Iciko elingu-Alexius Buthelezi lanyathela zezwakala ‘Izigi zendoda’
Iqhaza lakhe lisemculweni wamakhwaya nesicathamiya nasemidlalweni yomoya
Uma u-Alexius Buthelezi echazwa ngomunye wabasakazi asebathatha umhlalaphansi ogama lakhe linguKoos Hadebe, ubekwa kanje: ‘Wayengomunye wezingqalabutho zomsakazo … enothando olukhulu lolimi lwesiZulu, usikompilo nokunye okunjalo.’
Lokhu kungikhanyele ngokusobala uma ngifunda incwadi ebhalwe nguLiz Gunner esihloko sithi, ‘Radio Soundings: South Africa and the Black Modern.’ Okubukeka bekuyinhlosongqangi kaGunner ngale ncwadi yakhe bekuwukuqhakambisa iqhaza lomsakazo ekuletheni indlela entsha yokuphila kubantu, ikakhulukazi aboHlanga kusukela eminyakeni ye-1960.
Indlela yokuphila yayingeke izenzekele ngaphandle kwabantu ababengemumva kwezinhlelo kusuka ziqalwa kuze kube sezivuthwe ngokwenele ukuthi sezinganekelwa izwe. Emidlalweni yomoya nje, kwakudingeka amaphimbo abalingisi, imisindo enhlobonhlobo ezokwenza umdlalo uphile futhi ushiye umzizima wenkumbulo emqondweni womlaleli kanye nomdidiyeli onamasu namava okunonga umdlalo ukuze ukuzimela ngokwawo emqondweni nasenhliziyweni yalowo okade elalele. Kule ncwadi kaGunner, lowo chwepheshe ngalesiya sikhathi somsakazo wobandlululo nguBaba u-Alexius Hezekiah, Kusa Buthelezi, umqambi wezingoma zamakhwaya, imidlalo yomsakazo, umdidiyeli wemidlalo yomoya nomlingisi.
Anconywa ngakho uButhelezi eminyakeni eyi-17 ayisebenza kwaSABC wukusebenzisa kwakhe ulwazi lomculo wamakhwaya nokukwazi ukuwuhlanganisa nezindaba eziguqulelwe emidlalweni yomoya, akhiphe unqambothi lwemidlalo eyenza abantu bamazinga ehlukene empilo banaka futhi bayenamela imidlalo yomoya. Ukulalela kwabantu imidlalo yomoya kwaba nomphumela wokuguqula indlela yokuphila bamukela izindlela zesimanje. Ngaphezulu kwalokho wasebenzisa igagasi lomoya ukuvuselela amasiko abeNguni ngemidlalo yomoya nangomculo. Lapha okaSowalisa wayeqhubeka kulokho okwakuqalwe ngoBaba uKing Edward Masinga ngeminyaka ye-1940 kuza neno. Ikhono lakhe elikhulu kwakuwukusebenzisa umculo ngendlela yokwakha imisindo emisha ezohambisana nomuzwa womdlalo uphakamise amaphaphu noma ukitaze abalaleli kwenyuke ukulangazela ngokungabe kuzokwenzeka emdlalweni.
Nguyena uButhelezi owakha ikhwaya elaziwa ngeRadio Bantu Choir, emva kancane nje kokuqashwa kwakhe. Omunye wemisebenzi yaleli khwaya kwakungukwelekelela ngomculo uma kuqoshwa imidlalo yomoya. Imidlalo akhombisa kuyo ikhono lokuhlanganisa umculo nemidlalo yomoya yilowo othi,
Raka nothi, uNobathakathi yomibili ayikhipha ngowe-1963, kwaba ngothi uNokhwezi ngowe-1964 kwaba ngothi uChakijane neSalukazi ngowe-1965.
Imvelaphi kaButhelezi okwakuyiPomeroy ngaseMsinga maphakathi nekwaZulu-Natal yamsiza ngokuzazi ukuthi unguMzulu ngokobuzwe. Nokho ukuzithola eseseGoli enekhaya eDiepkloof Zone 1 kwamenza weqela ngalena kwemingcele yobuhlanga nokwakuziveza emisebenzini yobuciko, kungabe kukhulunywa ngohlelo lwakhe uCothoza Mfana aluqala emsakazweni ngonyaka-we-1963. Ekwakhe eDiepkloof noma esemsebenzini kwaSABC wayehlale ezungezwe abantu abasendimeni yobuciko.
Isikhathi aqala ngaso ukusebenza kwaSABC saqondana neziyaluyalu empilweni yabantu abasendimeni yezobuciko. Edidiyela umdlalo uNokhwezi ngowe-1964 ijazz yaseSophiatown nakwezinye izindawo ezakhele iGoli yayisidlulelwe yisikhathi. Abaculi boHlanga bexakwe yimithetho eyayibafuna amapasi nezimvume zokuba seGoli bengasakwazi ukudlala lapho bethanda khona ngenxa yokwehlukaniswa kwezinhlanga. Umdlalo weshashalazi iKing Kong wawusuwelele phesheya abaculi bexhashazwa yizinkampani zamarekhodi. Lokhu kwanikeza uShenge ithuba elikahle lokuveza ubuciko esebenzisa umculo uma edidiyela imidlalo yomoya. Lokhu kwamdonsela abalaleli ngalena kwamazinga ahlukene empilo iningi labo lalalela into eyodwa ngaphandle kokubheka ukuthi ilethwe ngaluphi ulimi noma bangabasemadolobheni noma emakhaya yini.
Ngenxa yedumela lemidlalo yomoya eyayididiyelwa nguShenge kwaqala ukuthi kudonseke abalingisi ababethathwa ngengabanohlonze eshashalazini. Omunye wabo nguDan Twala owayenolwazi olujulile lweshashalazi ayeluthole kuBantu People’s Theatre futhi eseke wadlala nasemidlalweni lapho kwakukhulunywa khona isiSotho. Abasakazi abanjengoMandla Sibiya noJoshua Mlaba abasebevele bedumile, ngokusebenzisa kwabo amaphimbo abo emidlalweni kaButhelezi ecolisiswe yathakwa ngesinwe kwadonsa abalaleli abaningi bemikhakha eyehlukene yempilo. Okwalandela lapho ngumshongolo wabalingisi, ababhali, nabaxoxi bezindaba abadonseleka eSABC bezodayisa amakhono abo. Lokho kwaba ngukukhula komsakazo endimeni yomculo nemidlalo yomoya kwazise laba ababethutheleka emsakazweni babelandelwa zihlwele ezazingabalandeli babo emikhakheni eyehlukene yezobuciko.
Umbhali ekubukeni kwakhe iqhaza likaButhelezi kwezobuciko akamkhiphi iqhubu uma ebheka indima yomsakazo ekuguquleni ngokushesha indlela imiphakathi ebuka ngayo izinto. Kodwa ubala u-Alexius Buthelezi njengengxenye yamaqhawe enze lukhulu ukukhulisa isibalo sabalaleli bomsakazo ikakhulukazi leyo esakaza ngesintu. Phakathi kwalezo ngqalabutho kunelikaWinnie Mahlangu, uKinge Edward Masinga nababhali abafana noBloke Modisane noLewis Nkosi abakwazi ukwakha amaxhama okuxhumana phakathi kwaboHlanga bakuleli nabase-USA eHarlem lapho aboHlanga bebaningi khona. Kuwo wonke lo mshikashika ‘Izigi zendoda’ engu-Alexius Buthelezi zizwakala ngokugqamile zibonakale ngomzizima wabalaleli abayizi-6.7 million ezilalela umsakazo nsukuzonke.