It was in 1978 when veteran Tshivenda musician Alpheus Ramavhea first saw the late Xitsonga music giant, General MD Shirinda, performing live at Happy Homes in Malamulele. The performance left a lasting impression. Inspired, Ramavhea returned home and borrowed an old guitar, which he used to start composing his own music.
In 1979, he recorded his first seven-single at the Gallo Recording Company in Gauteng. Two of the standout tracks, Mashonelo and Bvumelani Zwinake, laid a solid foundation for what would become a remarkable music career.
Over the years, Ramavhea recorded several powerful albums. His last two, Vhu kho Vhulaisa and A vha Zwi Funi, were released in 2017 after a seven-year break from the industry.
Despite the strength of the music, the albums never reached their intended audience as they received no airplay on radio stations. Frustrated by what he describes as the "bad attitude" of radio station music compilers, Ramavhea eventually walked away from the industry. He never returned to the recording studio.
Following persistent enquiries from his fans, Limpopo Mirror set out to track him down and found him at his home in Tshaulu. The first part of the conversation was about life beyond music.
"I'm still alive and kicking, as you can see. I'm out of music now and following my ancestral calling, helping patients with traditional healing. I tried to dodge this, but eventually I couldn't bear the pressure. This is now part of my life, and I'm doing my part as a traditional healer. As for music, I'm out. I've seen it all in this industry. Back then, when we started, it was producers who paid us crumbs and leftovers. But because of the passion we had for the craft, we continued producing good music," he said.
Ramavhea explained that he had hoped the situation would improve when more recording companies started entering the market. "That was not to be. For your information, in 2010 I recorded two albums and even won a SATMA award the same year. I never received my R20,000 cash prize. It was only after several emails that they eventually paid me R5,000. The rest was kept by those greedy individuals who prey on helpless musicians.
"When it came to my last two albums in 2017, it became worse as they didn't receive any airplay. This attitude by radio stations is killing talent, and many artists have opted out of the industry. This is a dog-eat-dog industry. It has become a real scam, with compilers demanding their share before playing your music.
"All is not lost, though. I might record a few tracks before the end of the year. The passion I have for music is too much," he said.