U-Ike Phaahla: Inkunzi emidwayidwa emakhonokhono
Ulandwe yiRadio 2000 esezinakela izindaba zaseziqiwini umakadebona womsakazi u-Isaac “Bra Ike” Phaahla, oneminyaka engaphezulu kwengama-20 engemuva kombhobho. Abaningi bagcine ukuzwa iphimbo lakhe eminyakeni emibili edlule kuSAFM, engaphansi kweSABC, ethula uhlelo oluthi The Best of Jazz ngeMigqibelo. Kulo msakazo ubebuye enze eminye imisebenzi okubalwa uhlelo lwezingxoxo iMidday Live nePM Live maphakathi nesonto. Ubambe kuSAFM nje, ubeseqalile ukusebenza njengomxhumanisi womphakathi nabezindaba eKruger National Park. Njengamanje uyiGeneral Manager: Marketing and Communications kulesi siqiwi esibalwa nezinkulu e-Afrika. Ngemuva kokungavuselelwa kwenkontileka yakhe kulesi siteshi, uPhaahla ugxile emsebenzini wakhe wemihla namalanga waseKruger National Park.
Ngenxa yokuthi iMetro FM ibidlondlobala njalo ngezimpelasonto, iRadio 2000 ishayele uPhaahla ucingo ngenhloso yokuntshontsha abalandeli abesebeshade neMetro FM ngenxa yokuqhulula amanoni apholile eRnB, isoul ne-Afro Jazz. Phela iMetro FM ivukuze inqwaba yabalandeli ngohlelo iLove Movement (LM) olungena njalo ngamaSonto. Umthakathi wezindaba uWilson B Nkosi nguye oqala ukufudumalisa inkundla ngohlelo iSounds and Stuff Like That engena ngehora lesi-9 ekuseni kulamule ihora le-12 emini ngamaSonto. Ngemuva kwakhe kungena umfana waseThekwini uMsizi Shembe nohlelo iSunday Soul Therapy aphume ngehora lesithathu ntambama.
Lisuke selinyukile igiya sekungena uSentle Lehoko edudula iRomantic Repertoire aphume ngehora lesithupha esededela inkundla kuMo G, ogama lakhe langempela uMpho Madise, owenza iSunday Night Love kulamule ihora lesi-9 kusihlwa. Selokhu ebuyile uPhaahla, njalo ngehora lesithupha ntambama ngamaSonto abalandeli bakaMo G sebekhombisa ukuthi sebefudukele kuRadio 2000 ngalesi sikhathi ngoba belandela uPhaahla eseqhulula amanoni ohlelweni iRetrospective. Kulabo abanesikhathi belilandela ikhono lakhe esakuMetro FM, enza uhlelo lwaphakathi nesonto iMidmorning Breeze, bayakuthola ukwelapheka emphefumulweni Ezinkundleni zokuxhumana abalandeli babhala ubuthaphuthaphu bencoma isizotha nendlela aphaka ngayo “ukudla kwendlebe” lapho abalaleli besuke beziphumulele sebelungiselela ukuvukela ngomyalezo wezingoma avamise ukuzidlala.
Ezinkundleni zokuxhumana abalandeli babhala ubuthaphuthaphu bencoma isizotha nendlela aphaka ngayo “ukudla kwendlebe” lapho abalaleli besuke beziphumulele sebelungiselela ukuvukela emsebenzini ngakusasa. Okunye okwehlukile ngaye ukuthi uvamise ukupotshozela abalaleli ngezinto ezifana nokuthi leyo ngoma yaqanjwa ngamuphi unyaka nalowo oyiculayo wayiqamba ekusiphi isimo. Ubuye abalule amagama abantu abashaya izinsimbi emaqenjini abangavamile ukudalulwa njengoba kuye kugqanyiswe lowo osuke ecula phambili. Le nkakha ezalwa eJabulani eSoweto icijeke ngamakhono ahlukane. Isike yaba nengosi yezemidlalo ebhukwini iSports Life nasemaphephandabeni iThe Star Newspaper, iSunday Independent, iBeeld neSowetan.
Ngesikhathi esekuMetro FM uke wayibamba kwaSABC 1 ohlelweni iMabaleng esakaza unobhutshuzwayo maphakathi nowezi-2000. Unekhono lokudidiyela nokuhlela izindaba kanye nokudidiyela umculo ozodlalwa ezinhlelweni. Abaningi cishe base becabanga ukuthi sekuphelile ngaye ngesikhathi uLesley Ntloko, owaqashwa njengoMphathisiteshi kwaMetro FM ngowezi-2003 exosha abasakazi abadala efaka abasha. UBra Ike unconywa ngokuvundulula ikhono lika-Eddie Zondi, athi wamthola esakaza emsakazweni owawusenxanxatheleni yezitolo. UZondi, odlule emhlabeni ngowezi-2004, wazakhela ukuhlonishwa ngokuqhulula amanoni kuMetro FM nokumenza wabalwa nezingqalabutho ezikhulise lo msakazo ophila ngokwenza inzuzo.