Sabela Music Projects

The hundreds of millions of people living in Southern Africa form a montage melting pot of cultures, traditions, beliefs, talents, religions, tastes, off course personalities and lifestyles. With these comes all kinds and all sorts of music. Music is part of everyday life in Africa as much as corn flakes could be part of life in the developed world.Growing up in shanty Makokoba townships in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe exposed people like me to all kinds of sounds, influences and rhythms, both censored and raw. All these music(s) coming out of the creativity and talents of melodic sons and harmonious daughters of Southern Africa, travelling from African-Pop via Sungura, Mbira to Township Kwela, the 70’s AfroJazz, through House Beats in the 80’s, Pantsula in the 90s up to the recent dominationg sounds of Kwaito.I have been part of the community that has continually watched some of the most talented and unique artists perish, leaving this world together with their lyrics, philosophies and reverberation. It has always killed me to think that we will never hear or see any of this talent again as there are no recordings or journals of these people’s works. Names that come to my mind mostly from Zimbabwe include, Martin Ndlovu and the Search Brothers, Chief Mbuyisa, Mike Sobiko, Tobias Areketa, Mwendi Chibindi, Papaya Zulu, Levie Kheswa, Lameck Moyo, Thandabantu Bhebhe, Ndux Malax to name but a few. Most of the recording and music business affairs in our country and a lot of African states are still in the hands of foreign interests who will only and always record or offer their facilities to the kind of musicians and music they deem good to them, or easy to sell. Voices and music from the lesser known communities that is, the young folk, the ageing folk, minority languages, “boring styles”, “un-danceable to”, the physical and mentally disadvantaged artists will never be heard by any of the world music lovers.Sabela therefore comes as a call to all musical talent of, primarily Zimbabwe, the rest of Southern Africa and African music ethuasiasts to respond and get involved with our productions promotions and publicationsOperating a friendly fully professional and serious music enterprise is at the core of our operations. We look forward to working with you, the musician, composer, producer, promoter and music lover. Our motto is “serious, only”Sabela!SAIMON MAMBAZO PHIRI February 2002I edited my profile with Thomas Myspace Editor V4.4 (www.strikefile.com/myspace)