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| Albert Nyath (3rd from right) with participants before recording and his Team. (From Right: Bhekumusa Moyo,Ozin Nyathi,Albert,Nozi, Dereck,Qeqeshiwe Mlambo,Dumi Nyongola,Nomaqhawe Moyo |
ARE YOU CONSCIOUS that Art is a strong tool that can work to
communicate and heal souls without exposing them to public scrutiny. Language
on the other side is the backbone of society and its culture. With numerous
studies showing the increase of gender based violence in Zimbabwe, varying efforts have
been employed to curb it. Since the subject has some incommunicable components,
art can be a personal journey and music searches the soul. The project seeks to
bring to the Album 20 different voices in their respective languages to speak in one accord against gender based violence.
This time around Albert Nyathi and his team had a one stop task after travelling across the country in search of voices that can churn and scintillate the nation denouncing gender based violence through song.
"It was a lifetime experience travelling from Harare to Binga, snaking up and down the Tonga land and finding the team in Hwange where coal is made and a plethora of languages are housed in the industrial hub. The heat cooked the team to understand that Zimbabwe is diverse enough to be complimented in its versatility. The team landed on the world wonder of Victoria Falls where Zimbabwe meets the world before journeying to Chiredzi to audition Shangaan/Tsonga in the sugar lands. The journey turned to Beitbridge, the border town for the Vhenda language and later to Gwanda for Sotho,Kalanga and other various sweet Zimbabwean languages at the Joshua Nkomo Polytechnic. Mbembesi for Xhosa and Plumtree for further Kalanga were not spared as the search for deep seated talent went on", Albert Nyathi said
"This time, it was recording and workshopping of the selected voices from these vast areas of Zimbabwe which in the past were called minorities before the new constitution recognised all of them as languages of the nation. The recording will be done in phases so as to deepen the lyrical content and quality of work as well as specialise genres without contamination as well as workshop the artistes to leave as Ambassadors of anti-Gender Based Violence Campaigns. The first phase had participants selected from Binga, Hwange,Victoria falls and Chiredzi converging in Bulawayo at 10th District Studios where they underwent a rigorous week of expressing their thoughts on gender based violence through music and sound. Albert Nyathi, Dumi Nyongola (voice Coach), Dereck and Tswarelo Mothobe were key in the production. These are veterans in music production, lyricism and coaching", Bhekumusa Moyo, the Project's MnE Specialist Advisor added.
Some of the artistes attested to LiNkundla that for sure they were linked with a CONSCIOUS Opportunity which they learnt of the Auditions through this platform. Below are excerpts from the conversations.