The Sunday News
Bruce Ndlovu
HAVING seen Filabusi acquire a reputation as a sleepy town over the years, music star Jeys Marabini is determined to see it awakened for at least once every year, as he prepares to bring the second edition of the annual UGodlwayo Yithi to his hometown.
Determined not to become of those musicians that abandon their roots once they hit the big time, Marabini has decided to share some of his shine with the area that he credits for making him the man and musician that he is today.
With a scorcher of a new album behind him (Ntunjambila) and his reputation as one of the country’s most consistent musicians growing, Marabini is determined to open the eyes of a Filabusi community that has been starved of high quality music acts in the past.
UGodlwayo Yithi fest, to be held on 3 November, has thus become Marabini’s pet project for the attainment of this goal.
In fact, although his music is synonymous with the City of Kings, Marabini says that he would not have set in Bulawayo if his hometown had the sort of spectacle that he is now trying to bring when he was growing up.
“If Filabusi was as big as Bulawayo I would never have come to Bulawayo because that’s my home. I would have stayed and worked there. Now because I’m a musician who’s recognised around the continent and at home I believe that I should do something for my people. They should at least be able to rejoice and celebrate this one time during the year,” he told Sunday Life in an interview.
Despite a harsh economic landscape, Marabini said that this year’s fest was about building on the successes of last year.
“Last year it was a success and we’re trying to make sure that it’s the same this year. Even though things are tough economically we want to make sure that the festival happens at all costs. Even if it means holding it on a smaller scale it has to happen because we want it to be an annual gig,” he said.
In fact, as things got tougher, music could prove to be a remedy, a remedy that Marabini would like to see administered on the people of Filabusi.
“Music heals the soul. Even if people have problems they will feel better after listening to their favourite musicians play.
That’s why African people sing at funerals because it soothes them.
I would like to encourage the businesspeople and leaders of Filabusi to support the festival because the growth of the festival is also their growth,” he said.
Taking the fest to Filabusi would also help introduce modern forms of entertainment that people in the area had been starved of, Marabini said.
“It’s a sad thing that our people don’t know what a big stage is, what stage lights are or what big musician play like. I’m from Filabusi and after the success that I’ve got I will make sure that they know all these things. It’s a remote place so people are starved of quality entertainment. This is what we’re trying to put right even though things are hard economically,” he said.
While the festival was still taking baby steps, Marabini said he wanted it to grow bigger with time.
“I’m very thankful to the artistes who have been very supportive of the festival up to this point. We would like it to grow bigger and see it attracting people from beyond Filabusi and even the country. For now however, we’re still crawling like a toddler but with time I’m sure we will be up and running,” he said.
