The Sunday News
Mbongeni Msimanga
acoustic guitarist and musician Edmore “Tshwalabenyoni” Ngwenya has undoubtedly shown that the little known Maskandi music genre can take him not only beyond the borders of Zimbabwe, but the continent of Africa as well.
Maskandi music is a type of Zulu folk music that is played on cheap, portable instruments that are tuned to produce a seemingly polyphonic sound and guitars are the instruments mainly used.
Many may be wondering who Tshwalabenyoni is, having never read about him but most would have probably heard him strumming his guitar that evokes a feeling of being part of the Zulu culture whose traces can also be found in the Ndebele culture.
Although the Maskandi genre is little known in Zimbabwe, the muso has managed to call from abroad performing in Austria at the Roots Music Festival for Southern Africa at Krems University, Reign, and Neufelden belting out Maskandi tunes to an audience that he felt responded fairly well to a little known African beat.
“I managed to perform in Austria for the first time in my life and I think the way the audience responded to my music was fairly good. Little is known about my music in Zimbabwe but I managed to make a break by performing at Krems University, Reign, and at a family concert in Neufelden and I felt I put up a performance that will be remembered by many,” he said.
The 36-year-old guitarist has not been in the music industry for long. He is not even a decade in the industry but has managed to perform abroad something that he credited to 10th District Assistant Director Tswarelo Mothebo who played a pivotal role in his recent shows in Austria.
The self taught guitarist has managed to work with reputable names in the music industry such as Jeys Marabini, Vusa Mkhaya Ndlovu, Dumisani Ramadu Moyo and the Black Messengers Afro band.
“So far, I have managed to work with Insingizi group members such as Dumisani Ramadu Moyo, Vusa Mkhaya Ndlovu. I have also worked with Jeys Marabini who I met three years ago and the Black Messengers Afro-Band that I performed with during my Austria tour,” he said.
He said he mastered the art of playing the guitar at a young age and loved the Maskandi genre because it was popular with his forefathers.
However, his music is mainly popular in the rural areas where he plays at popular spots with other artistes and said the rural areas have been a pillar of support that have uplifted his career.
“I started playing the guitar at an early age and I have since then liked the music because it was played by our forefathers and it was a popular genre in the rural areas. However, my music grew in the rural areas because of the support that I received from my rural folk,” he said.
He lamented the lack of support for Maskandi music by the local artistes saying so much talent was left idle.
“We are not being recognised as musicians from the rural areas and those in the periphery of real urban set-ups such as Harare and Bulawayo. There is so much talent in the rural areas and it is sad that no one recognises it. We are asking for support of rural arts if the Government is serious about art as part of employment,” he said.
Tswarelo Mothebo said the self taught guitarist had so far done well and plans were under way to slot him in this year’s Ibumba Festival and other popular festivals in Zimbabwe such as Intwasa Festival so that his music becomes popular among people in Zimbabwe. This, he said, would enable him to get involved in many performances so that he could build his name locally.
“I think he has done well so far as he has managed to perform in shows in Austria which is a milestone for someone coming from a small town like Plumtree. We are hoping to get him more shows locally and hopefully this year he will perform at the Ibumba Festival. He will also be slotted into other festivals such as the Intwasa Festival KoBulawayo. This will enable his music to be known among people,” he said.
The Plumtree based guitarist is set to follow in the footsteps of other Maskandi musicians such as Mxolisi Mavundla who was nominated for South African Traditional Music Awards SATMA Awards in 2013.
