"The tortoise is one of the most admirable and amazing animals that motivates me because it moves slowly, but ultimately reaches its destination. That is why I also call myself Tshibode (Tshivenda name for tortoise) because I believe that we can all realise our dreams even if it takes a long time. The most important thing is to be patient, work hard, and set realistic goals.”
These are the words of Ntanganedzeni Munyai Ramukakate of Matangari village, who fought against all odds to realise her musical dream. Although she became famous with the release of her debut gospel music album titled “Dilileleni” in 2022, Ramukakate has now jumped ship to the Tshivenda traditional music fraternity, and she is working on her seven-track album to be released at the end of May. Now going by the name of Tshibode, Ramukakate is set to make her presence felt as traditional music lovers have already started enjoying her album teasers with the video clips of her songs that are featured on her upcoming album.
She explained the reason behind her musical teasers: “I decided to do some teasers of some of my songs on the coming album to test the market, and I’m happy that people are falling in love with my music, especially the songs “Tshibode”, “Tsimba”, and “Ni mmbonela bodeloni”.
“People have been calling me to fast-track the release of the album, but I told them to give me time to put together quality music that will satisfy them. God’s time is the best, and we should learn to wait for the right time if we want to be successful,” she said.
Matangari has not totally abandoned gospel music. “I am a staunch Christian and I love my ZCC church wholeheartedly. I grew up in the church and used to sing in the church choir, and when I was growing up, I only knew and had an encounter with gospel music. After recording my successful gospel album in 2022, I meditated, rediscovered myself and felt fulfilled when singing traditional music. I now know who I am and I will continue to do what I love best without looking back. The time is now to demonstrate to the world that we should be proud of our culture and tradition, and this we can achieve through the promotion and preservation of traditional music,” she said.
