Kuphophoma ezesizwe ngezingwazi zobuciko eziguqile
Imanxebanxeba indima yobuciko kulandela ukudlula ngokulandelana kwezingwazi ezintathu ngesonto elilodwa.
Akujwayelekile ukuthi kuwe imithi emikhulu esikhathini esisodwa. Kuziliwe ezweni njengoba kugoduke amaqhawekazi amabili uMama u-Esme Matshikiza noMary Twala, owazakhela igama edlala indawo kaMaMpinga.
Ngawo lowo mnyama kwedlule ingqalabutho ekubhalweni nasekudidiyeni imidlalo yeshashalazi, uBaba uWelcome Msomi.
U-Esme
Umdlalo iKing Kong wasesiteji owawuxube umculo nowaba nesasasa ezweni owawuhlanganiswe amaciko aboHlanga, wabhalwa umyeni ka-Esme uTodd.
UTodd wayengomunye wababhali abanohlonze beDrum abuye ahlele nemicimbi yeJazz nasemazweni anjengeMozambique.
Njengoba isikhathi esiningi ayehlale ematasa ngenxa yemisebenzi eminingi ayeyenza, ngu-Esme owayechitha isikhathi eside nezingane zabo ezimbili.
Umndeni wayewubambe ngqi singabonakali isikhala somyeni wakhe owayehlale ematasa.
Lo mdlalo waba nesandla ekukhuliseni ikhono nodumo lukaMirriam Makeba, owadlala indawo yokuba iShebeen Queen yaseBack of the Moon, okuyindawo eyayithandwa kakhulu ngabantu baseSophiatown. Phambili kwakudlala uNathan Mdedle owayecula kumaManhattan Brothers. Kubadlali bangonyaka we-1972 kwavela uCaiphus Semenya, uSophie Mgcina, uLetta Mbulu, uBenjamin Masinga, uHugh Masekela, uJonas Gwangwa, uKippie Moeketsi noThandi Klaasen.
Kulona lonke udumo obelutholwa uTodd, bekukuncane okubikwayo ngomkakhe.
Obekugqame ngaleli qhawekazi elishonele eCape Town selineminyaka engama-92, ukuthi belizihlonipha. Ubengazwani nokudatshukelwa ngoba kuthiwa ungumfelokazi kababa uTodd.
Yize ayeshade umuntu wabantu uTodd enjalo eyiqhalaqhala kodwa uMama u-Esme wayengakuthandi sidalwa ukuduma.
Abamazi kangcono bamchaza njengomuntu owayezithobile futhi engangeneki kalula njengoTodd yena owayehlale ezikhululekele futhi ezithandela nezindawo zobumnandi.
Bathi nguye owayeqikelela ukuthi izimali zomndeni azisaphazwa.
Ngesikhathi lo mdlalo ubukwa okokuqala eWits University ngowe-1959, kwakukhona noMnu uNelson Mandela, okwathi ngakusasa waqonda enkantolo ecaleni eladuma iTreason Trial.
Umndeni wakwaMatshikiza nowakwaMadiba wawusondelene. Ngesikhathi abakwaMatshikiza besekudingisweni behlala ePrimrose
Hill eLondon, bavakashelwa uMadiba nowayenguMengameli we-ANC uMnu u-Oliver Tambo
Wathandana noTodd ngesikhathi efundela ukuba usonhlalakahle kanti wayeqale esebenza njengomqaphi wezingane enkulisabantwana. Bashada ngowe-1951 baba nomuzi e-Orlando West.
Uba yinsika yekhaya u-Esme ngesikhathi ebhedelwa izinto uTodd nemisebenzi ingaqhamuki, kwadingeka ukuthi u-Esme ameseke ngaleziya zikhathi ezinzima.
Ngesikhathi uTodd ecelwa owayenguMengameli waseZambia uKenneth Kaunda ukuyohola iZambian Broadcasting Corporation ngowe-1964 bahamba bayohlala eLusaka. Kuthiwa wajabulisa okwengane encane u-Esme ngoba wayebona ukuthi usezoba seduze nasekhaya. Waqhubeka nokusebenza njengosonhlakahle eZambia lapho umyeni wakhe ashonela khona eneminyaka engama-46 ehlushwa ukudlavuzeka kwesibindi. Waveza ukuthi washona enenhliziyo ebuhlungu kwazise wayezibona engaseyona ingxenye yaseNingizimu Afrika.
Kwaphela iminyaka emithathu washada no-Andreas Shipanga, owayengumholi eqenjini iSouth West Africa People’s Organisation (Swapo) eLusaka. Bake bahlala eLondon u-Esme esesebenza njengothisha weSingisi kodwa badivosa. Ubuyele kuleli ngowezi-1991.
Ubesayigcinile yonke imisebenzi kaTodd okukhona neyomculo wamakhwaya. Wanqaba inkokhelo yemali engama-R50 000 yelungelo bobunikazi beKing Kong.
