Speaking to Standard Life&Style recently, the two musicians said they have not been given a chance to showcase their music at a national gala.
“I have tried all the best I could to perform at a gala but all the time I am given excuses,” said Sibanda the leader of Bulawayo’s mbaqanga outfit, Isizukulwane Band.
“We have never received a convincing explanation as to why we are not given a chance to perform at such gatherings. We really want to be part of the artistes that perform there,” he said.
“We also want people to enjoy our music. There are some who even think that we do our music from neighbouring South Africa because they hardly see us on stage”.
Matulana said since the concept of music galas began, he was given a single chance to perform.
“Our query is why it is that artistes from other provinces including Matabeleland South get invited to perform at galas except us from Matabeleland North,” said Matulana who is a former freedom fighter.
Sibanda is also a war veteran.
“We have now decided to approach political leaders in the province, perhaps they could intervene,” said Matulana.
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He said what has irked them is the fact that when the galas are advertised, the message is always that the music there would be “national’.
“We wonder what would be national about an event that excludes others,” he charged.The director of communication at the Ministry of Media, Information and Publicity, Anyway Mutambudzi who is responsible for organizing galas, said he has not “seen or heard from the said musicians”.
“If people want to perform at a gala, they come to the Ministry and not the newspapers. I have never seen them here so how do they expect to perform at a gala,” said Murambudzi.
“We deal with more than 400 bands and I cannot know them all.”
He said some musicians feature all the time “because of their capability to pull large crowds”.
