Lubhalwe ngu-Idoko Salihu
Ohlonishwe njenge-Africa’s premier diva i-Time Magazine, u-Angelique Kidjo usebe nesandla esikhulu ekubekeni umculo wase-Afrika ezingeni eliphezulu lomhlaba.
Umculi wase-Benin owine izindondo eziningi uthole ugqozi kubaculi base-Nigeria be-Afrobeat uFela Anikulapo Kuti, umculi wakuleli uMiriam Makeba kanye noJames Brown noStevie Wonder baseMelika kanye nabanye.
Futhi ubekulangazelela ukusebenza nabaculi abancane. Ukusebenza nabaculi base-Afrika abafana noBurna Boy, uYemi Alade, uShungudzo kanye noMnu Eazi kanye nabanye kuwubufakazi bokuthi ufuna ukuqhubeka nokuthuthukisa umculo wase-Afrika.
Lo mculi oneminyaka engu-63 ubudala, njengomculi ukwazi ukukhuluma ulimo lwe-Fon, i-French, i-Yorùbá kanye nesiNgisi isikhathi esiningi.
Waqala ukucula neqembu likanina lapho okudlalwa khona imdlalo yeshashalazi eneminyaka eyisithupha. Kuwo wonke umsebenzi wakhe isisekelo sakhe somculo nokudlala besilokhu sigxile emculweni wendabuko wase-Afrika kanye nomdanso.
Ukhule ngaphambi kweminyaka yezinkundla zokuxhumana, okwamenza ukuthi abe nolwazi olunzulu ngendabuko.
Ngesikhathi kugxekwa indlela enza ngayo ukuze umculo wakhe ukhange kakhulu emhlabeni, uKidjo waphendula wathi: “Bangobani ukuthi bangangitshela ukuthi umculo wase-Afrika kumele uhambe kanjani? Bakhulele e-Benin yini futhi bayawazi yini umculo engikhule ngiwulalela? Cha? Abantu abake bafunde ukuthula!”
Ngo-1983 wabaleka e-Benin waya e-Paris ngenxa yokucindezelwa komculo wakhe nguhulumeni wamaKhomanisi wangaleso sikhathi.
UKidjo wasinda ekudingisweni kwezombusazwe, ukuhlukunyezwa kanye nokucwaswa ngokwebala futhi lokhu kwamsiza ukuba abe nesibindi.
Uphinde walingisa isiko ngezimpahla zakhe. Udume ngokugqoka izimpahla ze-Ankara Afrika cishe kukho konke ukubonakala kwakhe esidlangalaleni.
Isizukulwane esisha ikakhulukazi amaciko abesifazane angafunda isifundo noma ezimbili kowesifazane owaqonda ubunikazi bakhe esemncane futhi wamelana nemithetho egunyaziwe. Uhlale ekhombisa isibindi futhi njengoba iminyaka iqhubeka ukhombisa ukuthuthuka kakhulu.
UKidjo ube nomthelela kubaculi abaningi base-Afrika abafana nomculi we-Afropop wase-Nigeria uYemi Alade abalingise ubuciko bakhe.
Kumele aphakanyiswe umuntu uma enza kahle ngaphandle kokungabaza kanti ukuqhubeka ukubona umculo kaKidjo kuyasikhuthaza njengabantu base-Afrika.
Isithombe esingenhla: U-Angelique Kidjo
Umthombo: @Wabe