Ukhala ngokungahlonishwa kukaDube
Unyaka esikuwo uqopha iminyaka eli-13 kwabulawa isihlabani sombhaqanga neReggae, uLucky Phillip Dube. Izibazi zisekhona namanje esizweni nakubathandi bomculo ikakhulukazi kulaba ababeyibutho naye uNyamazane (abakwaDube). Ebhoboka ngalobu buhlungu lowo owaba ngowokuqala ukusebenza noDube, uThuthukani “Thuthu” Cele, ukhala ngokungahlonishwa kwale nkakha eyaphephezelisa ifulegi laseNingizimu Afrika emazweni angaphandle ngezikhathi ezinzima zobandlululo. Akahlonishwa ngani uDube? UCele unqwamane nelaboHlanga emcimbini wokuhlonishwa kwabaholi bemikhakha eyahlukene ngeSonto eNkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (ICC), eThekwini. UCele, obedlubhe umnazaretha ngaphansi kwehembe lamaRasta elinombala omnyama nosashaya ngazo izinwele ezinde, uyilungu laleli bandla elidume ngoShembe. Akuyena yedwa uDube umfo kaCele akhala ngokuthi elakuleli selamkhohlwa. Omunye amubalayo uJambo, insizwa yaseNkandla ogama layo lokuzalwa uSipho Johnson Mdletshe.
UJambo, owadlula emhlabeni ngowezi-2014, washona ngemuva kokuguliswa isifo sofuba. UJambo, naye owaqala ecula umbaqanga wadlulela eqenjini leReggae i-Oyaba yaseFree State, waduma ngamanoni afana neShe’s My Baby, iProdigal Son, iCalling All Children neGive Us Power amhambisa emazweni afana neMalawi, iZimbabwe neLesotho. Ngokombono kaCele, uDube noJambo baba neqhaza ekufakeni iNingizimu Afrika ebalazweni ngomculo wabo. Kubafanele ukwenzelwa umcimbi wokugcina imisebenzi yabo ukuze isizukulwane singayikhohlwa. “Buka nje izolo (ngoMgqibelo) lapha eThekwini bekwenziwe umcimbi wokukhumbula uBob Marley waseJamaica.
Umbuzo uthi ngabe amaqhawe akithi wona akhohlakala kalula kanjani? Uma ubheka izingoma ezazishaywa uLucky zazikhuza isihluku sikaHulumeni wobandlululo ngaleso sikhathi uma ecula phesheya kwezilwandle. Ngikholwa wukuthi iziphathimandla zazikuthokozela lokho ngoba wayefana nesithunywa sakuleli ngobuciko bakhe. Sesayithola-ke inkululeko bakwethu kodwa ngemuva kwemisebenzi emingaka, akukho nje nokuncane ukuhlonishwa?” kuzikhalela umfo kaCele. Bahlangana kanjani Elandisa elaboHlanga ngobudlelwano ayenabo neDub’elimthende (wayebizwa kanjalo ngumsakazi uKansas City Mchunu), uthi kwakungathi bazalwa ndawonye kanti ngokwakhe bahlanganiswa uMdali.
Ukuzwana kwabo kwakubonakala ngisho nasesiteji lapho uCele ayelekelela uLucky kamnandi ngephimbo ebe exavatha ikeyboard, kunyakaza imiyeko kuhlanye abantu. Umfo kaNdosi (65), odabuka eBhobhoyi ePort Shepstone, uthi bahlangana eGoli ngowe-1983 uLucky esacula umbhaqanga okwathi uma ehlabeka umxhwele yikhono lakhe, wahamba naye eseyocula iReggae ngonyaka olandelayo nebhendi, wamfaka ebhendini okuthiwa iThe Slave. Uthi ilapho ubudlelwano babo baqina khona ngesikhathi efika ngedumela nge-albhamu ethi Rastas Never Die, eyanqindwa amandla uHulumeni wobandlululo ngenxa yomlayezo oshubile eyayiwuqukethe.
