In the groove: Musicians with disabilities should be honoured

By Fred Zindi

Edmond Mutetwa, a music critic and rugby coach, made this complaint to me the other day: “Professor, why don’t the National Arts Merit Awards (Nama)recognise dead musicians who made great contributions to the dynamics of culture in this country? Musicians such as Augustine Musarurwa, Susan Mapfumo, Solomon Skuza, Fanyana Dube and Paul Matavire should be remembered all the time. The Nama Awards should create special categories for these music heroes and you should also be writing about these important people. Dube, also known as Fanyana Sithole who was half-brother to Jonah Sithole struggled during his life as a musician because he was blind.

Steve Kekana, a blind musician in South Africa, although dead, is recognised by South Africans because the government gave him a special place in their society by honouring him. Why don’t we do it here? We can create a special category known as Dzangu Dziye Awards in honour of these legendary musicians. As you can see, people are beginning to recognise and the likes of Tinei Chikupo and many others because of the efforts of one Clive Malunga who found time and money to build tombstones for them.”

I agreed with Edmond and advised him to talk to Joseph Nyadzayo of the Zima Awards or Nicholas Moyo of Nama and I promised him that I would write about the late Fanyana Dube and Paul Matavire, both disabled musicians. Perhaps this makes the accomplishments of these late musicians all the more interesting, as their art, their struggle, and their lives still haunt and intrigue us to this day.

These artistes were all highly-skilled musicians who had to deal with rejection, criticism, grief and/or poverty during their lifetime. Although a few eventually gained recognition during their life for their artistic contributions, most of them such as System Tazvida, James Chimombe, Biggie Tembo, Leonard Dembo, John Chibadura, Chiwoniso Maraire, Tendai Mupfurutsa and Fortune Mparutsa were under-appreciated and would never know the artistic legacy they would leave behind because it came only after they had passed on. However, these artistes now live on forever as revered masters of their respective styles and all academies should honour this.

Some disabled musicians are lucky today in the sense that despite their disabilities and struggles in life, they still manage to get recognition.

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We all know of world- famous blind musician based in the United States, Stevie Wonder. He was the youngest person to have his US number 1 hit at the age of 13. He has had over 100 million albums sold, over 30 US top ten hits, 25 Grammies, 10 US number one hits on the pop charts, a Lifetime Achievement Award, an Oscar, and is inducted in both the Songwriters and the Rock and Roll Halls of fame. On top of being recognised as one of the most successful artistes of our era, he has also been blind since birth due to premature retinopathy.  He is still alive and sings with a pitch-perfect voice.

He has proved to the world that despite his challenge of blindness, his talent exceeds the world’s perceptions and expectations from a disabled musician. The world must think again. He will be remembered forever.

We must not forget the numerous challenges the blind face in order to function normally in society. Blind people have to deal with the inability to perceive the world by restricting their movement and contact with the world. Most also have a tendency to become over-protective on a daily basis in order to avoid danger that normal people don’t have to deal with. They also have to cope with the emotional awkwardness amidst the presence of sighted people. They have to work harder in life to accomplish even the most basic things of life, such as gaining employment.

In Zimbabwe, one such blind musician was Fanyana Dube, born in 1946. He was a blind vocalist, composer, saxophonist and guitarist. He turned out to be a brilliant musician.  Although blind, he performed to ecstatic audiences as if he had no visual impairment.

During his lifetime, he composed many hit songs such as Nyama Yembongolo and Imali. He was the lead singer of the band Afro Jazz Merchants.

Initially, he made his mark with the Jairos Jiri’s Sunrise Kwela Kings after the release of the hit song, Take Cover in 1958 at the age of 12.

In 1974, Dube moved to Victoria Falls and joined a group called Submarine for a year. After that, he went back to Bulawayo where he played with the Cantos Quartet led by Never Nevado Ndlovu (of the 1950s’ Cool Four).

In 1978 he was performing with The Elbow, led by Bheki Khumalo.  The group played at the Federal Hotel in Harare, a social focal point of the 1970s.  When they disbanded Dube formed the Jobs Combination and the group heightened his popularity.  He made compositions which were popularised by Lovemore Majaivana.  When Majaivana left the group after he had a dispute with the club owner, Job Kadengu, Fanyana became the frontman of the Job’s Combination. He performed as vocalist, guitarist and saxophonist.  He recorded the hits Ngidhingi Imali, Isimanga, Inyama Yembongolo , Ekhaya, and many others.

Always on the move, Dube had a stint with another group, the Champ, at the Federal Hotel in Harare.

In 1989 he travelled to Canada to perform alongside other disabled musicians.

It was a great moment for him as he met several and diverse artistes. He bought himself a house from the proceeds of the trip.  Back home, he teamed up with Andrew Chakanyuka (a guitarist of note), and Tony Makwavarara at the Southern Night Club in Bulawayo.  He then moved to Dete and paired up with a renowned musician of the 1980s, Solomon Skhuza.  In 1992 he settled in Mutare where he performed in a hotel.

Dube decided to make Mutare his home.  He occasionally visited Harare to perform at Jazz Festivals where he was popular with fans.

Dube fought odds to stay in the music business.  “Blindness is not a disability. I can do anything, it’s only my eyes which cannot see,” he once remarked sombrely.

Dube got married twice. He had two children from his first marriage.  His second marriage was to Emily Dube and together they had three children.

His well-received album was titled Ngamemeza.

Sadly, Dube is no more. He died in 2004 and we are waiting for one of these awards academies to posthumously recognise his contribution to the music world and to Zimbabwe’s culture industry.

Another blind musician who made the headlines was Matavire.

Born in 1963 in Rutenga, Mwenezi area Matavire, lead singer with the Jairos Jiri Band developed glaucoma at the age of six which threatened his failing eyesight. A year later he was totally blind.

Undaunted, Matavire taught himself to play drums, keyboards and the guitar in 1982.

On completion of his secondary schooling Matavire joined the Jairos Jiri Association, an organisation looking after disabled people, as a social worker.

When he heard the Jairos Jiri band playing music, he was so impressed by the group that one day Matavire asked if he could become a member. His wish was granted.

When his parents heard that their son, Matavire, had abandoned social work to follow this risky career, they protested.

Matavire continued as a musician and in no time at all, he released two controversial hits Tanga Wandida and Dhiabhorosi Nyoka. These songs dominated the radio airwaves throughout the country for almost a year, thus winning Matavire the title ‘Dr Love’ as he wooed the hearts of many women through his rich Shona language lyrics.

Matavire’s music gained popularity due to his humour, the use of rich and deep Shona lyrics, and his willingness to tread on what many regarded as sensitive societal issues. With his blindness, he was indeed a sensitive man. His songs touched on anything from religion to marital issues, but still retaining the hum.

Matavire travelled to Europe with an entourage of 27 musicians in 1989. His performances in Europe were met by enthusiastic and thrilled audiences who wanted him to come back for more the following year.

Unfortunately, the proposed 1990 tour did not take place due to his court case on allegation of rape of another visually handicapped woman which he denied and called this in song; Joke Of The Year. He served one year in prison after being convicted of this crime. On release Matavire put out a single titled Back From College.

The government gave him a farm during the land reform programme in 2003. He later died in 2005, but it is our wish that he should continue to be recognised for his music efforts in the cultural industry.

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