Female Court Musician piece turns heads
VETERAN and stone art mastermind, the late Thomas Tandi mentored and groomed all his sons Tendekayi, Tafadzwa, Farai, Gabriel and Taurayi to become universally respectable visual artists.
And each of them learned well indeed.
Tendekayi, a certified motor mechanic, gave up the spanners and screws business for stone engraving.
His Female Court Musician sculpture recognises that it takes time to become an accomplished musician and it is tradition that practical musicianship is built over time.
This being the case, Tendekayi feels that child mentoring and grooming should be equal between the boy and girl child.
His Female Court Musician sculpture is a rattle or maraca (hosho in Shona) player, symbolic of court musicians who have hogged the limelight through rattling the percussion instrument.
Rattles or shakers usually provide the pulse in mbira music and children are taught slow paces up until they grasp fast movement techniques in addition to making their own music or captivating variations.
Tendekayi told NewsDay Life & Style that the kings courts now State Houses in the present-day used to curate all cultural best practices, be it business techniques, literary works, innovations and all success stories that can be identified with statesman.
“The Female Court Musician plays shakers at the king's court. Music is important to all aspects of human life. In the bible, King David would be teased and released from depressed moments through soothing and resurrecting brushes of bowing the lute. Above all the book of Psalms has poems and songs for all occasions in life,” he said.
“People collectively part with millions of dollars in order to watch celebrities of their choice and likewise the Female Court Musician has perfected all her flawlessness in music and playing shakers for recognition.”
The Female Court Musician sculpture was carved out of green opal and Tendekayi demonstrated immense precision and expertise on the symmetry of the well-mounted musician in folded leg sitting posture.
Tendekayi's hyper surrealism on dreadlocks, the gourd shakers and skin hide overlapping dress makes the stone image catchy and the stunning monument suitable for both indoor and outdoor display.
The uncovered breasts are a bone to chew as people reflect on old and modern aesthetics of beauty. Her innocent face too, raises eyebrows over the demand for confidence that is usually associated with tantalising beauty.
Tendekayi said his father Thomas Tandi loved nature and used to teach him and his brothers to come up with inspirational renditions of animals, trees and any objects.
At the age of five Tendekayi was already capable of doing final touches on small animal and bird pieces. He remained focused on his artistry and after studying motor mechanics in college, he opted to become a full-time visual artist at the Chitungwiza Arts Centre. Over the years Tendekayi has developed creative mastery of hard stone carving on such stones as spring stone, cobalt, red jasper, verdite and eukalite.
His huge Female Court Musician monument is, indeed, set to cause a stir around the world as the attention to detail and colour contrasts reflect his comprehension for artistry.
“The arts industry is a billion-dollar business which, if well supported, can take turns with the mining, agriculture and manufacturing industries in becoming the backbone of economies depending on global trends,” he said.
“Every business has a season, and any other economic sector should make up for any void that may be created due to lack of economic downfalls. The female musician is food for thought for restoring the music industry as a billion-dollar industry where musicians earn decent royalties that help in transforming their life styles.
“Every music style in Zimbabwe be it sungura, dancehall, jazz, hiphop, reggae, mbira and a lot more must have its own celebrities.”