People’s poet CD spreads hope
Mzwakhe Mbuli has released his first political album. Therese Owen speaks to the controversial poet about and tries to avoid discussing sociopolitical issues.
OW is the time. The time is now.” It was 1988 when I heard those words for the first time. It was a horrific time in South Africa. But those words by the people’s poet, Mzwakhe Mbuli, from his album, Change is Pain, encouraged us to hou vas and deal with the situation.
The music created by Mbuli and the late Gito Baloi on that album, which was released through the revolutionary Shifty Music, was a revolution in itself. We had yet to hear music and words like that from our country. The closest we had come was the British poet, Linton Kwesi Johnson, and his dub albums.
Twenty-five years and a whole life time later, Mbuli is still as strident as ever. He has, however, released a decidedly chilled album that speaks of love and positivity, Patriotic Love.
“These are morale-boosting lyrics,” said the big man with the instantly recognisable booming voice. In fact, outside of Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki and Zola, Mbuli has the most famous voice in the country.
“This album’s about encouraging positivity. We are on the eve of 20 years of democracy and we need positive reinforcement.”
This is the most apolitical album Mbuli has written, so I studiously try to avoid anything to do with politics. I am somewhat intimidated by the man because I have been waiting to speak to him for more than 25 years. And besides, he has a fierce and fearless reputation, both as an outspoken political man and for getting rather aggressive with those who pirate music.
But Mbuli is surprisingly pleasant and keen to speak about his new music. He produced the album and performed on it. He considers himself not only a poet but a musician and is highly influenced by gospel music.
While he has tried to steer away from politics, he has three songs that support South African sport. Track three is called Caster Semenya.
“No athlete has been treated like her worldwide. I wrote this song to uplift her. When she turned 19, her coach approached me to be the programme director at her birthday and then again at 21. When Caster won her Olympic silver she came to show me. She is very friendly and comes from a deeply spiritual background. When I played this song for the first time, Winnie Mandela wept. Even I get emotional when I hear the song.
“I never knew at the time when I met Caster that I would have to compose a song for her. When everything happened I organised an album called Human Triumph. However, I had to scrap it because some music stores thought that because of the investigations she would never run again. Last week Caster phoned me to say she had bought my album.”
Mbuli believes God knows what is good for you: “God’s delay is not equal to God’s denial.”
He says his talent for poetry and music comes from the heart.
“I never studied music. Certain things are natural. I have an inquisitive mind. But it’s also about reading a lot. If you don’t read books you are in trouble.”
Naturally the conversation steers towards politics, particularly in the light of the challenging scenario in South Africa and because noted people in our society are giving the Nkandla-run ANC the thumbs down.
It is then that I see the passionate Mzwakhe Mbuli, the man who was declared an enemy of the apartheid state, the man who has always been defiant in the face of wrong, the man who has always commanded us to “listen to the voice of reason”.
“For me, it’s a dream gone wrong. In 1976, 700 children died. In 2010 we managed to build Fifa stadiums, but we see kids pregnant, being killed by drugs. This is spitting on the graves of those who died in 1976. I don’t know how the bullets missed me in 1976. Many of my school friends died next to me. Maybe I was supposed to live and complain if something was not right. But I don’t remember a 1976 placard demanding pregnancy. We have gone in the opposite direction.
“What I say carries weight. In the last election I ran away from money. I was offered so much money. I have never belonged to a political party.”
So in the light of new political parties like Agang and the EFF, will he join a party now?
“When I was declared an enemy of the state during apartheid I was not an ANC member. Jacobs Klopper came before the TRC and said that Vlakplaas wanted to bomb my place because I was dangerous. He officially came forward to say there would be no issue if I was eliminated.
“The EFF had a meeting with me because they want to mobilise artists and said I was a prominent artist. They never offered me a bribe. I just listened. But let’s make another point; I’m sure the EFF will like this.
“During apartheid there was no South African music on radio. Then suddenly in 2010 there was mostly South African music. What are we going to celebrate as artists for the past 20 years? What have they done in the Department of Arts and Culture (DAC)?
“Luthuli House asks for certain artists during their rallies leading up to elections. When they win the DAC then use their artists to celebrate and then genres like Maskandi and Mbaqanga are marginalised. The DAC divides artists instead of uniting them.
“There was a joke during Lulu Xingwana’s time as DAC minister that DAC stood for Don (Laka), Arthur (Mofokate) and Chomee.
“People forget what they should remember and remember what they should forget.”
As I ponder this point and my mind goes back to the days of his album, Change is Pain, Mzwakhe Mbuli, the people’s poet, looks at me pointedly and smiles: “I’m done.”