Black Umfolosi
Langalakhe Mabena, Sunday Life Reporter
WHEN they started as a small accapella group entertaining schoolmates and parents during church services and prize-giving days at their former school George Silundika Secondary in Nyamandlovu, little did they know after school their group will be an internationally acclaimed imbube troupe.
The multi-award-winning Black Umfolosi started imbube music, a genre originated in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal, where parts of voices like tenor, bass, alto and soprano are laid homophonically in rhythmic unison to create intricate African harmonies, polishing the stage piece dancing is’cathamiya, in 1983 while they were still at school with founding members like Sotsha Moyo, Samuel “Mzwanyana” Ndlovu, Tomeck Dube, James Zikhali, Milton Ncube and the late tenor singer Benia Phuthi.
As soon as they graduated from secondary school in 1984, the group ventured into music full-time performing at old local beer gardens and taverns like Madlodlo, Happy Valley, Pata Pata and Iminyela Beer Garden, to mention a few.
As they performed cover songs of South Africa’s multi-Grammy award-winning imbube group Lady Smith Black Mambazo and their original composition, the group decided to record their first studio album in 1990 titled Unity which raised them to fame.
The album which had hits like Saqamula Amazwe, a prophetic song which was composed with a dream to tour the world, paved the way for Black Umfolosi as it landed them their first international gig touring South America, Australia and the rest of Europe.
Founding member of the group who is also part of the current Black Umfolosi five-man set-up, Moyo chews nostalgic bones as he reveals how they were joyful to perform alongside world’s celebrated reggae pioneering group UB40 and 1990 Grammy award winners’ duo of Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus of the Milli Vanilli RnB band.
“Our first offering Unity album was a hit and it announced our arrival on the global music scene. In 1991 we made our first international performance at the Folk Festival in United States of America where we shared the stage with the likes of UB40, Chaka Demus and Germany’s Milli Vanilli band,” said Moyo.
Black Umfolosi, who were voted the Most Popular Artiste at Canada’s Commonwealth Games in 1994, went on to release other albums like Udlalo in 1993, Shosholoza in 1991 and a Best of Black Umfolosi album titled Summer Time in 2013 which made them scoop the Best Accapella song at the prestigious Zimbabwe Music Awards (Zima) in 2014.
As Zimbabwe celebrates Unity Day every December, Dube remembers when they performed in front of the former President of Zimbabwe Robert Gabriel Mugabe and the late Vice-President Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo on 22 December 1987 were the two statesmen signed the Unity Accord.
“With our song Unity which had inspirational lyrics that united people despite skin colour or tribal differences, we were privileged to be invited by the late Father Zimbabwe to grace the occasion with our performance. The song up to date is still the sound track of commemorating the Unity Day,” said Dube.
Black Umfolosi was not only internationally active. Despite their global success, the group also made local appearances which landed them Lifetime Achievement and Best Music Ambassadors awards at the Ibumba Arts Festival in 2005.
The 2002 United Kingdom’s Sid-mouth Festival award-winners for Best Performance have managed to establish the Enkundleni Youth Centre in Entumbane suburb where they groom up-and-coming young artistes in music production, arts group administration and performances.
Moyo said they wish to expand the Youth Centre and establish a theatre school. However, due to the economic hardships in the country such a dream can’t be fulfilled therefore, the group seeks sponsors who can inject money for the project to be a success.
“We have managed to establish Enkundleni Youth Centre situated at Entumbane where we teach up-and- coming artistes how to produce music and manage their careers. We also have a wish to start a theatre school so that we accommodate youths who are into stage acting. But we can’t afford all that hence we call upon well-wishers to help us and the youths in realising our dream,” said Moyo.
As they celebrate 35 years in the music industry, Black Umfolosi who are currently working on their 7th album will resume their international tour on 22 March as they are billed for a performance at Slave Lake Theatre in Alberta, Canada.