Kwaito music legend Sibusiso Ntshangase, fondly known as Sbu Malawayer, has returned to the music industry with a new album titled Mgazi and a new festive season concert on the way.
Despite being one of the pioneers of the kwaito music genre, he once felt rejected by the industry after serving it diligently for more than 25 years. Sbu Malawyer returns to his true love with a renewed sense of self.
He makes a come-back with the “Sounds Of Legends Concert” scheduled to take place in Johannesburg, Durban, and Mpumalanga this festive season, under the theme “Vintage”.
Will finally release album recorded in 2008
Although his album Mgazi was recorded in 2008, the two songsvfeatured, Ngiyababonga and Ubungekho, were never released. This was during the time he felt that the music industry had turned against him.
The songs were meaningful, and he wished to release them at a suitable time. After waiting 17 years, he brought the songs back to life in the new release.
“I feel ready to release the music and try again,” Sbu told Sunday World.
“The song Ngiyababonga is a thank you song to honour those who supported and stood by [me] when times were hard. [Kwaito legend] Mdu Masilela is one of the people who supported me through tough times.”
He is also grateful to his late friend Themba Mthombothi, who passed on a few years ago in a car crash.
The rise, fall and revival of kwaito
Sbu is one of the pioneers of kwaito music in South Africa. However, with new genres taking centre stage, his sound became somewhat outdated. This led to the critical yet stable state of kwaito music in South Africa. With the changes, Sbu felt he was no longer needed or valued in the music industry. Bookings were few and far between, and his income took a knock due to this.
“I really struggled when kwaito was seen as no longer relevant,” he told Sunday World.
“I felt a dark cloud around me because the industry no longer wanted to hear anything from me,” he said.
“The effort of working on this album went astray, so I decided to take a break. The hardships were more on finances because there were no gigs and bookings coming,” he said.
“Kwaito was perceived as dead music. I remember I resorted to organising my own events to make ends meet. I would talk to club owners to bring kwaito gigs and invite people like the late Tokollo “Magesh” Tshabalala, Mapaputsi, Jakarumba and Alaska to do door deals. Some gigs were becoming successful, and most would fail.”
The failures led to internal conflicts.
“In most cases, when the events were a flop, I’d end up fighting with amajita (the gents). Because there would be no money to pay them. It was too tough, imagine travelling to another province with the last petrol money. There would be no accommodation sometimes, and I’m coming back home with no money.”
Thrifting saved music career
He overcame his obstacles and feels he has been given a second chance.
“I made a decision not to give up. And I always had a positive spirit. I met this friend of mine, Vusi Tshabalala, who introduced me to thrifting, because of my love of fashion. And I thrifted and sold good-quality second-hand clothes in order to survive,” he said.
“I used my fashion passion and partnered with Vusi to run a thrifting shop in Newtown, Johannesburg. I’m happy for the fact that, when the amapiano was introduced, it made people start looking back to our old school kwaito. And we were recognised again,” he added.
With new sounds, he still believes there is a place for him in the music business.
“Amapiano has kwaito elements, so we are back, booked and busy. There are a lot of concepts around old-school kwaito. The beautiful thing is that most of our audience is the same audience who grew up listening to kwaito. Now they have a reason to go to the groove.”