Ngokusho kukaCele, uLucky wayebukela ezinkakheni zaseJamaica uJimmy Cliff noPeter Tosh, abaduma ngokuqamba izingoma ezinohlevane ezazilwisana nokuqedwa kobandlululo olwalubhekiswe kwaboHlanga. Wayengazwani nempi Uthi ekuhambeleni amazwe ase-Afrika yilapho abona khona ubukhulu bukaLucky behlanyisa abantu ngezingoma ezifana neRemember Me, iSlave, iPrisoner, iTogether As One nezinye. “Emazweni anjengeMozambique eMaputo isimo sepolitiki sasishubile abantu bengazwani. Ngikhumbula ngesikhathi sizibiza esiteji, sabona amasosha ehlohloloza kabuhlungu abanye abantu ababengasabambeki befuna ukundizela esiteji ubona ukuthi bagajwe yinjabulo.
Ukuhlohlolozwa kwabantu ngesibhamu kwamphatha kabi uLucky, owavela wamisa ingoma. Wamemeza ngombhobo enxusa amaphoyisa ukuthi ayeke ukuhlukumeza abantu ngaloluya hlobo. Kwezinye izindawo bekuthi uma kusuka uthuthuva ngivele ngimtshele uLucky ukuthi asiqhubeke nokudedela ingoma, bese ubona sebeyigxoba itoyitoyi namasosha esedansa nazo izibhamu, sebekhohliwe ukuxabana,” kukhumbula uCele. Uthi emazweni anjengeGambia, i-Ivory Coast naseBurkina Faso, ohulumeni bakhona babephoqa ukuthi kube yiholidi uma bezonandisa khona ngoba kwakuma yonke into. Kweqa iziboshwa kwashona nomlandeli wokuqina Zinhlanu izigameko athi ngeke azikhohlwa benandisa ngaphandle kwase-Afrika. “Asikholwanga ngesikhathi sizwa kuthiwa iziboshwa zasejele iSuva eFiji zeqa ngoba zazingafuni ukuphuthelwa ukubona uLucky egila izimanga maphakathi neminyaka yowe-1990.
Ngisho nojele bashiya imisebenzi ebusuku bazithola sebedansa ndawonye neziboshwa, kwangathi akukho okonakale.” Isigameko sesibili, uthe senzeka bese-St Ann okuyisiqhingi esiseCarribean lapho kwashona khona umlandeli wabo wokuqina ngesikhathi beyidudula ingoma esiteji. “Ngokusho komndeni wale ndoda, yayisigule isikhathi eside yase icela umndeni wayo wonke ukuthi uyoyibona esibhedlela. Yanxusa ukuthi ilungiselwe isudi eyayikhonzile ukuze iyigqoke ngosuku uLucky ayezofika ngalo ezweni. Yanxusa ngisho odokotela ukudedelwa isikhathi singakafiki. Nebala kwenzeka lokho kanti sathi sesishaya iGoing Back To My Roots, yagajwa yinjabulo yawa phansi, okukholakala ukuthi yamelwa inhliziyo. Abantu bazama ukuyihlenga kodwa ngebhadi kwaphela ngayo. Umndeni wasibonga kakhulu, wasitshela ukuthi okusho ukuthi yayilinde kufike thina kuleliya zwe sizoyikhulula ibuyele kobabamkhulu bayo,” kusho uCele.
Ikhonsathi eyaqanjwa kumakeyboard, uVulindela Yeni kusaxophone, uChris Ntaka kulead guitar, uJabu Sibumbe exebula ubass, uRay Mohono kumadrum, uChris Dlamini kumapercussion nakumadrum, uNdumiso Nyovane kutrumpet noJabu Mdluli kutrombone. Izintokazi uSister Phumi Maduna, uThembi Khumalo noKhabo Ntsele babelekelela kamnandi ngamaphimbo abo.” UDube wayegangise okwengane Uveze ukuthi njengoba uLucky wamfaka ebandleni lakwaShembe elidume ngokungakuthinti ukudla okushisayo ngeSabatha (uMgqibelo), babezithola sebekhanda amasi ngeyogathi emhlophe uma benandisa ngaphandle. “Kwamanye amazwe awatholakali kalula amasi. Angithi phela sasisendimeni yobuciko, savele sathi asihlanganise amakhanda sahlanganisa uphuthu neyogathi kwaphuma amasi,” usho kanje ehleka. Uthi ngaphambi kokuthi uLucky adutshulwe eRosettenville, eGoli mhla zili-18 kuMfumfu, wayemgcine emini eDowntown Studios, eGoli.
