BY SHARON SIBINDI
Everything he touches turns to gold and he can’t put a foot wrong is the best way to describe multi-award winning musician-cum-comedian Mothusi Bashimane Ndlovu, aka Madlela Skhobokhobo.
While some artistes are mourning about lack of opportunities, versatile Madlela is getting breaks at every turn and continues to push aside barriers in the country and beyond.
This comes after he recently scooped a lucrative deal in South Africa with Cambridge Food — a food retailer, powered by MassCash. Madlela auditioned for one of the adverts where he acted as an uninvited uncle, who just came through for dinner and the advert has been aired on SABC and ETV channels on DStv.
“My secret is my loyalty to my Maker [God]. When I started, I made vows to my Creator, one of them was to bring dignity to our art. I must say we are on the right track in doing that not only to art anymore, but to my people and make them proud of who they are,” Madlela told Standard Style.
“I have always wondered how the Matebeleland art will be like and to be honest I am slowly being answered and my prayer is that we lay a foundation for dignity in our art tomorrow.”
The Gwanda-born artiste has maintained a glowing career, which has seen him shining locally and in South Africa.
He shared his moments on how he managed to hit South Africa’s big screens.
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“I was in South Africa for a different project — my agent Becky Casting told me about the Cambridge Food auditions. I sent through a tape, the director loved it. I then became part of the advert, which is played on almost all South African TV channels and for us that’s a huge step in the right direction.
“I acted as an uninvited uncle, who just came through for dinner. So far, that’s the deal with Cambridge Food, but we are never certain what iZulu [heavens] have in-store for us,” he said.
An ardent and unapologetic advocate for self-expression, the SaMaMoe hit-maker,who is not shy to speak his mind, said his ecstatic and his slowly getting to the top.
“This means this talent is not only boxed to a certain people or region, we are slowly getting into other avenues which makes us very proud. The advert is played on SABC and ETV channels and I am so proud of myself,” Madlela said.
“I will be releasing a song in a few weeks’ time that will feature Mcheznana, Siza Mdlongwa and two upcoming artistes who will blow us away — Buhle BlueRose and Basotho.”
Madlela also featured in Shaina — a local movie that hit the screens last year and funded by USAid which reverberates with millions of adolescents around the world, Zimbabweans in particular, in dealing with public health issues and gender-based violence.
Recently he launched a registered company, Dlelas Deliveries — a malayitsha (cross-border) transportation business, ferrying goods from neighbouring South Africa to Bulawayo and Plumtree. He attributes all this to hard work and dedication.
“I am grateful to God who gave me the strength,” he said.
