The city of kings should be proud of having produced a number of significant performers and artists who have advanced the arts and essentially laid the groundwork for Zimbabwe’s diverse musical landscape. This article explores the brief biographies of a few legendary Bulawayo residents, guiding the reader through the diverse musical careers of these performers.
Lovemore Majaivana
Born: 1954 in Gweru
Genre: Pop
Occupation: Singer, Songwriter
Active Years: 1974-2001
Lovemore’s remarkable dancing earned him the stage name “Majaivana,” which means good dancer. His musical career began when he moved to Bulawayo at the age of four and began singing in churches. By the time he was fifteen, he was playing drums for the band Hi-Chord. After that, he relocated to Harare, where his career took off. He started performing in nightclubs, covering Elvis Presley and Tom Jones songs, and eventually started his own band, Jobs Combination. Majaivana’s humble beginnings in music are obviously clear, as he began by building his own set of drums out of cardboard boxes and plastic wrappers. He established himself and wrote multiple successful songs, most of them in his mother tongue, Ndebele.
He left Zimbabwe in 2000 and retired following the realise of his last album after suffering some huddles in his musical career such as the demise of his band members and musical politics.
PS: There is news that he has allegedly returned from the retirement. If it’s true, are we going to get more love jams from the music legend? Who knows, maybe.
Reason for retirement
Majaivana reiterated that he felt “unappreciated” in an undated interview with Zazise Wide’s Pride Bongani. He continued by underlining how “tribal lines” determine an artist’s success in Zimbabwean music sales. Lovemore expressed his desire to sing in widely recognized Shona in order to receive a larger share of the pie (earnings). He found the situation intolerable after the deaths of his two main band members in 1993—a drummer and a guitarist—and as a result, the Bulawayo giant retired. But people still wonder: Were the members of his band indispensable?
Busi Ncube
Born: 1963
Genre: mbira music
Occupation: Singer, Teacher
I believe Busi to be at the top of the list of multi-talented artists. She is a female mbira performer with six African languages under her belt. She has the ability to play the mbira, guitar, and percussion. In addition to her career in music, she works as a child and youth worker in Norway as a teacher.
Busi began performing in churches, singing gospel songs. She also taught herself how to play the guitar, mbira, hosho, and ngoma at a young age. Her musical career took off when she joined Ilanga Band, which featured a number of musicians who achieved great success in Zimbabwe, including the late Comrade Chinx, Don Gumbo, and Andy Brown. Ilanga was founded in 1986, and their collective work had a significant impact on individual artists.
Embrace the English adage ‘Surround yourself with smart people who will argue with you in every aspect of life.’ Despite occasional disagreements on the band’s direction and other issues, the Ilanga group thrived, comprising exceptionally talented individuals who enhanced each other’s brilliance through collaboration.
With her most well-known song, “True Love,” Busi led the vocals for the band Ilanga and captured the hearts of many across the African continent. Busi has always given her all to her profession, and she continues to do so today with live performances that bring back memories of her Ilanga past.
Solomon Skuza
Born: 1954
Died: 1995
Occupation: Singer, Songwriter
Solomon Skuza was a singer and songwriter who wrote lyrics in Ndebele, Shona, and English in addition to his native Kalanga. Bands like “Fallen Heroes,” named in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the independence struggle, supported Skuza. He resembled a Chimurenga singer more closely. Skuza’s 1980 hit song “Banolila” achieved over 75,000 sales, and his album “Love and Scandals” received critical acclaim and commercial success.
Ndux Malax
Born: 1954
Died: 1996
Genre: Rhumba
Occupation: Singer, dancer
Malax was raised in a musical household; both his uncles and father, Sihlola, were musicians. He was shaped into a musician at a young age, and he advanced through the ranks thanks to his love of music. Ndux Junior, his son, claims that Malax set the standard for many other rhumba musicians to follow. Malax was a proud parent who would even encourage his own kid Ndux junior to dance on stage. According to his son, he gave him the microphone so that his legacy would live on. Despite his passing in 1996, his son continues to carry on his music.
