The Sunday News
Lovemore Dube Sunday Leisure Correspondent
THE Soul Brothers have not just been a musical group but a way of life for many. They have been at the heart of some people’s existence providing the right tonic for happiness, soothing the low-spirited and those in grief while providing bar and shebeen owners with good business volumes. The passing on of David Masondo, the group’s founding drummer, lead singer and choreographer last week pierced the inner most of millions not only in Zimbabwe but across the globe. Over the decades the group’s resume had soared beyond Southern Africa where Nguni is prevalent but even in the diaspora where hundreds of thousands are working and Soul Brothers gave them that distinct back home feel.
Growing up in Matabeleland most secular groups tried to play their impressive discography with Mama kaSibongile and Sibongile among the most popular songs in the late 1970s. So popular were the Sibongiles that there are over five songs about the troublesome girl and her mother.
To this day an avid Soul Brothers fan would feel short changed if the group does not play Mama kaSibongile at a live show. The powerful message about the wayward woman, the twitching lead guitar ably played in the last three decades by Maxwell Mngadi, the booming bass guitar by Sicelo Ndlela and the piercing Hammond Organ played by his buddy and band mate for 40 years Moses Ngwenya often evoked tears among many in packed stadia.
A guzzler in a drunken stupor would be seen cuddling his brown bottle and drowning his sorrows and miseries away in the show and in a flash the mood changes. The group would have changed the tempo with songs like Mantombazane where the likes of the late Mbongeleni Dladla, Sipho Bhengu and Japan Sidoyi would mesmerise fans with well co-ordinated dancing routines and good backing harmonies.
Just like so many millions, a bit of me went with Masondo to eternity on that Black Sunday. Modern Ngwenya posted on a Bosso WhatsApp Page and a few minutes later I was on the line speaking to band leader Moses Ngwenya.
“Yee Lovemore, liqiniso impela, usesitshiyile uMasondo,” was Moses’ response on the other end from Joburg as he was with family and friends where the great Masondo had breathed his last.
Like many who had been close to the group and will stay so despite the absence of the legend, tears dropped down my cheeks.
For over two months I had been at the centre of trying to bring the group to Bulawayo on the weekend of 7-9 August and we had coined the show “The Soul Brothers Glen Lodge Tour.”
Glen Lodge had been keen to play a part in the promotion and two weeks prior to that we had met the Bhulus of Glen Lodge and Black Umfolosi’s Sotsha Moyo and Nando’s Chris Moyo to discuss the promotion. As the link with Moses I had briefed the party that Masondo was still unwell and that the suggestion was we wait until he had recovered to make a firm booking.
The alternative was to do like the Swazis and book them without Masondo. That we felt was applying for a culpable homicide docket to be opened against us as fans would not understand why Masondo was not leading the group.
In Swaziland and the United Kingdom Thami Khulu who doubled as a dancer and backing artiste took Masondo’s lead role with aplomb.
The truth though is that there will always be one David Masondo.
In my early years I had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of shebeen life, not as a patron. I would be sent to buy quarts of Castle where I would find at the nearest to our home patrons some couples listening to Soul Brothers music, the early hits that featured Thuza Mthethwa, Masondo, Ngwenya, American Zulu and Zenzele Mnchunu.
Those were the days of Sibongile, Mama kaSibongile, Baba kaSibongile, Umshoza, Deliwe, Kulukhuni and some sounds where they appeared to stray from Mbaqanga to a sound close to the famed Hurricanes with; “Haalala…laalala, bengingazimisele, ukwehlukana nawe, Oooo ungiphoxile. . . ”, the sweet old times with Masondo belting it out while on the drums.
Christmas in the city would not have made as much impact without Soul Brothers music from the 1970s to the mid 2000s. It was music in every family’s turntable from seven singles to a full album on vinyl, later on cassettes and compact discs.
For the Ogandaganda initiated, any music kicking off with a distinct keyboard would draw a close listening to as to whether it was an old hit or a new release.
Every home would play the new music but classics like Mama kaSibongile, Kulukhuni and Mantombazane would still be played with as much appreciation as the latest on the market.
In the history of music only the likes of Oliver Mtukudzi, Alick Macheso and Jonah Moyo and Devera Ngwena in terms of volume sales may boast of having sold more music here than the Soul Brothers. Their appeal transcended beyond ethnic lines with very big crowds witnessed at Skyline Motel and City Sports Centre whenever they played in Harare.
Passing through Revival Record Bar by Sixth Avenue and Herbert Chitepo Street formerly Jameson Street, would be greeted by a fan musing over the sight of a Soul Brothers album on the wall or window. Seeming content would be all to see from a fan nodding in approval of his heroes.
Down the street on Lobengula Street shop after shop would be playing the latest from the major groups in the business. Up to four record bars on Lobengula Street would be playing Soul Brothers and their backing group Imitshotshovu as if in competition.
