The Sunday News
Nigel Siziba, Sunday life Reporter
Do you still remember the music group that took imbube music to dizzy heights in the 90s?
Let me take you down memory lane. Remember the popular song Rega kusarira?
Well, you might have thought the group collapsed with the death of its director Lameck Moyo.
Amabhubesi, started in 1986 is slowly but surely coming back to life after its fall due to the death of a number of its founding members. Obert Sibanda, the only surviving founding member of the Amabhubesi Kings of music disclosed to Sunday Life that he has recruited new members and in 2015 they released an album called Amabhubesi Revival, which was meant to bring back the falling giant, fervent and popular group that was inspired by Lady Smith Mambazo songs.
“Yes, the group fell but it did not stay down for a long time, in 1998 the devil came and destroyed what we had built for years.
Most of the group’s members passed on and some left the group but I carried on even though it was not easy.
I recruited new members and in 2015 we released an album called Amabhubesi revival; Isitimela sezulu that was meant to bring back to life the once vibrant group,” he said.
The name of the group was derived from the once then Ukukhanya kwelanga Izilwane zenkangala which was later changed to Amabhubesi the Kings of music in 1986.
The group was sponsored by G. Don Mnikwas Ncube to record its first album which had the popular song Rega Kusarira at Robin Studio in 1991.
In 1996 the group had its tour to United Kingdom at Aberdeen and recorded four albums titled Amabhubesi, Akuhlale kunjalo, Chido Chemoyo and Hamba Vangeli.
Sibanda told Sunday Life that as a group they are working on an album called Indlela to be recorded soon.
@sizlaNigel