Sandra Ndebele
Born: 1982
Genre: Afro Pop
Occupation: Musician, dancer, actress, politician
Sandra began her involvement in the performing arts while still in school, and she eventually went on global tours with Iyasa. Fans loved her hits “Malaika” and “Mama.” After she joined the Iyasa group, which brought out the best in her, her career eventually took off. Sandra gained recognition for her amazing dancing skills during her time with the band. Sandra is a multi-talented woman who also enjoys politics. In the by-elections on December 9, 2022, she was elected to serve as a councillor for Bulawayo’s ward 20 under the ruling party ZANU-PF.
Sir Wicknell also gave her an extravagant gift of a US$155,000 Mercedes Benz GLE400d. Sandra is still going strong today and is still doing her part to support Zimbabwe as a decent citizen.
Albert Nyathi
Born: 1962
Occupation: Singer, book writer, poet, actor, philanthropist
Books: My daughter (2012), My son
Born in Gwanda, Nyathi gained fame after Chris Hani was assassinated with his poem and song “Senzeni na?” He began writing praise poetry while still a young cowherder. In the mid-1990s, he graduated with honours from the University of Zimbabwe with a degree in English literature.
This degree accentuated the philanthropic aspect of him that was always there from an early age. In his 2012 book “My daughter,” he sums up the girl child’s request with the words, “When I demand that you. Every day, arrive home before dusk. I do not despise you, my beloved daughter. I’m just trying to keep you safe. In this novel, Nyathi demonstrates how a true father would shield his daughter from the night shark.
Beater Mangethe
Died: 2010
Occupation: Singer, actor
Hit song: Makokoba
Beater began as a football and netball player for Amakhosi. But Beater’s creative director, Mhlanga, claimed that she was more passionate about singing than acting or athletics. Mhlanga informed Beater that all it required was one successful song to have an impact, and Beater took two years to write Makokoba, a song that proudly declares her originality and heritage. Beater was considered as one of the most diligent musicians Zimbabwe has ever produced; she pursued her musical goals with tenacity and hard work.
Don Gumbo
Died: 1998
Occupation: musician
Don Gumbo was a well-known bassist and Ilanga member. He sang in several popular Ilanga songs, like as “True Love,” where Busi Ncube took the main vocals. He is recognised as one of the Ilanga band’s founders and was instrumental in raising the group to new heights. Andy Brown left the band and went solo after Don Gumbo and the late Andy Brown got into a fight about the direction of the Ilanga band. Even though there may have been a few minor disagreements, the group helped each member develop unique traits that helped the majority of them succeed
Jeys Marabini
Born: 1971
Real name: Majahawodwa Ndlovu
Occupation: musician
Majahawodwa Ndlovu, whose stage name Jeys Marabini is derived from the Marabini music he performs, has been the leader of the Kozekulunge group in Bulawayo since the organisation’s founding in 2002. He formed Comforting Brothers, a band that subsequently became Imbizo. The music video for “Emarabini,” from his debut album “Emarabini,” was chosen as the best video at the 2002 Zimbabwe Music Awards.
His second and third albums were completed in 2005. The music video “Umzika baba” from the second album Thuthukani Ngothando was nominated for a ZIMA award, and the hit song “Amalungelo” from the third album “Sounds of Today and Tomorrow” After more than 28 years in the music business, he currently has nine albums. Chivhayo gave him a Toyota Hilux gift worth US$48000.
Conclusion
Whilst this is the available list of some of the Bulawayo legends, it is not exhaustive. There are other music icons from the city of Kings and Queens who have also played a huge role. If you know any more legends who are not on this list, please share your opinions in the comments.
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About The Author
Aspiring financial coach Frank Mhlanga is a passionate writer of essays in the art and entertainment, as well as the finance and investing sectors. He also wants to pursue an agricultural company. Currently, he holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and Banking.