The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube Sunday Leisure Correspondent
POPULAR arts ensemble, Iyasa have released two musical videos “Yini Ndaba” and “S’jaiva Sibancane” and the latter has been receiving generous airplay on popular ZTV musical show, Ezomgido.The videos were made available on the market on 15 March.
Iyasa director Nkululeko Innocent Dube said the songs were taken from an album titled “Africa Alive” which they released in Europe last year.
“S’jaiva Sibancane” features Iyasa members along with school children and was shot at Cement Siding Primary School on the outskirts of the city.
It narrates the love for dancing by young people as the pupils are caught dancing in class by their teacher and when they thought she was going to punish them, she instead joins them and urges them to go outside where there is more space.
The track is an easy going tune that is already winning the hearts of several people although it is most likely to appeal to youngsters.
Iyasa exhibit their dancing skills in the videos as they come up with several choreographed dances that are a pleasure to watch.
“I directed and scripted the two videos but was working with choreographer, Richard Ndlovu. The song ‘Sjaiva sibancane’ was inspired by childhood memories. I felt it would be great to relive those memories, those songs and games we played as children when we were growing up.
“Most white people always ask me why black people dance and sing so well and my logical explanation has always been that it is probably because they grow up in and around a culture of games that require singing, flexibility and dancing hence the lines ‘sikhulela e Africa s’jaiva sibancane’,” said Dube.
Yini Ndaba is a stinging social commentary on the abuse of social networks like facebook and whatsapp by married people to engage in extra-marital affairs.
“The truth is while these (social networks) are welcome; their abuse has led to the decay in morality, relationships and even marriages. They have become a source of infidelity,” said Dube.
The video features a married couple that is engaged in extra-marital affairs using social networks as their tool.
The wife one day bumps into her husband with his mistress in his car and all hell broke loose, only for the woman’s boyfriend to appear at the scene turning the tide on her.
In the video the wife is regretting living such a life and is lamenting the breakdown of her marriage.
The song has a slow melody and is unlikely to prove popular with those who are used to seeing Iyasa moving energetically to fast paced songs.
Dube said they would be releasing a video of an imbongi version of “Yini Indaba” in August with Albert Nyathi making a poetic comment on the abuse of social networks.
He said the tracks were original Iyasa compositions as they have always released albums and songs in Europe.
“We have time and again released albums and songs in Europe but that element has not been visible in Zimbabwe because we feel our dance strength has overtaken our singing ability.
“However, we would slowly be introducing it in the country,” he said.