One would ask why they were not playing one radio so that there was a bit of order.
So many groups emerged in South Africa to play the beat popularised by the Soul Brothers. They lacked originality and fell by the wayside as the Masondo and Moses Ngwenya group moved on.
From the boy band that was formed in KwaZulu as Groovy Boys in 1970 before moving to Joburg in 1974 where they teamed up with Moses who added the keyboard, the rest about the group is legendary even despite the death of up to 10 people they have worked with, they have grown from strength to strength.
Mthethwa was the first to die in 1979 in a car accident and the likable Mchunu a bassist was to follow in the mid 1980s which prompted the still good to listen to “Indlela Yethu’’ sung in his tribute.
American Zulu had by then quit the group to pursue other interests before he died about a decade ago.
Masondo’s vocals and Moses’ prowess on the keyboard had become the hallmark of the group.
At times at a drink fans tended to get carried away and ask who should die first if the group was to survive between Moses and Masondo. The music will live on though the appearance of the two on album sleeves will hurt those who had grown accustomed to both.
Since 1985 Soul Brothers had been David Masondo and Moses Ngwenya. The rest of the guys had come and gone but the music had leapt to new highs of a different note.
The Soul Brothers music epitomised urban and rural life in Zimbabwe where a household without their albums or records was considered poor in entertainment terms.
They were a must for every household in Matabeleland, the Midlands and some parts of Masvingo province.
While their dress, choreography and harmonies bore resemblance to American Soul music, an inspiration to them when they started, the group originated and bettered a sound that had started with the likes of the late Simon Nkabinde better known to the world as Mahlathini, Reggie Msomi, Mahotella Queens, Mparanyana and Intombi ZesiManjemanje, a style which went on to captivate audiences in the world.
During apartheid, South Africans and migrant workers kept their spirits high by listening to Soul Brothers music.
Relationships were mended by their lyrics.
Their music often had strong sense.
Bazobuya released in 1989 a year before the release of Nelson Mandela was a blockbuster as they sung about imprisoned political activists who had left their wives and children in strife under apartheid rule.
Soul Brothers sang about life experiences.
Instead of mourning the world of Mbaqanga fans must celebrate a life shared with the maestro and with their music still appealing 40 years after they begun there is no doubt that it will stay for decades to come.
They thrived on originality and in a casual chat during the break of one of their shows in Bulawayo some years ago with a friend and Soul Brothers diehard Ntokozo Mlilo, Moses spoke of Masondo’s dazzling dancing ingenuity. He said the veteran could just from nowhere come up with an amazing dance routine and dance it better than youngsters half his age.
Passion would be written all over what he did and that made him a cut above the rest in the genre.
The original band was built around the rhythm section comprising bassist Mchunu, drummer Masondo and guitarists Mthethwa and Zulu.
But the turning point of the group was when Masondo moved to lead singer and dancer and by 1984 the Soul Brothers had expanded to a 13-member group with a full complement of dancers and a brass section of gurus like Lemmy ‘Special’ Mabaso.
Moses and Masondo were able to work with Hugh Masekela on his Technobush album and Mbongeni Ngema on the classic Stimela SaseZola, Ihashi Elimhlophe, award winning Impumelelo formerly Imitshotshovu and Oguluva fronted by his son Nkosilathi and Ray Mavundla.
Going up to the podium to notch awards has been part of the group’s life and in Southern Africa they remain a household name.
There were days when Bulawayo lads used to boast that they lived for Highlanders, Soul Brothers, their girls and Zapu. Such was the infectious effect of the group on people’s lives.
The late 1980s saw a dress craze of viscose shirts in Bulawayo and South African townships because of the group’s influence.
Township life will stay alive because of Masondo’s music.
His passing on evoked memories of the Groove when still run by city businessman Omega Sibanda when the late Highlanders juniors’ manager Jiza Sithole would take Limukani Ncube, the editor of B-Metro and myself home at mid night. He was Soul Brothers through and through and would imitate Moses on the keyboard on his steering wheel and the shoulder shaking dance by Masondo.
He was not the only one who loved Soul Brothers in notable fashion, his friends Benjamin Moyo, Charles Moyo, Albert ‘Ali’ Dube and Sydney ‘Sido’ Ncube and anyone who wanted to hear the latest from the group, Abangane, Super Tens, Imitshotshovu, Tisha and Oguluva would deliberately sneak at the back of the Bosso Clubhouse where he was bound to get a good dosage of pure Mbaqanga.
His death moved the South African music industry with eulogies coming from politicians and fellow artistes.
Hluphekile, Hamba Ntombi, Xola, Nibhayizelani, Umshado kaDadewethu, Imihlola, Bazobuya, Isithembiso, Uyazishwashwata, Isilingo, Uthando, Umshoza and Nilindeni are some of the songs people will remember Masondo with.
Hamba kuhle mfowethu, kwabathakazelela amaSololo alwehlanga lungehla.
