South Africa-based Zimbabwean maskandi outfit Ezika Dibi led by Thabani Dibi Sibanda has released a 13-track album titled Umahlalegangeni, with one song dedicated to Bulawayo football giants Highlanders.
By Sindiso Dube
Highlanders take on long-time rivals Dynamos at Barbourfields Stadium this afternoon and Ezika, Dibi’s song titled Highlanders is a timely booster.
The new album also carries tracks such as Ngikuthandile, Uma Ujola, Emangunini and OGodlwayo, among others. Sibanda said he was confident that the song Highlanders would motivate the team he grew up supporting into overcoming Dynamos.
“Bosso has been playing second best to DeMbare for 10 years, but now we have regained our power and on Sunday [today] we will beat them,” he said. “We will go to the stadium singing the Highlanders tribute song.” The song Highlanders refers to Bosso as inkunzi emnyama, loosely translated to “a black bull”.
“We decided to dedicate the song to Bosso. Maskandi is a traditional genre which preserves our culture and Highlanders being a team built on cultural basis, we felt it was appropriate to come up with such a song,” he said.
The Filabusi-born musician said he left Zimbabwe for South Africa, where he was inspired to form a musical group. “I was born in Filabusi, Godlwayo under Chief Vezi Maduna and I went to Mbembesi Primary School and Mkwabene High School before I moved to South Africa,” he said.
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“While in South Africa, I started interacting with people from different cultural backgrounds like the Nguni, Xhosa and Zulu. The way they carried their culture with pride inspired me to form a musical group which is made up of Zimbabweans and South Africans.”
The group, which is in the country to promote their second album, has made a mark in South Africa where they have graced the Africa Day celebrations, Khaya Arts Festival and the annual Joshua Nkomo celebrations (South Africa).
They have also shared the stage with Mlambos Express, Zinja Ziyamuluma, Uboneni Magubane and Solly Moholo, among others.
