe-1983 esengumfundisi e-UKZN eThekwini yilapho ahlanganisa khona iziqu ezigcwele zejazz ngokokuqala emlandweni wemfundo yasenyuvesi ezwenikazi i-Afrika. Kamuva waqokwa yi-UKZN njengoMqondisi weCentre for Jazz and Popular Music kwaze kwaba ngowezi-2006. Uneziqu zeMasters azithola e-University of Nottingham, usefundise eGuildhall School of Music and Drama, eBrunel University naseNottingham University lapho afundisa khona umlando ngomculo ijazz isikhathi esiwunyaka.
Konke uDarius akuzuze emculweni kwenzeke engayekile ukusebenzisana namaciko akuleli. Uzungeze lonke izwe laseningizimu ne-Afrika naphesheya kwezilwandle neqembu abaqoka ukulibiza ngeDarius Brubeck and Afro Cool Concept ababeyihola nomdlali we-alto saxophone uBarney Rachabane. Phakathi kwamaalbhamu abawaqopha kukhona ethi, Still on my mind, eyaqoshwa ngaphansi kwesitebela iSheer Sound ngowezi-2003 kwaba khona ethi, Before It’s Too Late ngowezi-2004 neTugela Rail and Other Tracks ngowezi-2007.
Omunye umculi wejazz asebenze naye nguZim Ngqawana abajutshwa naye yiLincoln Jazz Center Orchestra ukuqamba ingoma ehambisana nezinkulumo zowayenguMengameli wakuleli ongasekho uDkt uNelson Mandela ezafundwa ekwethulweni kwaleyo ngoma okokuqala ngumdlali wamafilimu owaziwayo uMorgan Freeman.
Kubaculi abahlonishwayo bejazz ahlangana nabo uDarius esezonzinza kuleli ubala uVictor Ntoni, uPhillip Tabane noGabriel ‘Mabi’ Thobejane beMalombo. Ubala noDon Alberts owamthatha wayomethula eDorkay House okuyisikhungo esaziwayo sejazz lapho ahlangana khona nomdlali wetenor sax uDuke Makasi owayeseqenjini iSpirits Rejoice. Maningi amanye amaciko ahlangana nawo okungoLulu Gontsana, uMcCoy Tyner noBheki Mseleku. UVictor Ntoni wabuye wahlangana naye e-United States of America ezoqhuba izifundo zomculo eBerklee College of Music, eBoston. ‘Ngazithola sengixhumene namaciko afana noBarney Simon, uPeter Magubane, uHugh Masekela, uThembi Mtshali noChristopher Ballantine owayeyinhloko yophiko lwezomculo e-University of Natal (osekuyi-UKZN) nowaqhamuka nomqondo weziqu ezigcwele zomculo ijazz okwalandelwa wukuqashwa kwami e-UKZN’, kuchaza uDarius.
Kumaciko aseThekwini asebenze nawo ubala umdlali wesiginci u-Allan Khwela nathi uma emchaza athi: ‘U-Allan uyena muntu owangenza ngakuqonda kabanzi ukuba ngumuntu omnyama eNingizimu Afrika ebuswa ngobandlululo. U-Allan Khwela, uSandile Shange, uBarney Rachabane noVictor Ntoni sahlangana nabo saba yi-Afro Cool Concept kanti yibona abangenza ngabuka ijazz ngeso lomuntu waseNingizimu Afrika.’
Ezindaweni aba nethuba lokudlala kuzo uyayibabaza i-The People’s Space, eCape Town lapho aba khona nethuba lokudlala noWinston Mankunku Ngozi ongasekho noMarc Duby owayesebhendini yakhe uDarius. Uyalibabaza ikhono likaMankunku owayevame ukuqeda ingoma esekhala mi izinyembezi ngendlela umculo owawusemizweni yakhe ngayo.
‘Ngeke ngiwakhohlwe amaciko afana noNelson Magwaza, oDalton Khanyile, uTerry Kunene noBrian Thusi ababedlala kuKey Notes yakwaMashu. Sasivame ukuhlangana nabo uma beyodlala eThe Rainbow Jazz Club eyaqanjwa nguBen Pretorius ngaphansi kwesiqubulo esithi: ‘The struggle for jazz and Jazz for the Struggle.’
Kokuningi akwenzile uDarius wukuzungeza kwakhe i-England ngowezi-2013 ngaphansi kwesihloko esithi, “Brubecks play Brubeck” okuyinto ababeyiqale ngowezi-2011. Ngowezi-2014 waba yingxenye yeJazz at Lincoln Center. Umandla kakhulu ngokuziqambela umculo kanti uthathwa njengochwepheshe emculweni ijazz emhlabeni jikelele. Ufundise e-Instabul naseRomania lokho okumenza abe yisazi sejazz yomhlaba. Omunye umucu ezingomeni zakhe usuyingxenye yesilabhasi yabenza uGrade V wezifundo zopiyano eRoyal School of Music.
Uma ebuka umculo ngeso lamanje uDarius uneqiniso lokuthi ijazz inesisekelo esiqinile eThekwini. Ngokwakhe abadlali bejazz bakudala benza umsebenzi omkhulu ukwakhela amaciko amanje isisekelo asebenzela kuso.
‘Abadlali abanjengoBrian Thusi benza isiqiniseko sokuthi bayawufunda umculo kungabi yithalente lemvelo nje kuphela. UJohnny Mekoa wabuya e-Indiana University eneziqu zeMasters emculweni wasungula iMusic Academy of Gauteng. Lokhu kuqubule amanye amaciko awufundile umculo afana noSazi Dlamini, uS’thembiso Ntuli, uFeya Faku noLex Futshane asebeke bahlangana noVusi Mahlasela bakha umculo owasetshenziswa ngempumelelo efilimini ephekwe kuleli neyaqokelwa i-Academy Award, iTsotsi. Lokhu kuyakhuthaza,’ kuphetha uDarius.
Ekufulatheleni elaseNingizimu Afrika, uDarius Brubeck uye wayozinza nomndeni wakhe eningizimu ne-England, eSussex eshiya ngokungenamona leli lizwe nomcebo wolwazi lomculo ijazz. Ngaphezulu kwalokho, isikhungo esiqondene ngqo nalo mculo e-UKZN siqhubeka ngokungaphezi ukukhiqiza abaculi nabadlali bezinsimbi abangadudulwa nje yikhono lemvelo kuphela kodwa abanesisekelo esiqinile solwazi olutholakala ngokuzihlanganisa nesikhungo sezemfundo ephakeme. Umnikelo kaDarius Brubeck wokufundisa nokuqoqa amaciko ejazz akuleli uyingqophamlando.
