SINCE releasing his last album Terera in 2006, Bob Nyabinde scaled down on performances and has since settled full-time into repairing and making guitars.
Report by Tinashe Sibanda Entertainment Reporter
Nyabinde hit the spotlight in 2002 after releasing his first album titled Panenyaya — which had the famous song Chabuda Hapana — which he sang during the time he was a primary school headmaster at a Kwekwe school and featured his students on the video.
NewsDay Entertainment Reporter, Tinashe Sibanda, recently caught up with the 56-year-old cheerful and comic musician; and this is what he said:
ND: Have you completely stopped recording. If so, why? BN: I have definitely scaled-down for a number of reasons. In 2008 after I had prepared material for a new album, someone stole three of my cameras that had all the information and I was completely discouraged. Around the same time, there were issues of inflation and low royalties. I then decided to focus more on live shows be it public or corporate events and that is what I am still doing. However, I have since started working on a new album after a lot of people complained. It will be a mixture of fast and moderate sound.
ND: Why did you choose guitar making and repairing? BN: In 1989 when I was a primary school teacher, one of my students, Moice Matula — who is now a musician known as Ghetto Soldier — challenged me to make a guitar. I worked on one and was successful. I took it to the Ministry of Trade and Commerce where it was approved and even got tested by Andy Brown. That’s when I realised I could do this. I used that guitar until 2006.
ND: Who in the music industry has supported your business? BN: Culture Fund has given me three machines to support my endeavour and I have also fixed guitars for Rose of Sharon member, Sam Mtemererwa, the Leeya Brothers, Oliver Mtukudzi, the late Cephas Mashakada, Leonard Zhakata, the late Tongai Moyo and many other up and coming musicians. I am currently repairing Alick Macheso’s popular bass guitar as we speak.
ND: What are the major changes in your life since your last album? BN: My worst was the death of my wife in 2007. It crashed me. The better changes are that I now work together with my two sons, Albert the bass guitarist and Aggabu the lead guitarist. Oliver Mtukudzi encouraged me to work with them and I am enjoying it.
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ND: Can we say you are passing on your legacy to your sons like most musicians do? BN: I would not say that at all, with my youngest son, it’s a natural talent which I realised when he was only in grade four. During one of my sessions he said to me that he could play the guitar the way I did. So I gave him a guitar and amazingly he played it. I never taught him to play. He had so much interest that it was his hobby watching me play. My oldest son Albert only showed interest after realising that his brother was now into it thus he did not want to be outdone as the older one. He is an IT technician and the younger one is studying for a degree in Marketing.
ND: Have you moved from Kwekwe since you are doing the guitar business in Harare? BN: Kwekwe is and will always be home, but more business is in Harare that is why I’m here most of the time.