Yize wayebhekene nezingqinamba kodwa akaliphosanga ithawula njengoba lo mdlalo wabuyiswa wabukwa eFugard Theatre eCape Town ngowezi-2017 naseJohannesburg Theatre ngowezi-2018.
Ushiye indodakazi uMarian kanti indodana yabo uJohn yashona ngowezi-2008.
UMaMpinga
Ukwedlula kukaTwala nakho kudumaze abaningi. Ubengunina kaSomizi Mhlongo egane uNdaba Mhlongo naye owayengumlingisi ohlonishwayo ezweni.
Wayephiwe ngamakhono okudlala esiteji, engqayini nakuthelevishini.
Ingqayi eyabukwa naphesheya adlala kuyo uSarafina, uDeliwe neTaxi to Soweto. Wawola inqwaba yezindondo ngendlela azidlala ngakhona izindawo ayenikwe zona. Emidlalweni yakuthelevishini ubonwe ku-Undenzani Melwane, Iqhawe, iHlala Kwabafileyo, iSoul Buddyz, iChild of Soweto, iKhululeka, iYizo-Yizo, iSOS noMuvhango.
Umqondisi wengqayi agcine ukubonakala kuyo iThis Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection, uLemohang Mosese uthi indlela akhiphe amangwevu ngayo kulo msebenzi oqoshelwe eLesotho bekungathi uyavalalelisa. Uvela edlala indawo kaMantoa ongumfelokazi oneminyaka engama-80 olwa nokususwa endaweni asehlale kuyo iminyaka ngenxa yokuthi sekuzokwakhiwa indawo yokugcina amanzi.
“Yize iminyaka ibihambile kodwa ukuzimisela nokwethembeka akukhombisile kwenze igenge engemva
kwakhe yathola ukugqugquzeleka. Bekungathi uyapholofitha ngesikhathi kwesinye isiqephu ephakamisa isandla ekhombisa ukungavumi ukugudluzwa endaweni yakhe enezidalwa zakubo. Kimina kube sengathi ubethi sengikwenze konke manje sengiyavalelisa kulo mhlaba.
UTwala waqala ukukhombisa ikhono lakhe emidlalweni kaGibson Kente e-Uncle Tom’s Hall e-Orlando West, Soweto.
Wachonywa uphaphe lwegwalagwala uMengameli uRamaphosa ngeOrder of Ikhamanga ngowezi-2019. Kwakuqhakanjiswa imisebenzi yakhe kule ndima asebenze kuyo iminyaka ecela emashumini amabili.
UMsomi
Yize abhala imidlalo efana nothi uQombeni kodwa uMabatha yiwo owamdumisa. NjengeKing Kong uMabatha wazungeza amazwe, ushiya izethameli zifuna impinda.
Phakathi kwabantu avundulula ikhono labo kunoDaphney Hlomuka, owagcina esegqama emidlalweni yethelevishini. Wake wadlala indawo yokuba uJessica Mkhize kuHlala Kwabafileyo, uRoseline ku-Ubambo Lwami noSis May kuS’gud S’naysi ehlushwa isiqashi uSdumo ngerenti.
Wasusela umdlalo uMabatha emdlalweni kaWilliam Shakespeare uMabeth.
Lo mdlalo owawukukhuluma ngokuthi sahlulwa kanjani iSilo uDingane wabukwa okokuqala e-University of Natal ngowe-1971.
Wasuka lapho wadlulela eWest End’s Aldwych Theatre eLondon kanti nase-Italy, eScotland, eZimbabwe nase-USA bayawazi.
Ngesikhathi ubuyiswa eJoburg Theatre ngowe-1995 kwabonakala umlingisi uDieketseng Mnisi odlala indawo kaMaNtuli kuSkeem Saam.
UMsomi wake waphoqeleka ukuthi azibambele yena mathupha ngesikhathi umlingisi okwakumele adlale indawo ephambili ezunywa ukugula. Abamazi kangcono bathi uMsomi waqala ukukhombisa ikhono lokubhala esaneminyaka eli-15. Wake wabhala nezitori ezazidlalwa kuRadio Bantu osekuwu-Ukhozi FM manje.
UMnu uMabutho Kid Sithole oneminyaka eyibambile endimeni kaqedisizungu uthe: “Angeke ngilikhohlwe ikhono elimangalisayo aliveza ngoMabatha nokwenze amehlo omhlaba ayibuka ngenye indlela iNingizimu Afrika. Okumehlele eminyakeni emibili edlule angeke kukugqibe ukuthi wayengomunye wababhali nabaqondisi abanohlonze.”
Cishe lezi zingwazi seziyoqhubeka nemisebenzi yazo kwelizayo zihlangane nezinye izinkakha ezifana noKente, uJoe Mafela, uNomhle Nkonyeni, uVuyisile Bojana nabanye.