Dandemutande

Black Umfolosi

Black Umfolosi, the rising stars of Zimbabwe’s vocal group scene have been singing together since childhood. This, the unit’s debut long player demonstrates their fresh approach to close harmony singing in the Zulu township style of L,adysmith Black Mambaza. Digitally recorded direct to stereo during the young group’s first European tour ‘Unity’ serves as a showcase for Ndebele music and features the soulful lead voice of Sotsha Moyo.

Musically, Zimbabwe is best known for its Shona mbira traditions and the popular music which stems from them. But in the southwest of the country, in Matabeleland, are the Ndebele traditions which were imported into Zimbabwe toward the middle of the last century by rebel Zulu warriors. The group is named after the Black Umfolosi Regiment – crack Zulu troops whose leader Mzilakazi rebelled against Chaka Zulu and moved north to found Ndebele society during the 1830’s.

The idea for Black Umfolosi came when the boys were pupils of the George Silundika School near Bulawayo, one of the Zimbabwe Federation for Education with Production (ZIMFEP) pilot schools. Bored with the lack of entertainment facilities they came together one evening to put on a show and sing traditional songs for the rest of the school. The evening was a great success and became a regular feature of school life; they were invited to sing at school functions, social occasions, festivals and government functions.

In 1982 they set up the Black Umfolosi Cooperative to “revive and promote culture and the arts.” In addition to singing, the group also act out plays, perform comedy routines, write and perform poetry, and design clothes. They are becoming more well known through a couple of recent hits; one of them ‘Unity’ is played every week as the signature tune for ZBC Radio’s anti-apartheid programme.

Most of the members of the group contribute to the song writing. Lucky Moyo builds his songs out of Ndebele praise poetry, war poetry and proverbial sayings used in the past to encourage warriors and to celebrate their victories. These are blended with Zulu dance steps and Zulu-style musical lines. These neo-traditional pieces are led by Lucky and danced by the group in Zulu warrior costume. Sotsha Moyo writes about the agonies of modern society and the tragedy of the human condition. Some of Milton Dube’s songs are inspired by Ndebele traditions while others are simple love songs. In contrast, the poetry of Thomeki Dube who belongs to the.Zionist church looks forward to the afterlife and the promise of paradise.