Uthi wayegcwele injabulo nokuganga okungathi okwengane encane. “Ngangimatasa ngokunye emotweni yami ngesikhathi ngimbona esibukweni eqhamuka nemoto kanokusho yohlobo lweChrysler iza emumva kwami kwangathi izongishayisa. Indlela ayipaka ngayo sabancane isikhala sokuthi ngingakwazi ukuhlehla ngiphume. Kuthe ngisamangazwe ilokho waphuma ngejubane kwangathi akangiboni. Ngamuzwa esememeza evele ewindini lestudiyo ethi “Ngifun’ukubona ukuthi uzophuma kanjani. Ngifun’ukubona ukuthi awuyithenganga eShoprite na le layisense yakho. Savela sahleka sobabili ngoba vele ngangimazi umambana ukuthi wayekukhonzile ukudlala. Ngashaqeka kwaphela ngisho nasozwaneni sengithola ucingo; uHhash’elimhlophe (igama langempela uBheki Ngcobo) ethi uLucky usedutshuliwe,” kulandisa uCele.
UCele usayibambe ishisa Ngemuva kokushona kukaLucky, uCele uqhubekile nokuyibamba njengoba eqale wasungula ibhendi i-One People Band. Njengoba esecula ngayedwana umatasa nokulamanisa i-albhamu yokuqala ethi Eyes On My Baby ngathi izophuma maduze. Ngaphandle kukaLucky, ikhono lakhe lenze wapikwa abaculi abanjengoBrenda Fassie, uBusi Mhlongo, uThandiswa Mazwai, uBhekumuzi Luthuli, uShwi noMntekhala noMaxi Priest wase- England oshaya umculo weReggae, iFusion neLovers Rock. Uthi unethemba lokuthi abantu bazolibona iqhaza lakhe ezweni ngokubuka idokhumentai eqoshwe ngaye abantu baseFrance athi izophuma kulo nyaka. Njengoba uLucky esadlula emhlabeni, uCele usethathe indawo yokuba ubaba ezinganeni zakhe nazo ezingene shi emculweni. Usifakile isandla ku-albhamu ethi My Way yeReggae kaNkulee oyindodakazi yokuqala kaLucky wabuye wabhalela uBongi, naye ozalwa nguLucky, ezinye izingoma ku-albhamu yakhe ye-Afro Pop ethi Benginawe.
Eqenjini iLucky Dube Band eliholwa indodana kaDube, uThokozani, uCele uyabizwa ukuhola izingoma kanti bavamise ukumenywa emazweni aphesheya. Uthe maduze bazoya eBrazil. “Bafana nezingane zami futhi kumnandi ukusebenzisana nabo ngoba bayahlonipha. Uyise wayitshala leyo mbewu kubona,” kusho uCele. Yize ayedume cishe umhlaba wonke, uLucky umchaze njengomuntu obengaziphakamisile, encamela ukuziphumulela epulazini eNewcastle uma engekho matasa. Ukungabhemi insangu njengoba amaRasta edume ngokuphila ngayo, kwenza abanye bangamthatha njengeRasta langempela. NgokukaCele lokho akusho lutho ngoba wakwazi ukuqopha ama-albhamu angaphezulu kwangama-20, wazuza nezindondo wabuye wasayinwa yisikhondlakhondla senkampani yase-USA, iMotown Records, yenkakha uBarry Gordy Junior engaphansi kwe-Universal Music Records.
