UMadala Kunene: The Soulful Sounds of "Bafo" kanye Nohambo Lwakhe Lomculo

Owaziwa kakhulu ngelika-"Bafo," uMadala Kunene ungumculi waseNingizimu Afrika ohlonishwayo impilo yakhe nomsebenzi wakhe okukhombisa ukunotha kwamasiko aKwaZulu-Natal. Uzalelwe Kwa-Mashu, ngaseThekwini, indaba kaKunene ingeyothando, ukuqina, nokuzinikela okungapheli emsebenzini wakhe. Kusukela ekuthomeni okuphansi njengomdlali osemncane kuya ekubeni umuntu odumile emculweni waseNingizimu Afrika, uhambo lukaKunene luyakhuthaza njengoba nomculo wakhe uthinta inhliziyo.

Impilo Yasekuqaleni kanye Neziqalo Ezithuthukisiwe

UMadala Kunene wazalwa ngo-1951 Kwa-Mashu, ilokishi elingaphandle nje kweTheku. Iminyaka yakhe yokuqala yaphawulwa ukuxhumana okujulile nomculo, okuthonywa imisindo ephilayo yesiko lamaZulu kanye nendawo yomculo ephithizelayo yaseThekwini. Lapho eneminyaka eyisikhombisa ubudala, uKunene waqala ukubamatasa ogwini lwaseThekwini, eheha abantu abadlula ngendlela ngethalente lakhe eliluhlaza namandla akhe okutheleleka.

Ngenxa yokuntula indlela yokuthenga isiginci, uKunene ubonise ubuhlakani obumangalisayo ngokwenza insimbi yakhe yokuqala esebenzisa ithini lamafutha okupheka kanye nentambo yokudoba izinhlanzi. Lesi siginci sasekhaya saba isango lakhe lomculo, okwamvumela ukuthi ahlole futhi athuthukise umsindo wakhe oyingqayizivele. Imidlalo yakhe yasheshe yaduma emalokishini, okwamzuzela abalandeli abaqotho kanye nesiteketiso sothando esithi "Bafo," okusho ukuthi umfowethu.

Khuphukela Ekuphakameni

Njengoba igama likaKunene likhula, amathuba akhe akhula. Ukuhlanganisa kwakhe kokuqala kwakha isisekelo esiqinile somsebenzi wakhe womculo, okwaholela ekusebenzisaneni nabanye abaculi bendawo futhi ekugcineni kwadonsa ukunaka komphakathi womculo waseNingizimu Afrika. Isitayela sikaKunene, esibonakala ngezimpande ezijulile emculweni wesiZulu wesintu oxutshwe nezinto zangaleso sikhathi, sathakasela abantu abaningi.

Umculo kaKunene ukhombisa ngokujulile imvelaphi yakhe, ehlanganisa umculo kamaskanda, blues, ne-jazz. Umsebenzi wakhe wesigingci, ovame ukuchazwa njengonomphefumulo futhi ovusa inkanuko, ubonisa ikhono lakhe lokudlulisa imizwa ejulile ngokusebenzisa imiculo eyinkimbinkimbi nezigqi. Lo msindo ohlukile umenze wathola indawo phakathi kwabaculi abahlonishwayo eNingizimu Afrika.

Iminikelo Emculweni waseNingizimu Afrika

Umthelela kaMadala Kunene emculweni waseNingizimu Afrika udlulela nangale kwemidlalo yakhe. Ube ngumuntu oqavile ekulondolozeni nasekuthuthukiseni umculo wesiZulu, eqinisekisa ukuthi uyasebenza ezimeni zamanje. Ama-albhamu akhe, afana nethi "Konko Man" kanye nethi "1959," atuswe kakhulu ngobuqiniso nobuciko bawo, okwenza abalaleli bangene shi emasikweni nasemculweni waseNingizimu Afrika.

Ukusebenzisana kukaKunene nabanye abaculi abadumile kuphinde kwamqinisa kakhulu izinga lakhe endimeni yomculo. Uke wasebenza nezingwazi ezifana noBusi Mhlongo, Moses Molelekwa, nongasekho uHugh Masekela, ehlanganisa umculo wakhe oyingqayizivele nezinhlobo ezahlukene nezindlela. Lokhu kusebenzisana akugcini nje ngokucebisa iqembu lakhe lomculo kodwa kuphinde kwaba nesandla ekuxubeni kwezinhlobo ezahlukene zomculo eNingizimu Afrika.

Ifa kanye Nethonya

Ifa likaMadala Kunene lingelinye lokugcinwa kwamasiko kanye nokuqanjwa kabusha kobuciko. Umculo wakhe usebenza njengebhuloho phakathi kwesikhathi esedlule nesamanje, uhlonipha imisindo yesiZulu yendabuko kuyilapho uhlanganisa amathonya anamuhla. Ukuzinikela kukaKunene emsebenzini wakhe wezandla kanye nekhono lakhe lokuzijwayeza nokuziphendukela kwemvelo kukhuthaze inqwaba yabaculi eNingizimu Afrika nangale kwayo.

Ngaphandle kwezinto azizuzile emculweni, uKunene waziwa nangokuzithoba nokuphana. Uqeqeshe abaculi abasebancane, ebacobelela ngolwazi namava akhe ukuze abasize bakwazi ukubhekana nezinselelo zemboni yomculo. Ukuzibophezela kwakhe ekukhuliseni ithalente elisha kuqinisekisa ukuthi ithonya lakhe lizozwakala ezizukulwaneni ezizayo.

UMadala Kunene, owaziwa ngelika-"Bafo," uwubufakazi bamandla omculo okudlula izimo nokuxhumanisa abantu ezizindeni ezahlukene. Kusukela ekuqaleni kwakhe ogwini lolwandle lwaseThekwini kuze kube sezingeni lakhe njengomculi odumile, uhambo lukaKunene luyinkomba yothando lwakhe, ukuqina, kanye nezimpande ezijulile zamasiko. Imisindo yakhe emnandi iyaqhubeka nokuheha izethameli, igcina igugu lomculo waseNingizimu Afrika ngenkathi ikhuthaza izizukulwane ezizayo. Ngomculo wakhe, uKunene usengumuntu othandekayo kubo bonke abathokozela ubuhle obujulile bobuciko bakhe.