Photoshoot and Goodbyes
22 February 2025, Saturday
The day was set for a photoshoot, and the weather was friendly enough for the course. We all met infront of Kwantu Village, with the plan to make our way towards the river. We got in Shwabada’s bakkie. It was Bafo, Makhene, Nkosi, Shwabada on the driving seat and his dog Sweety at the back.
On our way there, we were playing some Jazz music. The car was silent, just a clean trumpet blowing us away. Then Bafo asked, “Who’s this?” Shwabada or Makhene on the passenger seat answered. It was a South African cat. Silence. Then he said, “These guys can now play like Miles,” with a kind of dissatisfaction in his tone.
Then he told us something. “As a musician, when you go to America and they hear that you are from South Africa, your first night will be packed. But when they hear you playing what they’re already playing, your second night will have a lesser attendance.”
In not very long, we made it to the river that runs down from the mountain. The banks are covered with trees, so we had to hustle our way through them and find a safer spot to take shots.
We got good enough shots, and my job on set, was to make sure that Shwabada’s dog Sweety does not bother the shoot. I think Sweety could sense that I’m more of a cat person, therefore he made sure I sucked at my job.
After the photoshoot, we made our way back to Kwantu Village. Bafo was asked to the lounge, where his was to get a massage, with his fingers and nails been taken care of after working the guitar night and day for a week, but I’m sure he has seen stricter work programmes.
I was standing outside by the gate. With me was Makhene and Nkosi. Shwabada came towards us excitedly. He stood in front of Makhene, did the Skomota dance and said “On the 8th we’re on,” to which Makhene agreed with a handshake.
On the 8th of March, the three of them and two other percussionists, mnumzane Tshepo Motswe and mnumzane Dennis Magagula, were to be doing a tribute show to the late percussionist mnumzane Thabang Tabane at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg.
An untimely passing of a figure who was the direct inheritor of a national heritage, the Malombo sound. A sound that we can say has contributed hugely to the musician Shwabada became. A sound introduced to us by guitarist Dr.Phillip Tabane, inspired by the Malopo ritual of the Bapedi people.
Shwabada and Tabane were also friends, collaborators, and definitely more. In fact, Tabane played with and mentored Shwabada on his first album Open Letter To Adoniah/Unlearning. They were also joined by mnumzane Dennis Magagula on that project.
After not playing together for a while, they finally came together in December 2024, which would probably be the last time Tabane performed on stage, before sadly passing away about two months later.
Which is interesting because, that performance was also at Kwantu Village, for their annual Folk and Griot Festival.
With the place still ringing with Tabane’s drums, maybe that’s what Makhene subconsciously meant when he said, the place contributed “HUGELY” to the sound of the album kwaNTU.
About 9am, it was time for Shwabada and Bafo to make their way to eSwatini, where they were to be playing and recording music with mnumzane Gontse Makhene’s older brother, mnumzane Tlale Makhene.
As we were standing outside, Bafo joined us. In not very long, their driver arrived. They said their goodbyes and then they were off to eSwatini.
