Studio 6 to sell local music
making youths view traditional dances such as Isitshikitsha and Amajuba as backward. Intombi Zosiko was formed to raise awareness on the importance of traditional ways of dancing and singing among the Kalanga and the Ndebele people,” she said.
Dube added that TiBaKalanga provided them with the opportunity to market themselves and grow as a group nationally and internationally.
“Our group was formed in 2016. We are still growing and need help from event promoters that will benefit us financially. In South Africa we are still having problems getting concerts but whenever we are called to perform, fans are thrilled with our performance which motivates us to keep moving forward,” she said. Dube urged Zimbabweans to keep following them and also to follow their Facebook page Intombi Zosiko and also buy their CDs.
“Without the support of people we are nothing, we will remain a small group barely known across Zimbabwe, but with their help, we will become a successful group and be able to continue preserving and spreading the traditional culture,” she added.
People who fell in love with the dance group will get a guaranteed opportunity IN a bid to fight piracy and have local music accessible to people, a record label has been opened at the National Art Gallery in Bulawayo that will sell local music.
The record label could be an answer to many artistes as it will help them sustain a living through the sales made. In an interview, radio presenter and comedian Babongile Sikhonjwa who is running the studio said there has always been a problem in finding places to buy local music.
“There was always a problem of where to buy local music so when I asked the gallery if there was free space they said it was available, so where else was better suited and located than the Bulawayo Arts Gallery, the home of arts,” he said.
Some of the artistes that spoke to Sunday Life welcomed the development to watch them in next year’s TiBaKalanga festival as they promised to return.
The colourful festival was concluded with exhilarating performances from Tedzani and Malayangwa Traditional Group, Black Umfolosi and Nqamelophondo groups. The project manager, Felix Silundika, said the festival was colourful and everything that took place was beyond imagination.
“The festival was a success, people came in numbers, music performers were on point and most importantly the festival managed to showcase the traditional culture of the Ndebele and Kalanga people,” he said.
and urged other stakeholders in the entertainment industry to come up with more record labels dedicated to selling local music.
The director of Umkhathi Dance Company, Trust Madolo Gumbo, said they were in support of Studio 6.
“Someone had to start this initiative and since the doors have been opened we expect more players to come in as we need more local record stores. This initiative will help get the music closer to the people yet generating income through sales,” he said.
Nkululeko Nkala who is known in the music circles as Khuliyo said the opening of Studio 6 will cultivate a culture for both artistes and audiences to supply and buy respectively.
Besides selling local music the studio also caters for visual artists. The comedian seems to be venturing on different paths of business as he is also set to open a new café, Red Café. According to him the new café will cater for people coming in for different reasons ranging from business to social meetings.