The Sunday News
Thobekisiwe Gumede Sunday Leisure Reporter
DESPITE living with disabilities, they are a professional group of musicians who are able to keep their audience enthralled and usually up on their feet with their captivating performances. Their stage performance is energetic, dynamic, professional and at most fun. Their enthusiasm seems infectious as it is immediately and easily transferred to any audience.
This aptly describes the story of King VI School’s New Generation band that was recently honoured with prize money by Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Andrew Langa in recognition of their moving performance at the launch of the Culture Week.
The band comprises Ocean Manyeza (band leader), Walter Munyulwa (band assistant), Nqobile Khumalo, Shepherd Banda, Tanatswa Gwetai, Sarah Mareni, Valentine Nyoni and Venon Tukuta.
Sunday Leisure had the opportunity to speak to the school band instructor, Tapiwa Nyengera (TN) in an interview where he said disability was just a condition that does not mean inability.
Below are excerpts of the interview with Sunday Leisure Reporter Thobekisiwe Gumede (TG)
TG: I am pleased to meet you Tapiwa, can you briefly enlighten us about your band.
TN: New Generation was formed three years ago and at that time I had not joined the school. I started instructing the band from 2011 till now. We have a strong arts programme in the school so playing music started as an afternoon lesson that we do at school which has actually turned into something as big a what you see today.
TG: Can you tell us how big you are now?
TN: People in and outside Bulawayo have generally developed a liking for the group. We have received quite a number of invites to shows around the city. We also have two concerts coming up at the National Art Gallery in two weeks’ time. We will be travelling to Harare in June as well for the special schools festival so I can say we have grown and we are really going far.
TG: What kind of music do you play?
TN: We play Afro fusion, entertainment is all what we are about.
TG: What inspired you as a group?
TN: The love of music is what inspired us.
TG: That’s interesting, how have people received you in the showbiz industry so far?
TN: The stigma has always been there but our motto has always been “one band one sound”, whenever we go to perform we have an open mind we want to tell people that this is who we are and they should enjoy our music. I have always told the band that we might have limitations physically but that cannot stop us from what we like doing most. We want to show the world that having disabilities does not mean inability and that we can make it in the arts industry. We want to debunk the notion that the arts are a preserve of the able bodied.
TG: I have noticed that you mainly focus on playing instruments, you don’t do any vocals?
TN: Doing vocals is a working process. We have in the past considered venturing into that but then we are currently having financial challenges, the resources are a bit limited.
TG: Who writes the songs for the band?
TN: We have our own songs, actually the band has composed a few songs of which we have only managed to play just one out of the list, so when we go for shows we normally perform copyright songs, those which have been played by other people.
TG: As a newly established group what would you say are your goals and aspirations?
TN: We basically want to continue entertaining people. We don’t just want the band to die a silent death but we hope that as time goes on we record our own songs.
TG: Any support coming from the parents?
TN: Yes, the parents are very supportive of the band to the extent that some have actually organised shows for the band.
TG: How did the band feel having been recognised by the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture at the culture festival?
TN: I would say that the band members were very excited in that their talent is being recognised. I was very pleased as well.
TG: Thank you for your time and wish you the best in all that you do as a band.
TN: Thank you.
